The Flight of Dragons (1982)

Directors:

Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writers:

Peter Dickinson (novel)
Gordon R. Dickson (novel)

Release Date:

3 August 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Man is faced with the ultimate question, of whether to have a world of Magic or a world of Science. Which will it be?

Plot:

A young Boston writer goes back in time into an era where wizards and dragon reign and science is just barely known.

Plot Keywords:

Science | Dragon | Magic | Quest | Wizard

Cast

Victor Buono	...	Aragh (voice)
James Gregory	...	Bryagh / Smrgol (voice)
James Earl Jones	...	Ommadon (voice)
Harry Morgan	...	Carolinus (voice)
John Ritter	...	Peter Dickenson (voice)
Larry Storch	...	Pawnbroker (voice)
Don Messick	...	Giles of the Treetops / Lo Tae Zhao (voice)
Bob McFadden	...	Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe (voice) (as Robert McFadden)
Ed Peck	...	(voice)
Jack Lester	...	(voice)
Alexandra Stoddart	...	Princess Melisande (voice)
Nellie Bellflower	...	Danielle (voice)

Also Known As:

Flight of the Dragon

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:U

Company:

Rankin/Bass Productions

Trivia:

Loosely based on the novel 'The Dragon and the George' by Gordon R. Dickson.

Quotes:

Carolinus: Good would be totally impotent, without the contrast of evil.

SIMPLY AMAZING!!

I have never been into animation that much even since I was a young kid. I grew up hating animation like Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't anything to write home about. Then my eyes were opened when the great Princess Mononoke was released in America. Some of my Japanese friends tried to get me to see it and like I've said before, I have never been that much into animation. I took a risk and was pleasantly surprised. The movie was short and sweet with witty dialogue and intense action. I considered it to be the best American animation I've ever seen. Then a year later my Japanese friends brought over Flight of Dragons and they told me it was better than Princess Mononoke. I didn't believe that statement until halfway through the movie. The movie was brilliant and I was speechless afterwards. Crisp and clean animation flow through Flight of Dragons like a winding mountain river. As soon as I saw the animation in that movie I began to fear that the dubbing might be horrible thus ruining the beauty of the animation. I was proven wrong again which helped me to realize I shouldn't make such assumptions because one never can tell when it comes to animation. John Ritter was amazing. I have never heard his voice so clean and solid as in Flight of Dragons. Ritter steals the show and you wind up in a trance watching to see where his "flight" will take him next. James Earl Jones was totally out of character. Jones has been in many great films but his voice sounded too much like Darth Vader and it was almost as though he was trying to show off which should not be done in an animated film. The voice actors obviously needed to take voice lessons from John Ritter, the master dubber himself. Other than these flaws the movie was perfect starting with an outstanding beginning and finishing with a solid clean end leaving a smile spread across my face. This will remain my favorite animated movie of all time so I only have one thing to say- Miyazaki, look out because Jules Bass is headed for the silver screen!!