Movie Review: Dragon Fighter

Dragon Fighter 

Angry Dragon Entertainment, Dragon Productions LLC, Unified Film Organization (UFO), USA, Bulgaria, 2003. 

In medieval Britain knights hunt for a killer dragon. They blow up its cave (with some bad CGI falling rock effects). In modern day California helicopter pilot Captain David Carver (Dean Cain) is transporting cloning specialist Dr. Ian Drackovitch (Robert Zachar) to secret underground research site. Carver has great deduction skills so he gets a new job as security chief. The helicopter has a fuel leak but that's okay for now. (The fuel problem is only important in the end of the movie, although it does not cause too serious problems.)

Dragon

Dr. Drackovitch

Captain David Carver

The other personnel of the site are Russian Capt. Sergei Petrov (Hristo Shopov) and Dr. Meredith Winter (Kristine Byers). Dr. Greg Travis (Marcus Aurelius) is an animal handler and there are some technical staff: Kevin the system analyst, Bailey the genetic encoder and Cookie the cook (Robert DiTillio, Vesela Dimitrova, Chuck Eckert). It is a wonder Kevin got his job as his IQ is less than his shoe number. Special note: the other characters are introduced using character cards, but for some reason Cookie does not have one. There are also two expendable unintroduced assistants.

Left: Greg, Bailey, Middle: Dr. Drackovitch, Right: Meredith, Kevin

Meredith and Carver discuss about Carver's career choice

It always pays to study

Dr. Drackovitch wants to clone a dragon using the bones found in the cave. The incubation goes faster than expected. The dragon decides to have a barbecue party with scientists on the menu. Dragon obsessed Dr. Drackovitch is reluctant to allow carver destroy his creation. Also the fusion reactor of the lab is about to explode. Kevin gets drunk and plays the stereo so loud that the neighbour complains.

Let's grill!

I'm starving. Fancy a BBQ?

The plot recycles ideas from "Jurassic Park", "Deep Blue Sea" or "Alien Resurrection." The movie uses a lot split screen gimmickry. The screens are not in sync and the effect is overused. The movie is stupid but in funny way. Many of the characters in the film die in a way  worthy of Darwin awards. Also the dialogue is enjoyably silly.  The  fighter pilots trying to kill the dragon have a problem because the missiles can not lock into organic target and apparently they can not use guns. A free idea for designing a stealth fighter jet, cover it with bacon. Also the exploding fusion reactor keeps large part of the lab intact for the (not coming) sequels. 

The director Phillip Roth (not the American novelist!) also directed the bad (but not as funny) jet fighter race movie "Hyper Sonic." Being distrubuted by Syfy (formerly Sci Fi Channel) it sure has the Syfy touch in it. [updated the relation to Syfy channel, as IMDB does not mention it being a Sci Fi  Pictures production.] Amusingly bad movie.

Rating: So bad it is good

Starring: Dean Cain, Kristine Byers, Robert Zachar, Marcus Aurelius, Robert DiTillio, Vesela Dimitrova, Hristo Shopov, Chuck Eckert, Kelly Wilborn, Hector Kleist, John Barnsall, Chad Boyer, Matthew Coe, Matt Harris, Darius Kerns, Harold McBain, Hristo Dimitrov 

Director: Phillip J. Roth