Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that Dragonslayer is a 1981 fantasy film and is one of the best swords and sorcery movies out there. The movie really builds up the tension, and viewers see bursts of smoke and fire, falling rocks, a shaking ground and other indications that something big is lurking for the first half of the film. When we finally see the dragon, it's quite terrifying and realistic as it looms over our hero, blasts him with fire, and flies menacingly over him in the sky. There's one moment of horrifying violence: A princess who nobly offered herself up as a sacrifice isn't saved by the hero as the viewer expects but is instead dispatched by the dragon's young, who hideously gnaw on her legs, exposing bone. All that said, Dragonslayer is still fresh and believable, by turns charming and scary, and a wonderful whole-family viewing choice for parents and older kids who enjoy medieval settings, magic, and dragons.

Sexual Content

There are brief instances of nudity, such as when Galen dives into the water and we see him nude from the rear; he then discovers Valerian is a female by glimpsing her naked body from the side as we see a flash of side-breast and buttocks. The girls sacrificed to the dragons are virgins; the movie doesn't explain what a virgin is, but children may ask.

Violence

The dragon is quite realistic and scary and may horrify younger or sensitive viewers. For a fantasy movie about a dragon, the violence is lower than modern levels, but at one point a human is incinerated by the dragon's breath and we see him shrieking in the flames. At another point, a noble princess we expect to be saved is instead killed by baby dragons, who gnaw on her legs and tear off her foot as we see the white bone sticking out. Beloved characters die suddenly onscreen, one from being stabbed in a tense and scary scene.

Language

No cursing and only the mildest epithets: "You fool!"

Social Behavior

A princess sacrifices herself in the name of nobility and fairness; however, in a subversion of movie cliches, she is not then saved gloriously by the hero but instead perishes in a horrible and graphic way. The movie also sexualizes the "virgin sacrifice" theme, with attractive young women in floaty white garments serving as sacrifices to the dragon.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

At a festive party, there are references to drinking ale and guests wave cups in the air and toast each other.