POLL: Best Movie Dragons?

[Yutyrannus]

I think you should leave it open, its a great thread!

Besides, there's also two movie dragons which haven't had a mention yet, both from films by two maverick (flawed?) genius film directors, in turn based on the work of two classic authors: "Jabberwocky" and "The Lair of the White Worm".

Gilliam's has a knack of making something simultaneously silly-looking and disturbing, like the killer rabbit in the Holy Grail and the Jabberwocky doesn't disappoint. The film does capture the quirkiness if not the spirit of Lewis Carroll's poem. Ken Russell's film,  based on the Bram Stoker novel is fun but very much a b-movie. The main problem is that you only see the worm for a few moments and Russell (over?) compensates by showing a lot Amanda Donohoe in the rest of the film, including a bizarre finale! There's also a young Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi, the new Dr Who.

They've probably been missed so far as neither film is the Terry Gilliam or Ken Russell's best work. Nonetheless, they both add something different to the movie dragons listed so far.

I like your thinking outside of the box Lair of the White Worm isn't a kids movie though, so I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to suggest it. Bram Stoker is my favourite "bad" author.

I just looked up Lair of the White Worm, and I'm not entirely sure if I should add it. Should I?

Probably not..it's too obscure to be worth adding, to be honest.

Okay, thanks for helping .

Also the Jabberwocky is on the poll now and I found this video of it that I thought I should post:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl5EuRmkRBc&index=21&list=PL2RJnWohEHgd8wZQ-uhtDXjg08fZyjv5Z

[sauroid]

i wish i could revote (wasnt able to vote for 3)

*** fellbeasts should be included even if they're not defined as dragons per se (since youve added other dragon-ish creatures)

[Yutyrannus]

Okay, I will.

[Simon]

This thread has certainly been interesting, to say the least.

For what its worth:  The "White Worm" was NOT a dragon no matter how you look at it.  It was a giant white snake-like creature.  A bizarre movie, only slightly watchable as a vehicle for Catherine Oxenberg, and whoever the chick was who played the vampire ... who gets her hands cut off, one-by-one, by the hero, as she clutches his ankles, only to then fall into the mouth of the worm ... Russell was a weirdo, although "Tommy" was a bit of epic rock n roll nonsense....

Jabberwocky - the only one I am aware of is the Gilliam one, which is bizarre and certainly not worthy of inclusion in the poll:

[Yutyrannus]

Also here's my top ten movie dragons list:

#10: Dragon from Beowulf


#9: Fell Beast from The Lord of the Rings trilogy


#8: Hungarian Horntail from Harry Potter


#7: Kilgharrah from Merlin


#6: Saphira from Eragon


#5: Ukrainian Ironbelly from Harry Potter


#4: Dragons from Game of Thrones


#3: Draco from Dragonheart


#2: Dragon from Maleficent


#1: Smaug from The Hobbit trilogy

[Yutyrannus]

This thread has certainly been interesting, to say the least.

For what its worth:  The "White Worm" was NOT a dragon no matter how you look at it.  It was a giant white snake-like creature.  A bizarre movie, only slightly watchable as a vehicle for Catherine Oxenberg, and whoever the chick was who played the vampire ... who gets her hands cut off, one-by-one, by the hero, as she clutches his ankles, only to then fall into the mouth of the worm ... Russell was a weirdo, although "Tommy" was a bit of epic rock n roll nonsense....

Jabberwocky - the only one I am aware of is the Gilliam one, which is bizarre and certainly not worthy of inclusion in the poll:

We're talking about the one in the video I just posted, the one that's voiced by Christopher Lee.

UPDATE: Here is another video of the Jabberwocky:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ0Ngpax7gw&list=PL2RJnWohEHgd8wZQ-uhtDXjg08fZyjv5Z&index=22

[Simon]

Oh that thing from "Alice".  *Sigh*

What an awful, awful film.

Disney has truly gone to pot.

Although I will be seeing "Maleficent" because it looks like Angelina Jolie really created an iconic character ...

[Patrx]

Jabberwocky - the only one I am aware of is the Gilliam one, which is bizarre and certainly not worthy of inclusion in the poll:

We're talking about the one in the video I just posted, the one that's voiced by Christopher Lee.

Not to fuel the fire here, but I'm reasonably sure Crackington was referring to Gilliam's Jabberwocky.

[Yutyrannus]

Oh that thing from "Alice".  *Sigh*

What an awful, awful film.

Disney has truly gone to pot.

Although I will be seeing "Maleficent" because it looks like Angelina Jolie really created an iconic character ...

You should see Maleficent, it is an awesome movie (with a great dragon).

[Yutyrannus]

Jabberwocky - the only one I am aware of is the Gilliam one, which is bizarre and certainly not worthy of inclusion in the poll:

We're talking about the one in the video I just posted, the one that's voiced by Christopher Lee.

Not to fuel the fire here, but I'm reasonably sure Crackington was referring to Gilliam's Jabberwocky.

Oh, well on that one I'm in complete agreement with Simon. I won't be putting that in the poll.

[postsaurischian]

Toothless from 'How to Train Your Dragon' .

[Yutyrannus]

I remember Toothless, but I wouldn't put him in a poll for the best movie dragons.

[tyrantqueen]

For what its worth:  The "White Worm" was NOT a dragon no matter how you look at it.  It was a giant white snake-like creature.

I agree that LOTWW shouldn't be added to the list, but I do think it qualifies as a dragon. A worm (wyrm) is usually a dragon-like species that can't fly or breathe fire, but it's fantastical enough that it could be called "draconic".  They're very common in English and Scottish folklore. I'd say it belongs in the dragon family.

I remember Toothless, but I wouldn't put him in a poll for the best movie dragons.

Why not? It's popular enough.

[Patrx]

I guess I'm a bit surprised to encounter such specific ideas on what qualifies as a dragon and what doesn't. To me, it's always seemed like a very broad term to encompass lots of different fictional reptiles and avians. "Dragon" can even apply to a group of extant lizards called agamids. In any case, I don't think it's something worth arguing about.

[tyrantqueen]

I guess I'm a bit surprised to encounter such specific ideas on what qualifies as a dragon and what doesn't. To me, it's always seemed like a very broad term to encompass lots of different fictional reptiles and avians. "Dragon" can even apply to a group of extant lizards called agamids. In any case, I don't think it's something worth arguing about.

Yep, I agree. It's based on a cultural concept, much like vampires, and cultures are always changing.

[Simon]

Oh that thing from "Alice".  *Sigh*

What an awful, awful film.

Disney has truly gone to pot.

Although I will be seeing "Maleficent" because it looks like Angelina Jolie really created an iconic character ...

You should see Maleficent, it is an awesome movie (with a great dragon).

I WILL be seeing Maleficent.  Why? Hint:  Big Eyes, Big Teeth, Big Lips, Enchanting Looks.    And NO, I ain't talking about the dragon, either.

Any movie with Angelina Jolie is worth watching.  She is probably the ONLY actress in Hollywood today whom you can't take your eyes off of during the movie, because she is such an interesting and strong actress.  In real life, she is one of the few actors I admire, because of her work helping the less fortunate the world over.  She "walks the walk" instead of just "talking the talk."

I used to think Brad Pitt was a lightweight, but when he and Jolie partnered up my opinion of his intelligence rose geometrically.  Any matinee idol can marry a vapid empty-head (which he previously DID), but to hook a rare fish like Jolie is indeed noteworthy ... but I digress ...

(I can already watch it online for free, but the early versions are always pretty awful quality movie-theater videos.  I'll see this one in 3D first.)

If you want to know where, PM me.   

[Crackington]

Thanks TQ and Simon,

Just to qualify,  yes I was referring to the Terry Gilliam film and I quite like it, despite its uneveness. It was his first film after leaving the Pythons, so not a bad effort for a rookie director. Some of the dragons mentioned above are very samey too, all CGI, the Jabberwocky's like nothing else in the poll.

However Simon, I also have to take issue with the White worm and the Jabberwocky not being dragons. As an exile from North East  England my favourite dragon is the Lambton Worm, a legend and folk song from County Durham. As TQ says "worm" does mean dragon in old English although in this legend the worm can't fly or breathe fire. The legend is basically George and the Dragon with a few twists such as a family curse, more or less indestructable monster etc. Bram Stoker borrowed heavily on the legend for his novel and it is also thought that the young Yorkshireman Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) heard of the legend in his childhood holidays in Sunderland, before moving South to Oxford, thus inspiring the Jabberwocky,

I'd have to agree that the White Worm film is pretty rubbish, although a laugh. I was slightly peeved that all references to the NE were more or less absent in it - the folk band sing the Lambton Worm folk song with a different tune and some word changes, while Peter Capaldi plays the actual tune on the bagpipes, making it appear to be a Scottish. Hopefully someone will make a film of the Lambton Worm itself one day, that'd be the ultimate movie dragon for me!

[Yutyrannus]

Yes, the Lambton Worm is a dragon (a long-worm as I recall), the Jabberwocky I consider not quite a dragon but about as close to one as the fell beasts in LOTR. Perhaps I could be the one to make a movie on the Lambton Worm (I wanted to make one on Fafnir and a re-make of Beowulf anyway).

[Crackington]

Yes please do, but get some NE actors in to play the parts - Jamie Bell as Lord Lambton?

Make sure you use the folk song in the soundtrack, my brother and I do a good version! 

[Yutyrannus]

What do you mean by NE? But yeah, I think I might (it wouldn't be for quite a while though).

Of course .