| Age of the Dragons | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ryan Little |
| Produced by | Gil Aglaure Devin Carter McKay Daines Steven A. Lee Joe Pia Peter Urie |
| Written by | Gil Aglaure Anne K. Black McKay Daines |
| Starring | Danny Glover Vinnie Jones |
| Music by | J Bateman |
| Editing by | John Lyde |
| Distributed by | KOAN Metrodome Distribution |
| Release date(s) | March 4, 2011 (United Kingdom)[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Box office | $1 million |
Age of the Dragons is a 2011 fantasy film starring Danny Glover and Vinnie Jones, directed by Ryan Little. Age of the Dragons is a re-imagining of Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick. It was released in the UK on March 4, 2011. Rated 12A.
Contents |
As in the novel, narrator Ishmael (Corey Sevier) joins Ahab (Danny Glover) on the good ship Pequod, in this instance a land boat. The seven-strong crew ostensibly seeks the precious "Vitriol" inside the fire-breathing winged creatures. Set in a mythical realm where Captain Ahab and crew hunt dragons for the Vitriol that powers their world. Vitriol is a blue liquid and is highly explosive, when it comes in touch with Oxygen. Ishmael, a charismatic brave harpooner joins their quest. In fact, Ahab's mission is a revenge on a particular Great White Dragon that decades ago scarred and injured him, and also killed his sister, when he was young and left his body scarred and mauled, drives the crew deeper into the heart of darkness. For that reason he tries to kill all dragons not only the white one. Conflict arises via a romantic entanglement between Ishmael and Ahab's feisty adopted daughter, Rachel (Sofia Pernas), beautiful and tough, runs the hunting vessel which inspires hostility from jealous hothead Flask (Larry Bagby). In the White Dragon's lair Ahab's secrets are revealed and Rachel must choose between following him on his dark quest or escaping to a new life with Ishmael. She chooses the later and in a final confrontation, Ahab's spear, which was tied to his foot, becomes entangled in the White Dragon's neck who flies off with a screaming Ahab until he is slammed against a pillar, presumably killing him. The movie ends with the White Dragon flying off into the distance, with Ahab's body clinging on to it.
The film was originally going to be called Dragon Fire.[2] On February 3, 2010 it was announced that Danny Glover and Vinnie Jones had joined the cast, and that filming would begin in Utah the following week. The film's budget was around $5 million,[3] and was the first film developed by distribution company Metrodome. A video from the set was revealed on March 5, 2010.[4] Several of the scenes were filmed at Castle Amphitheater in Provo, Utah behind the Utah State Hospital. Other filming locations included Stone Five Studios in the Riverwoods Business Park. Glover was quoted as saying "This is a great idea ... it's going to be fun."[5]
The trailer for the film was released on October 15, 2010.
The film received almost universal negative reviews in the British Press. The Guardian [6] (1 star out of 5): “A textbook lesson in how not to adapt a literary classic – though it's so spectacularly bad, it could well achieve mythical status of its own . . . The deadly serious tone just makes it funnier; there's not a whale in sight but this movie blows.” The Observer: [7] “This crude picture, shot in snow-covered Utah, where the Pequod becomes a battle engine on large wooden wheels, is unamusingly ridiculous.” Variety: [8] “Generic dialogue and dull incident. Shoddy CGI indicates a production budget that's fatally inadequate for the task at hand.” Little White Lies: [9] (1 star out of 5) “While ropey CG monsters, half-baked stabs at drama, awkwardly-choreographed action sequences and wooden acting are all part of the fun, neither the script, nor Little’s direction revel enough in camp or B-movie thrills to give Age of the Dragons true schlock value . . . This pittance fails to make Age of the Dragons anything more than disposable. Expect to find it wedged among the ‘Two for £10’ DVDs in a year’s time, tantalising you with the promise of a so-bad-it’s-good quickie. But beware: here be dragons.”
|
|||||