My Favorite Movie Dragons

The cinematic world has turned these fiery beasts to larger than life beauties that we’ve all been in awe of. From being creatures only known through stories to being depicted on the large screen, dragons have made the film watching experience exhilarating. Of all of the film depictions, these are my most favorite.

Draco from Dragonheart (circa 1996)

Rob Cohen directed this masterpiece before he went on to direct Fast and Furious. I still giggle at Dennis Quaid's banter with a Sean Connery voiced dragon. 

Dragon from Shrek (circa 2001)

Called Dragon, the beast is a striking balance of ferocity and femininity. I love her more for her romance with a donkey called Donkey voiced by Eddie Murphy

Smaug from the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (circa 2013)

His beastly size, the way he slithers and looks at you , it's so scary-amazing! The feature that makes this dragon so awe-inspiring is the voice. Who doesn't love Benedict Cumberbatch's voice!

Falkor from The NeverEnding Story (circa 1984)

He's not the ferocious beast the other dragons are. He's a luck dragon who looks like a giant dog but for anyone who lost themselves in the movie, he became a companion for all your adventures.

Hungarian Horntail from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (circa 2005)           

  

I remember being enthralled when I first read about the Hungarian Horntail. It is the moment in the Harry Potter film series when the movie actually becomes scary and you get a feel for what Harry is in for.

Toothless from How to Train your Dragon (circa 2010)         

This. This is why the Night Fury is on my list!

Who are your favorite movie dragons?

Smaug - The Greatest Dragon

Photo Courtesy – Chris Hamby

My dad used to read us the Hobbit as a bed time story. It was our favorite and I’m not sure it worked very well in terms of lulling us to sleep. Dad couldn’t read a story without enacting the scenes and the more we reacted, the more elaborate his acting. Our favorite scenes of all were the ones with Smaug in them. What. A. Dragon!

Having been a fan of the character for so long and seeing it come alive on screen was surreal. Usually, fans of the book versions of the story are often unhappy with the movie adaptations but Smaug, he is something else. You only need to look at the audition tape of Benedict Cumberbatch to see they’ve picked the absolute right person to play the part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiQQC8pVuV8

For those of you who are unaware of Smaug, he is a fearsome dragon that invaded the Dwarf town of Erebor in the Middle Earth universe created by J.R.R. Tolkein, infamous for his trilogy, the Lord of the Rings. Smaug has been living on top of all of Erebor’s wealth and treasure for over 150 years when a group of 12 dwarves decided to go on a quest to take the kingdom back. They seek the help of the powerful wizard Gandalf who, in turn, recruits the hobbit – Bilbo Baggins. And before I start rewriting this classic, I suggest you read the book or watch this movie. Their latest poster still gives me goosebumps!

Photo Courtesy – SciFi Now

Smaug is easily my favorite dragon of all time. But is he the best? I don’t know a dragon that can come close but I leave this open to debate. Before we begin though, let’s consider what George RR Martin, of the Game of Thrones fame, has just said – “Drogon could never beat Smaug in a fight”

Do you agree?