Dragonkeeper Cinema Release Review

4 star beautifully animated children’s adventure.

Dragonkeeper is a 2024 Spanish Chinese co-production, adapted from the first novel in the 6 book series written by Carole Wilkinson, who also co-wrote the screenplay. It is directed by Jianping Li (Salute to the Heroes) and Salvador Simó (Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles).

It is presented here with an English voice over and will be in UK cinemas from 27th September 2024, courtesy of Vertigo Releasing.

“Don’t make my mistake. Don’t worry about how you are going to die. Worry about how you’re going to live.”

As the film opens, we learn of a war which happened a long time ago, in which humans and dragons fought side by side. However, the Emperor became jealous and had them imprisoned. Move forward a few years and we meet Daio (Anthony Howell – Woman in Gold, Diablo IV (Video Game)), a man desperate to save his mother’s life and his assistant Wang Chao (Bill Bailey – The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales, Chalet Girl). To this end he has purchased dragon essence from Master Lan (Tony Jayawardena – Doctor Jekyll, A Streetcar Named Bob), although he is too late and it fails, turning him bitter and resentful.

Master Lan returns to his mountain palace with his soldiers and also a baby girl named Ping who they find while in town. She is taken with them to be raised as a slave. She is given to Lao Ma (Sarah Lam – Maryland), who raises and trains her. Now a young girl, Ping (Mayalinee Griffith) and her pet rat Hua Hua (Jonathan David-Mellors) defy orders one day and find themselves in the palace, where the honoured guests reside. As she soon finds out, these guests are in fact imprisoned dragons, Lu Yu (Beth Chalmers – Crysis 3 (Video Game)) and Danzi (Bill Nighy – I, Frankenstein, Norm of the North).

They immediately recognise her as a Dragonkeeper and ask for her help to save their child Kai, still in his egg. But everyone else wants the egg too, for various reasons, including Daio, the Emperor (Paul McEwan – Andor (TV Series)) and his Captain Kwan (Andrew Leung – Cruella). Can this one young girl take on all these adversaries and stand victorious?

“Dragons are strangely attached to their Dragonkeepers. He won’t let her die, even if it means his own life. Foolish creature.”

Dragonkeeper is a very colourful animation, packed with glorious details and with plenty of action throughout. The sweeping vistas and beautiful scenery really enhance this story of a young girl rising to meet her destiny.

The voice acting is very good, as you would expect of seasoned actors, but also from the newcomers too. The story is quite well written, although it does seem to lose track of itself a bit at times and some of it doesn’t really make sense if you scrutinise it too carefully.

However, this is a film aimed at children and there is enough mild peril and excitement here, wrapped up in a bright and enticing package, with likable characters to cheer on and bad guys to boo, to keep them entertained (and the adults too, as long as you don’t overthink it). Well worth a family afternoon out to the cinema.

“Don’t try to use your Chi. Let it flow through you. The Chi is the wind and you are the sail. Too little Chi and the ship won’t move. Too much and it will sink.