A kingdom finds itself under siege from a dragon, seemingly the only one of its kind left. The ruling class attempts to keep the creature calm by offering up young women as sacrifices, chosen through a process that seems far from fair. When the King’s own daughter is selected for this grim fate, he turns to a sorcerer's apprentice—played by Peter MacNicol—and asks him to take on the task of killing the dragon. "Dragonslayer," released in 1981, follows a similar pattern to "Jaws" by delaying the full reveal of the monster until roughly halfway through its running time. Before that point, the movie does an excellent job creating suspense and dread about what’s lurking out there. The scene depicting the first sacrificial offering is especially frightening. And when the dragon finally appears on screen, it doesn't disappoint; even considering how old the film is, it stands out as one of the best dragons seen in movies. I've noticed some people questioning Peter MacNicol’s casting as the main character, but I don’t share that view. He feels relatable because he's an imperfect person with youthful qualities—he isn't a superhuman hero like those found in films such as "Conan" or "Beastmaster." Others have mentioned concerns about Caitlin Clarke’s appearance, suggesting she looks too masculine. But that actually works well within the context of the sacrificial lottery plot. When she eventually puts on a dress and makeup, it seems to confirm her femininity. The film's depiction of the Dark Ages—the sets, costumes, and locations—really stood out to me. If you’re looking for a high-quality medieval movie with castles, dungeons, forests, villages, princesses, kings, wizards, and caves, then this one delivers. "Dragonslayer" was surprisingly unsuccessful when it initially played in theaters, possibly because of the large number of sword & sorcery movies released around that time. However, that doesn't mean you can’t find it now—or perhaps see it again—and enjoy what it has to offer. The film is 1 hour and 48 minutes long and was filmed in Scotland (Skye) and Wales (Snowdonia & North Wales), with studio work completed at Pinewood Studios, near London. GRADE: B+

Source on TMDB