Dragon Wars - D-War Reviews

• Brilliant Satire or Monumental Disaster?

  
  By A1IXJK1NYTSMJU on 2008-01-14
  I am a 56-year-old movie buff and right off let me confess, I love this movie.
  
  In my opinion this movie was never intended to be taken seriously at all. Consider that in the first exposition scenes you have not one, but 2 entirely different characters in different scenes say directly to the narrator in the middle of his attempted explanation of this nonsensical tale "what are you talking about?" I don't believe this was accidental folks, this is called comedy.
  
  One thing to be aware of when you're watching this movie is that the director is the most popular comedian in the entire country of Korea. He gained his fame and fortune as comedic actor. In other words his entire professional career has been based on making people laugh.
  
  I think most people who are reviewing this movie are completely missing the comedy. Frankly I found the movie to be hilarious.
  
  How anyone could possibly take this movie seriously after seeing the Darth Vader character stupidly get run over by a car 2 times in a row is beyond me. That was obviously comedy (and very funny).
  
  Yes it is entirely overblown. Layers of complete absurdity are piled with additional layers of even more absurdity. Which makes it a perfect satire of the Star Wars, Lord of the rings, Harry Potter and all of the rest of the overly pompous mega-movies. If there is a big overblown scene in one of those movies you're going to see a similar scene in this one.
  
  A few examples. The Gungan Army scene from Star Wars episode 4 -- only this time the Army with the cute, smiling dinosaur critters with the weapons on their backs are the bad guys. And these smiling dinosaurs are wreaking total havoc on Los Angeles fighting the LAPD. The incongruity of the destruction and the cute smiley dinosaurs is absolutely hilarious.
  
  Remember the giant explosion scene in Independence Day with the flames and flying cars rushing up the street? It's here, but with a very funny twist. In this movie the same thing is done by a giant snake rushing up the street. The exorcism scene in the Exorcist? Yep, it's here too, tossed in like the kitchen sink, completely unconnected to any plot points.
  
  Giant marching Imperial Army and Ninjas? Sure enough. Darth Vader character with a ridiculously laughable sinister voice? Of course. Rampaging Jurassic Park dinosaurs? You got it. Dogfights straight out of Independence Day? It's here too.
  
  Savor the site of Ray Harryhausen look-alike creatures doing massive destruction that Ray most certainly dreamed of, but couldn't accomplish with the technology of his day. I can tell you that he is smiling in his grave cause this movie delivers a wonderful tribute to his work.
  
  Let me name a few more of the movies that have tributes here. Pitch Black, King Kong, Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Men in Black, Dragonheart, Ghostbusters, Godzilla, Ninja Mutant Turtles, the Host, The Thing, Rodan and even Monty Python and the holy Grail. It doesn't stop there, look carefully and you'll see many many more.
  
  Does the acting suck? Absolutely. Is the story completely incomprehensible? It most certainly is. Is it even more ridiculous than Star Wars, Lord of the rings or dozens of others. Yes it is, and I believe that was exactly the point.
  
  I predict this movie will be watched at midnight showings at colleges 10 years from now with folks rolling in the aisles.
  
  I have seen lots of Hollywood studio comedies recently and have not laughed nearly as hard as I did watching Dragon wars. I literally had tears streaming from my eyes many times because I couldn't stop laughing.
  
  So give yourself a break from any pretensions of seriousness, have a glass of wine and have a fun time watching and laughing at the funniest, most ridiculous spectacular eye candy CGI movie ever.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Attack of the Mythical Reptiles!

  
  By A18G7GG53G2X8A on 2007-11-01
  Here's a piece of advice: if you have a movie called "Dragon Wars," it's probably not a good idea to save the dragon footage for the last five minutes. The rest of the film does showcase a number of other creatures, such as winged dinosaur-hybrids and things that vaguely resemble rhinos. We even get to see gigantic snakes that have the potential to become dragons. But where are the actual dragons? Why keep us waiting until the end? This is but one example of how hopelessly incompetent this film is; "Dragon Wars"--or "D-War," or whatever it's called--is an attempt but not an actual end result, an absolute mess filled with unconvincing special effects, horrendous performances, and a plot I neither understood nor cared about.
  
  The film opens with a Los Angeles news reporter named Ethan Kendrick (Jason Behr) trying to get the latest scoop on an explosion. Not much is known about what happened; all anyone can determine is that a gigantic, odd-looking animal scale is found under the soil. From what animal, no one knows. But whatever it comes from, seeing it triggers a number of flashback sequences, the first of which takes place fifteen years ago, when Ethan was only a boy. He and his father enter a local antique shop and meet Jack (Robert Forester), the elusive owner. He notices a strange sight; as Ethan approaches a wooden chest, it opens and reveals a brilliant white light. This signals to Jack that Ethan a destined young boy.
  
  With me so far? Because it only gets worse from here. After sending the father away (by faking a heart attack and begging for help), Jack tells Ethan of an ancient myth that dates back to sixteenth-century Korea. Apparently, titanic serpents called Inoogi are destined to become dragons. For its good deeds, an Inoogi is rewarded--it joins with the soul of a Yuh Yi Joo, after which it ascends to heaven. A Yuh Yi Joo, by the way, is a special girl born once every 500 years--she's recognizable because she has a red dragon tattooed on her left shoulder. Anyway, evil serpents called Buraki have always tried to stop Inoogi from ascending, and they use their minions to find the Yuh Yi Joo and destroy her. Such was the destiny of a young Korean girl back in the 1500s; she fell in love with the guard sworn to protect her, meaning she failed to meet with her destiny. Both the Inoogi and the Buraki remain roaming the earth, waiting for the next Yuh Yi Joo to be born.
  
  I apologize for rambling, but I'm trying to make sense of this story. There's no reason why a ninety-minute film has to have this much crammed into it, especially since none of it is of any interest. If they wanted an escapist film, then they should have made an escapist film; forget the complex details and just give us something entertaining. You'd think that such a convoluted back-story would add a little something, but no, it doesn't. If there's a point to this film, then I have no idea what it is.
  
  But back to the plot. As a boy, Ethan was told that the next Yuh Yi Joo will be a girl named Sarah, and at age twenty, she'll be old enough to converge with the Inoogi. He was also told that he must find and protect her, no matter what. He's then given a special talisman (what makes it special is anyone's guess). Now as an adult, Ethan uses his reporter's skills to track Sarah down; by "reporter's skills," I mean he has his monotone assistant, Bruce (Craig Robinson), do the work for him. This is when we finally meet Sarah (Amanda Brooks), a pretty young girl who was born with a red dragon tattooed on her left shoulder. After seeing news footage of Ethan at the explosion site, she begins to feel funny, as if she knows something terrible is going to happen. Of course, no one believes her, and she soon finds herself locked in a psychiatric ward.
  
  The Buraki, meanwhile, is loose and hot on her trail. I don't bother questioning how it manages to find her, but I do wonder how an 800-foot long snake can go unnoticed until it attacks. How can something so large slither around buildings, over rooftops, and through streets without making even the tiniest noise? Never mind--the point is that it's after Sarah, and Ethan has to protect her from it. Through a series of laughably preposterous circumstances, they find each other and escape from the hospital. After battling the Buraki atop the Federal Building in Downtown Los Angeles, they witness the climactic fight between the Buraki and the Inoogi.
  
  The FBI gets involved about halfway through the film, and at that point, my interest had completely faded. For reasons never adequately explained, they know everything about the dragons and Sarah. They also think that killing Sarah is the only solution to the problem. I wanted to tell these people that another problem exists, one that's even bigger than feuding dragons. The movie itself is the problem; "Dragon Wars" is mind-numbingly bad, the kind of bad that wouldn't even give rise to a cult classic. I wasn't expecting great cinematic art, but at the very least, the filmmakers could have tried to make a fun movie. After all, I just wanted to see some dragons. Was that too much to ask?
  
  

• Far and away the worst movie I have ever seen

  
  By A3F9VH8916IA40 on 2007-12-17
  And that's really saying something. I didn't think it could get any worse than Sahara (Widescreen Edition), but man oh man was I wrong? I actually went out of my way to go see this movie because the previews made it look like something I was in the mood to see, a mindless action flick with dragons. I love dragon movies, and I was really in the mood for some action, but NO! There is NO action in this god forsaken movie. I can honestly say that the $7 I spent on my ticket were the worst $7 I've ever spent ON ANYTHING!
  
  For a movie called Dragon Wars, there's one thing that's noticeably absent throughout almost the entire movie, the dragons. The entire first 3/4ths of this movie center around some mindless plot from ancient Korea that is so needlessly complicated that I literally fell asleep while watching. Some giant snake wants to go to heaven, so it needs to eat a Korean girl with a dragon tattoo on her shoulder but she gets away and dies so he needs to wait another 500 years for her to come back alive... in LA? Huh? And the snake thing is already there waiting for her? How did it know she was there? For that matter, how could a giant snake sneak around LA, slither onto rooftops of crowded buildings, and eat an elephant from a zoo, without anyone seeing it? Hell, at one point it charges down a crowded street and then disappears without a trace. Yeah, right.
  
  Finally, in the last 20 minutes or so of the movie, I finally got to see a battle with dragons and, uh, giant rhino things on one side and the US military on the other, and I have to admit that its not that bad, but it only lasts about five minutes and then goes back to the brain dead plot. Come on, the only reason I went to see this movie was because I wanted some mindless violence and dragon battles. Is that so much to ask for?
  
  Don't even get me started on the acting, the script, or the effects; I'd never finish this review if I tried to explain just how bad they were. Let's just say that I had to watch this movie again, I'd probably stab myself in the knee just to dull the pain. Apparently this is a blockbuster in Korea; I sure hope I never have to find out what's considered a bad movie over there.
  
  Re-watch value; EXTREMLY low.
  
  

• So Terrible... You Must See It

  
  By AKCAXB8RD8ZLY on 2007-12-21
  This movie is so terrible... and I mean SO terrible, that you absolutely must see it. But if you see it, you must see it with a large group of people. The movie is so bad in so many ways that it will be hard to describe them, but I can try.
  
  The movie starts off with the most wild concept you can possibly imagine, or rather, the most wild concept that a 4th grader can possibly imagine, then sets it on the big screen. One of the first scenes we get is an army attacking a village... but not just any army! Oh no. This army is full of - get this - huge dinosaurs that look vaguely like a Stegosaurus but they have - sit down for this one - rocket launchers on their backs. And if THAT wasn't enough, these Rocket-Shooting-Stegodons are being ridden by black-clad ninjas!
  
  So these ninjas are riding towards this city on their Stegodons with rocket launchers, right, and whatever 4th grader thought this movie up is not satisfied. So in fly the Pterodactyls that breathe fire. But the Pterodactyls, while cool, are not enough. In rides - now this is the best part by far - raptors (like in Jurassic Park) but riding one of these raptors is... The Shredder! From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! But it doesn't stop there! Then this old Korean wizard flies out of nowhere and does magical/kung-fu battle with the Shredder! All while the dinosaur-riding, rocket-shooting ninjas and their fire-breathing Pterodactyls are tearing up the town!
  
  And that is in the first 15 minutes of the movie.
  
  The kid at the beginning sums up the movie nicely in one of his early lines. Just as the random creepy shopkeeper (who for some reason is safe enough to leave a child with - go figure) is finishing with his wild tale of dinosaurs and grenadier wizards, the kid looks up and says, "Uh, what are you talking about?"
  
  That one line sums up the whole movie. "What are you talking about" is something that will linger in your thoughts while you watch this amazingly, epicly wretched movie.
  
  

• Do you have a blueray? you must buy this !

  
  By A11TU81ZSCIMF9 on 2007-12-07
  Skeptic of previous reviews that are posted here that are based on only by watching trailer, I first presumed that this movie is so horrible and people are just trying to hide its horribleness.
  
  But actually, when I finally watched this movie last night, I found this movie pretty awesome.
  I do not know about this movie's director very well,(name was...shim??) so I do not know how his previous movies were like, but just base on this movie, I think he does have some quality of making great SF movies.
  
  (+ thumbs-ups b)
  Like I said in title, the CG Graphic quality in Dragon war is gorgeous. Although I was confused of snake-looking like creature be called as "dragon", just by judging in pure graphic quality, FIVE stars in detail, cell posture, and swift muslce movement. The Battle scenes are breathtaking. It is very realistic and I couldn't believe these CGs were created by a director with such little experience.
  
  Good qualities in realistic sounds and exciting music.
  
  The story line was pretty unique and interesting.
  (deserted half-dragon does a good deed and reborns it self as ultimate dragon)
  It submerged pretty well with the awesome graphic. I probably would have given an A on storyline if it wasn't for the sucky actors.....
  
  (-thumbs-downs p)
  I dunno whether director shim didn't have enough money to recruit excellent actors, but I have to be honest. Shim might have a good sense in story-directing/CG graphics, but he certainly lacks a quality of choosing good actors. Especially those 2 main characters!!! their acting was just sooo bad.... I am sorry, but they ruined the whole good qualities in this movie.
  
  Shim, seriously, next time if you want to make a better SF movies, do a better job in casting, and making scripts.
  
  (OVERALL)
  If you like Graphics, Battle scenes, Fantasy or
  Lord of the Rings
  Harry Potter
  The Hulk
  go see it cuz it is pretty awesome Graphic movie.
  
  If you give importance in storyline, actors acts,
  and script,
  don't go see it or do if you have nothing else to do.
  
  
• A bit Sweet and Sour
  By A34VV0DDR0OFE5 on 2008-01-09
  Ok, I gave it four stars cuz no one else had rated it 4 stars yet.
  
  Honestly, I didn't think this was that bad a movie (given what others posted) - I enjoyed it - least most of it (bought & watched the DVD). I think this would a been a great movie if it wasn't for a few things. Number one problem (IMO) was the lead male character - I don't know if it was the actor (Jason Behr, I think) or just the character he was playing, but he just seemed to suck the life out of every scene he was in. I think if his character had a bit more personality, the movie would have been a lot better. The editor could have done a bit more with the pacing of the movie - it is a bit uneven in places. Felt like you were hitting speed bumps during some parts.
  
  What I did like: The special effects were great! Reminded me of the CGI from the latest Star Wars movies (wouldn't be surprised if some of the same people worked on this movie). Could a used a bit of gore though - the creatures were a bit too "clean". I also liked the ending - especially the type of dragon that the Imoogi turns into - wasn't expecting that.
  
  Would have liked to seen a "behind-the-scenes" documentry on the making of the special effects.
  
  
  
• Bravo!! in Graphics, !!!
  By A11TU81ZSCIMF9 on 2007-12-06
  Skeptic of previous reviews that are posted here that are based on only by watching trailer, I first presumed that this movie is so horrible and people are just trying to hide its horribleness.
  
  But actually, when I finally watched this movie last night, I found this movie pretty awesome.
  I do not know about this movie's director very well,(name was...shim??) so I do not know how his previous movies were like, but just base on this movie, I think he does have some quality of making great SF movies.
  
  (+ thumbs-ups b)
  Like I said in title, the CG Graphic quality in Dragon war is gorgeous. Although I was confused of snake-looking like creature be called as "dragon", just by judging in pure graphic quality, FIVE stars in detail, cell posture, and swift muslce movement. The Battle scenes are breathtaking. It is very realistic and I couldn't believe these CGs were created by a director with such little experience.
  
  Good qualities in realistic sounds and exciting music.
  
  The story line was pretty unique and interesting.
  (deserted half-dragon does a good deed and reborns it self as ultimate dragon)
  It submerged pretty well with the awesome graphic. I probably would have given an A on storyline if it wasn't for the sucky actors.....
  
  (-thumbs-downs p)
  I dunno whether director shim didn't have enough money to recruit excellent actors, but I have to be honest. Shim might have a good sense in story-directing/CG graphics, but he certainly lacks a quality of choosing good actors. Especially those 2 main characters!!! their acting was just sooo bad.... I am sorry, but they ruined the whole good qualities in this movie.
  
  Shim, seriously, next time if you want to make a better SF movies, do a better job in casting, and making scripts.
  
  (OVERALL)
  If you like Graphics, Battle scenes, Fantasy or
  Lord of the Rings
  Harry Potter
  The Hulk
  go see it cuz it is pretty awesome Graphic movie.
  
  If you give importance in storyline, actors acts,
  and script,
  don't go see it or do if you have nothing else to do.
  
  
• great
  By A15OCIHXTP1OOM on 2007-12-07
  transformers with dragons. the film is well done and has a great tech-vs-flesh war of mystical creature vs creature. i am definately going to buy it for viewing over and over.
  
  
• Painful to watch
  By A32FLEUG50ZGTU on 2007-12-20
  Ok wow this is one of those where it is hard to even start on. The acting in this movie is just painful to even watch. The story is almost as if a 10 year old was telling it. I mean this is worse than most made for TV movies. Don't bother buying this. Buy another blu-ray disc... Pick any other blu-ray movie and you will be better off than with this one.
  
  
• Bad storyline, Bad acting but good CGI graphics
  By A2B4ISA2QE3MEM on 2007-12-27
  The movie was entertaining enough to watch if you are into sci-Fi. The computer graphics is good, story line and acting both terrible. Good first big budget film from S.Korea but still a bit to go. Better than many other dragon flicks I've seen. The only problem is that the "real" dragon doesn't appear till the very end of the movie (last 5 minutes). And what's up with the Korean national folk music at the end of the movie?
  
  
• Bad, bad, bad
  By A2R10GBTPJIIFC on 2007-12-30
  I have never attended a movie with such a bad story line or so many inconsistencies. The previews looked fabulous, but the movie reeked of incredibly bad dialogue, embarrassing acting and an incredulous plot. Scenes jump around unpredictably, making the whole thing not only boring, but confusing. Unexplained characters and strange religious/mythological twists also frustrate any intellectual stimulation or emotional involvement in the story.
  
  The special effects were only average when compared with the film's peers, and they ease the experience only about as much as salt can improve bad food. They just don't make a movie worth watching.
  
  The only thing that redeems this film is that its memory still gives my friends and me a good laugh.
  
  
  
• Pretty, but very, very bad
  By A2NTZYS1K0QP7L on 2008-01-02
  This movie sucked so badly that it actually lowered the air pressure in theaters where it was shown. Really. This is not a good movie.
  
  That said, the movie has one redeeming feature. The dogfights between the dragons and the helicopters are nicely animated and very pretty. Sadly, the dogfight scenes are all near the end of the movie, and what you have to sit through to get to them should be prohibited by the Geneva Convention as cruel and unusual punishment. Bad acting, bad pacing, bad writing, bad music.. the film starts out bad and somehow manages to get worse with every slowly passing scene.
  
  Note to the director: In a movie called Dragon Wars, you might want to have DRAGONS on the screen! You almost never see them until the end of the movie. Substituting a mystical soap opera that occasional mentions dragons does not cut it.
  
  I confess, when I went to see this movie, I knew that I was not in for a stellar cinematic experience simply from the title. "Dragon Wars - D-Wars"? Huh? Why did they have to add the "D-Wars"? The sheer redundancy boggles the mind. Thankfully that kind of title doesn't make it into most movies. Imagine "Star Wars - S-Wars" (shudder). Anyway, I knew I wasn't in for a good film when I bought my ticket, but a bad movie can be fun if it is made with a light touch and a sense of humor. Sadly, this movie takes itself very seriously, and the end result is a long boring wait as you sit hoping that they might somehow, somtime, eventually show you a dragon.
  
  If you want to view this movie, here is what I recommend you do. Pop the DVD in and immediately select the dogfight scenes near the end of the movie. Watch these scenes (approx 10 minutes), marvel at the pretty dragons battling it out with the helicopters, then eject the disc when the battle ends. You have now seen the only good portion of Dragon Wars - D-Wars. At this point, dig a deep hole in your backyard and drop the DVD into it. This will prevent anyone from ever accidentally watching this dog of a movie. Future generations will thank you.
  
  
  
• code -apprenticeship
  By A3RY2Z3TYVJFEJ on 2008-01-11
  great for kids - perfect 2am film when too much scary is just too much -loved that it is simple - loved that it is sweet - loved the lack of sex and overt gore - and so glad, very relieved, that good and extremely cool looking korean dragon gets the power - great effort - and looking forward to more from this studio - young gu art
  
  
• 10+++ STARS FOR THIS FILM (I kid you NOT...)!!!
  By A36ER94271DHJZ on 2008-01-19
  Holy Crapazoid, what the heck were the negative reviewers watching, because it sure as heck wasn't this amazing giant creature movie extravaganza.
  
  After seeing the trailer for this film, I was looking forward to a pretty good flick, but then I started to read many disparaging reviews, and had second thoughts, but lucky for me, I found a new copy for a ridiculously low price, and figured, what the heck.
  
  One hour and twenty two minutes later, the film was over, one minute after that, I was in the car, racing back to the place I had gotten my copy, in hopes that the other copy they had, was still there, because I knew that once my friend had seen it, he'd want his own copy.
  
  It is really that much fun.
  
  First off, from the reviews that I had read, they made it sound like you had to wait till the end of the film to see any actual special effects, but boy, was that nowhere close to the truth, as the whole film is laced with amazing CGI creatures, interacting quite seamlessly with the real world (think Jurassic Park's T-Rex and the SUV's, but done on a grander scale, and you've got a slight idea of how cool the effects are).
  
  Now before I go any further, let me point out that I'm of the old F/X school of thought, tending to prefer models and stop motion animation to the over use of CGI, but I have to say that the CGI creatures in this film had life to them, with amazingly subtle gestures incorporated with very life like texturing and personality that just totally made you believe that what you where watching was really happening.
  
  Next I had read that the story was silly, with gapping plot holes or that it was just completely incomprehensible, well, for any one with a short attention span, or who thinks that they don't have to actually watch the whole film to understand it, then yeah, but for majority of movie watchers who like to pop some corn, turn down the lights, and amerce themselves in a great flick, then the film makes sense, and is a whole lotta fun to watch.
  
  And lastly, I read that the acting and directing was sub par, but I found the acting to be fine, in the context of what is happening in the film, and as for the directing, this director could put Michael Bay to shame, what with the insane amount of CGI interlaced with real elements (i.e. people, cars, etc.) that appear quite seamlessly through out the film.
  
  So if you're in the mood for a fun little thrill ride, popcorn muncher of a movie, then give this one a try.
  
  
• 2 stars for good special effects. Besides that, there's nothing worth watching in this movie.
  By AYWSFRCIMOAYE on 2007-12-07
  I give this movie 2 stars for good special effects. The dragon looks very real and scary. Besides that, there's nothing worth watching in this movie. The plot is about a dragon chasing down the two main characters. The acting is so bad that I felt asleep at least two times.
  
  The Host is much better. It's also made in Korea but it's more touching and suspenseful.
  
  If you like special effects, you should watch Transformers released on DVD in 2007. You'll find out what good special effects mean.
  
  
• An expected disappointment
  By A1CFHSU2FQU8RC on 2008-01-08
  I actually bought this movie knowing it had gotten no word of mouth endorsements this previous year, but the promo's of special effects and my love of sci fi flicks made it so I couldn't resist. I was hoping for something maybe close along the lines of "Reign of Fire" at best, instead I get something more along the lines of the mighty morphing power rangers... It also had a feel of Mortal Kombat, not the first one, the second one, Annihilation, but even that is giving this movie too much credit. Perhaps it is the seemingly disregard for a plotline. Perhaps the movie is just intended for 12 year olds. It is indeed similar to Transformers, (though that movie as well was better) in that it is slow, slow, a little action, slow , slow some more, and two big fight scenes at the end which are pretty cool. So pretty much do like I did and watch it at double speed till the last thirty minutes...The CG at the end is good, but the rest is just unwatchable.
  
  
• Not as bad as I thought it would be, but that's not saying a whole lot
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2008-02-02
  When going into Dragon Wars, it should be noted to leave your brain at the door. That way, when you start hearing things involving good and evil dragons, re-incarnated warriors, and the like, you'll just enjoy the eye candy instead. Amanda Brooks, Roswell's Jason Behr, and Robert Forster star in this flick, which features gigantic, reptilian-esque creatures wreaking havoc as much as one can imagine. The story, what little, non-sensical story there is, isn't of much concern here, as everyone involved in Dragon Wars seems to know just what they're doing here. For the most part, Dragon Wars is actually kind of enjoyable, in a really dumb kind of way, but even the most die hard of sci-fi/horror fans may have a hard time here and feel like they're watching a Sci-Fi Channel original movie. The CGI effects range from between pretty good and Sci-Fi Channel quality, as the destruction ante gets upped in the closing moments of the film. All in all, Dragon Wars is what it is, and if you're interested in it for whatever reasons, then chances are that you know what you're getting here.
  
  
• Dragon sized Fun
  By AMCNC5VLHARW9 on 2008-03-21
  Dont listen to the fan-boys and convention geeks!
  They were convinced that they would hate this movie before they even saw it. This movie is alot of fun. Sure, it's silly and dumb but so what, it's about dragons fighting in Los Angeles for pete's sake!
  This reminds m of alot of the Sci-Fi flicks that came out in the early eighties such as "Beastmaster" and "Sword and the Sorcerer" the special effects are great and the action scenes are awesome. Grab a 12 pack and a box of popcorn and just enjoy this cute little action packed flick. It's not going to change your life but it will give you a 90 minute smile!
  This would make a great double feature with "The Host"- enjoy!!
  
  
• WORST MOVIE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A3AO8TGCTQT104 on 2008-01-08
  Hello, my name is Nate. Myself and my roommate Kyle RENTED "Dragon Wars" tonight. However we knew going into this film that it was going to be bad. Being fans of bad horror films, we were excited. Little did we know that after watching this film, our souls were going to be taken and smashed by an 18 wheeler. This is THE WORST MOVIE EVER!!!!! Where should we begin? First lets start with the good aspects....umm....the special FX were cool. Now to the negatives, they might as well called the movie "Serpent Wars" with a dragon (no wings) in the last three minutes. The continuity of the film was completely awful. With a random friend showing up out of nowhere every 10 minutes. If you are thinking about renting/buying this movie. DONT! We are not kidding. The story centers around a huge serpent that eats cars, a best friend, and four elephants. That usually equals "sweet", this film however made it equal "garbage" Thank you and I hope we saved your souls. PEACE
  
  
• d wars
  By AB2AEK2TAYMQ7 on 2008-01-12
  i enjoyed the film i havnt seen it thearters and im no member of netflix no i would pay a bill 4.99 or more each month just to wacth movies 29.99 for year maybe but not no montly subscription i watched it i liked the film i was confused at first what did giant snakes have to do with this movie then as is got further into the film it stated that one of the snakes need to evovle into a giant dragon and the woman was the key for doing so good action, good film.
  
  
• It's not bad with a good Pinot Noir!
  By A4LPD033KNC0D on 2008-01-12
  O.K. if you watch this while enjoying a medium-bodied Pinot Noir, it's not that bad. This is definitely a rental. The special effects are pretty good. Think Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets's Basilisk! Don't expect a big budget feature. Sit back and relax with a nice Pinot Noir and you are set.
  
  
• The film definitely has some flaws, but I loved it anyway
  By A3KF4IP2MUS8QQ on 2008-01-19
  When I see such things as a litany of hilarious "things I learned from watching Dragon Wars" and complaints that there is really only one dragon and he appears only at the very end, it does make this film seem pretty stupid - but despite all of the oddities, gaps, and other problems with the plot, I had a ball watching it. Maybe it's just the fact that I've tried very hard to never let the kid in me fade away, but dude, there's destruction on the level of a good Japanese Godzilla movie, the CGI effects are a wonder to behold, and I don't know where else you will ever find gigantic sloths with missile launchers on their backs in the year 1507. It also doesn't hurt that the lead actress is pretty darn hot.
  
  Admittedly, the backstory is incredibly long, complicated, and foreign (as in Korean legend), but let me break it down for you. Let's start with Imoogis, giant serpents who lived in the heavens long ago. Every five hundred years, one good Imoogi is rewarded for its good deeds by receiving the Yuh Yi Joo, which allows him to become a celestial dragon. Among these Imoogis was an evil one named Baruki, who lusted for the Yuh Yi Joo. To keep him from getting it, the Yuh Yi Joo was hidden on Earth - but it wasn't hidden very well, as Baruki knew it would be borne inside the body of a twenty-year-old woman who was born with the image of a red dragon on her shoulder. An old warrior and his protégé are sent to safeguard the Yuh Yi Joo and make sure the girl is sacrificed to the good Imoogi once her twentieth birthday comes. Last time, back in 1507, there was a problem, as the young warrior fell in love with the girl. To cut a long story short, both the good Imoogi and Baruki were forced to wait another five centuries for a chance to ascend into the heavens.
  
  In 2007, the Yuh Yi Joo resides in the body of Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks), and a TV reporter named Ethan Kendrick (Jason Behr) comes to realize that he is the reincarnated young warrior destined to protect her. He has to find her first, which isn't easy given the fact that Baruki and his hordes of servants set out tearing Los Angeles apart to find her first. Will Ethan be able to save her from Baruki? Will he seek to change their fate once again or deliver her to the good Imoogi?
  
  Director Shim Hyung-rae reportedly spent several years trying to make this film a reality, so all of the criticisms of the plot are more than valid. One would think, for example, that even the most star-struck of L.A. residents and tourists would actually notice a giant serpent tearing its way through the city. You also have to wonder why the FBI would so readily accept the "ancient legend" explanation of the monster - or how they figured out so quickly that the serpent was looking for Sarah Daniels. The list goes on and on. Having enjoyed the film so much, though, I just think all of these things are funny. In fact, they almost make me want to watch the film again to see what other goofs I can find. I'm sure the epic scale of the action and the incredible special effects wouldn't diminish very much on a second viewing, either. I really don't understand how so many people can label Dragon Wars one of the worst movies ever made - they obviously haven't seen a lot of the obscure B-movies I've suffered through.
  
  
• We'd rather watch the old Godzilla films than D-Wars.
  By A34FEX6IPQL95G on 2007-12-04
  When it comes to giant monster B movies--like Godzilla for example--Japan is the first name that comes to mind but look out; Korea could be the new kid on the block. They rank in at number 10 in the overall movie market in the world--according to the Korean Film council. The Host (17.2 million dollars [budget at 11 million]) and now the "smash hit" D-Wars (54 million [budget between 30 and 70 million]) are the latest from the Far East. However, the movie The Host swept Korea's Blue Dragon Awards in 2006 and was considered one of the best Foreign films of 2006, but unfortunately D-Wars will probably be viewed as one of the worst movies for 2007, especially for us here in America. The poor direction by unknown Shim Hyung-rae, the confusing story, the emotionless/wooden acting and the sloppy editing are the sad focal points. All those factors destroy any possibility for the graphics to entertain (the battle sequence in LA and the final dragon fight at end of the movie). The CGI was created by Shim's Younggu-Art Movie Company. Godzilla from Toho studios, where are you? We need you back now.
  
  A CGNN television news reporter by the name of Ethan (Jason Behr) is covering his latest story in an open field in Los Angeles: where major destruction has occurred. Within moments, he notices that the police are dusting off a huge green substance; he knows that it is the scale of the legendary Korean Beast known as Imugi; a mythical dragon creature. In a short while, he returns to the news studios but has a flash back of when he was a young boy and his encounter that he had with a mystical storekeeper named Jack (Robert Forster [Ancient Warlord/Sensei]).
  
  He learns that he is the reincarnated spirit of an ancient Korean warrior-apprentice named Haram--learning the martial arts skills by the Warlord/Sensei--who has to defend Princess "Tattoo" Narin from all her enemies. He falls in love with her. However, his Sensei could care less because the Princess--who is now 20 years old--needs to give up her special life force to the Imugi, by scarification. They--either the good, or bad Imugi--will ascend to Dragon hood through ingestion.
  
  Within a short while, a crisis develops in this Kingdom. The evil General as well as his Power Rangers/Storm Troopers, and most importantly the evil giant serpent arrive first and a great battle ensues. There is no escape for the couple, therefore they decide to jump off a cliff. Through their failure, their reincarnated spirits will repeat this event again in 500 years to battle the bad imugi, the evil general and his evil army.
  
  It is present day again and now Ethan must find a girl named Sara Daniels (Amanda Brooks) with a tattoo marking of the good Imug (she is the Princess). However, this will be difficult because there are many girls at this age that fit this description. He uses the help of a co-worker to search through the computer database to help narrow his search but he eventually is able to locate her at a hospital. What will be the out come of Ethan and Sarah? Will they defeat these forces of evil?
  
  Confused about the story? Trust us, don't even sweat it.
  
  When seeing the preview for D-Wars I had a flashback of Destroy All Monsters, as other movies such as King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) and All Monsters Attack (1969) that the Toho Company Ltd. released. As a kid these monsters were everything, even though they were just a bunch a people in rubber suits, there was artistry.
  
  In D-Wars you can definitely see the theme of such American Science Fiction movies as The Terminator series (1984-2003) with dialog similarities between the main characters, and even the similar cinematography from King Kong (1976) and the American Godzilla (1998). Is the director paying homage to these movies or to Korean Nationalism because at the end of the film we see Shim use Korean print and Shim quotes "D-War and I will succeed in the world market without fail?" Keep dreaming.
  
  We will tell you from our point of view that you cannot impress us or the world market. Especially from the American actor Robert Forster who gives us a mono log in the flash back in which he sounds like an ESL instructor, teaching a class of foreigners. The romantic chemistry that never develops from our lovers--Ethan and Sara--because they seem hopelessly confused if they even want to know each other. Should they not be able to recognize their reincarnated spirits? Where is Ethan's ability of the marital arts or even superhuman strength, he is a reincarnated warrior? He just keeps running away. Then there is the evil General along with the Atrox soilders who give us the impression of evil Power Rangers/Storm troopers from Star Wars. The General spoke and sounded like Mr. Bean. That's being funny unintentionally.
  
  For the new generation of Asians filmmakers, people wearing rubber suit and city miniatures are something from the past. For Better or for worse, they upgraded themselves to the new computer graphics extravaganza of today. Honestly we liked the classic monster films from that period. But not everything is lost in D-Wars, one of the best moments in the film is the dragon invasion of the city where we get to see some decent monster action against the military--the creatures look pretty decent at times and really terrible at others--but the action itself is quite interesting. Let's not forget the final battle between the two dragons. The loud dragons face off and goes on for a while, but it has very little realism, but quite intense nevertheless.
  
  Proceed with caution because if you're a fan of the B Japanese monster movies, you will be disappointed with the cheesiness of this "upgraded" Asian monster film. Where is the fun of the classic monsters from the past? Just because you have computer graphics, it doesn't mean that you're going to make a great film. despite some decent battle moments; the film is flat because of the hilarious acting, confusing plot and video-game special effects. We'd rather watch the old Godzilla films.
  
  
• Dragon Wars
  By A2NC9G399V3UF0 on 2008-01-07
  Dragon Wars
  
  Japan does not have the market cornered on legendary creatures. Sure, they have Godzilla and his horde of monstrous companions Mothra and family. But, dragons, while oriental, are not specifially Japanese. That was the starting point for writer/director Hyung Rae Shim and executive producer Woo Taek Kim.
  "We set out to make a film that had universal appeal" they commented in the special features. "And to do that, we had to make our Korean film as universally acceptable as possible. We set the film in locations from New York to Los Angeles, and recruited world class musicians (Dies Iraes) and sound effects specialists."
  
  The result is an outstanding film that examines the legend of Buraki and the good Imoogi. Buraki is a 200 meter dragon/snake/serpent that can only be defeated by the Imoogi and the Yuh Yi Joo, a re-incarnated 500 year old beauty. An American reporter Ethan and his 'beloved' Sarah run from the mythical monsters through crowded city scapes while a mystical battle is being fought.
  With any film that deals with a 'legend', North american audiences have a tough time thinking past the obvious. Our lives are spent without a thought for the other worldly battles that rage above us, or have raged in ages past. Such is this film. The ambitious film by first time director is not a $200 m Peter Jackson production, but rather a project seething with dedication finished for a small fraction of a Jackson film.
  Sure, it does have deficiencies, but what do you expect when your main characters are CGI, and the FBI/CIA are battling mythical monsters with handguns. This film is the Orient meets the Americas. Mysticism meets the mafia. Legend meets the law keepers. It is exactly what you might expect in such a 'real' confrontation.
  The special features tell the story of the film, from concept to final production with commentary by comedian turned director. Unlike many monster films, this has a remarkable story behind the production. Younggu Art Studios is going to be a first class facility in the near future.
  Production wise, it is very professional. First class CGI, audio tracks, and modelling. It beats any Godzilla film fins down. Look for it at your local video store or online at www.SonyPictures.com
  Tim Lasiuta
  
  
• Why? Why Was it Even Released In Theater?
  By A53S9PACZ01N0 on 2008-01-07
  As much as I wanted to see this movie with an objective mind without the influence of me liking one of the actors in this film. It still became truly difficult to enjoy this movie, it started out horrible and it end horribly. Sure the CGI was good better then most movies who have tried and failed to use CGI, but couldn't have they focused on the script also. The actors I think tried to make do with what they had, but even their acting came out duller then a bad joke done by Michael Richards. As much as I hate saying it and writing it these actors may need to go back to acting school. I know its all about money in this world but really what were these producers thinking as they said, "We are going to release this in the U.S. and its going to be huge?" Yeah a huge waste of time, at least I didn't spend money actually watching this. A huge relief on that part.
  
  
• The Theater should give something Free if you saw in the Theaters
  By A1VSD851TA51UC on 2008-01-09
  I rented this on Tuesday when it came out. I like to give movies a chance and try to watch the whole thing, but this movie was just boring. The acting and script was so bad that I had to turn it off, after 30-minutes. The last hour that this movie would of taken if I finished, I used to wash dishes and play with my kids. Wow I feel sorry who would even thinking about buying this movie at full price. If I found it at Walmart for under $5, I would think long and hard before even buying it.
  
  
• D-Wars: A Patience Test
  By A29Y34ALWJUGB5 on 2008-01-12
  I don't like writing bad reviews. Usually, if I don't like something, I'll simply move on. But this movie is terrible. It is, at best, a test of your own personal patience. If you can watch the entire thing without interruption, then chances are you are one of the most patient living humans on the face of this earth. D-Wars is, from start to finish, a series of melodramatic moments highlighted here and there by Power Rangers-esque special effects. If you want that kind of entertainment, then I'd check out Xena: Warrior Princess. At least that doesn't try to take itself too serious.
  
  What D-Wars is attempting to be is an action-packed disaster movie based on Korean mythology. It follows the story of how a good snake can become a heavenly dragon, and how an evil snake will stop at nothing to steal that gift away from the good one. But this gift comes from a twenty-year-old human girl with a red-dragon tattoo. And I think that's all that I need to say. The story is contrived, forced, and put together in the most cliche way. Highlights include: a bad guy conveniently stepping into place to be hit by a car so that the protagonists can escape capture; a chanting bad guy who just sounds ridiculous; a series of happenstances in which the hero suddenly gets the answer to his problem without any real work; and finally a sad unbalance of emotional content (meaning that one moment they're invoking laughs, the next they're deadly serious, ruining whatever momentum the story may have been building).
  
  So, if there is one thing that should be noted before you purchase, it's this: you'll be wasting your money. If you have any interest at all in good movies, then you'll hate this. The classic Godzilla movies have more flavor than this piece of... meat. Stay away, you aren't missing anything.
  
  
• Far and away the worst movie I have ever seen
  By A3F9VH8916IA40 on 2008-01-29
  And that's really saying something. I didn't think it could get any worse than Sahara (Widescreen Edition) but man oh man was I wrong? I actually went out of my way to go see this movie because the previews made it look like something I was in the mood to see, a mindless action flick with dragons. I love dragon movies, and I was really in the mood for some action, but NO! There is NO action in this god forsaken movie. I can honestly say that the $7 I spent on my ticket were the worst $7 I've ever spent ON ANYTHING!
  
  For a movie called Dragon Wars, there's one thing that's noticeably absent throughout almost the entire movie, the dragons. The entire first 3/4ths of this movie center around some mindless plot from ancient Korea that is so needlessly complicated that I literally fell asleep while watching. Some giant snake wants to go to heaven, so it needs to eat a Korean girl with a dragon tattoo on her shoulder but she gets away and dies so he needs to wait another 500 years for her to come back alive... in LA? Huh? And the snake thing is already there waiting for her? How did it know she was there? For that matter, how could a giant snake sneak around LA, slither onto rooftops of crowded buildings, and eat an elephant from a zoo, without anyone seeing it? Hell, at one point it charges down a crowded street and then disappears without a trace. Yeah, right.
  
  Finally, in the last 20 minutes or so of the movie, I finally got to see a battle with dragons and, uh, giant rhino things on one side and the US military on the other, and I have to admit that its not that bad, but it only lasts about five minutes and then goes back to the brain dead plot. Come on, the only reason I went to see this movie was because I wanted some mindless violence and dragon battles. Is that so much to ask for?
  
  Don't even get me started on the acting, the script, or the effects; I'd never finish this review if I tried to explain just how bad they were. Let's just say that I had to watch this movie again, I'd probably stab myself in the knee just to dull the pain. Apparently this is a blockbuster in Korea; I sure hope I never have to find out what's considered a bad movie over there.
  
  Re-watch value; EXTREMLY low.
  
  
• WORST MOVIE EVER
  By A1UIRH7SMG6Y7M on 2008-04-27
  DO NOT RENT OR BUY THIS TRASH!!!!! TERRIBLE EDITING NO TRUE PLOT. THE WORST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. I COULD NOT FINISH IT!!!!!!!
  
  
• By Far the Worst Movie I Have Ever Seen
  By A3F9VH8916IA40 on 2007-11-04
  And that's really saying something. I didn't think it could get any worse than 28 Days Later (Widescreen Edition) or Sahara (Widescreen Edition), but man oh man was i wrong? I actually went out of my way to go see this movie because the previews made it look like something I was in the mood to see, a mindless action flick with dragons. I love dragon movies, and I was really in the mood for some action, but NO! There is NO action in this god forsaken movie. I can honestly say that the $7 I spent on my ticket were the worst $7 I've ever spent ON ANYTHING!
  
  For a movie called Dragon Wars, there's one thing that's noticeably absent throughout almost the entire movie, the dragons. The entire first 3/4ths of this movie center around some mindless plot from ancient Korea that is so needlessly complicated that I literally fell asleep while watching. Some giant snake wants to go to heaven, so it needs to eat a Korean girl with a dragon tattoo on her shoulder but she gets away and dies so he needs to wait another 500 years for her to come back alive... in LA? Huh? And the snake thing is already there waiting for her? How did it know she was there? For that matter, how could a giant snake sneak around LA, slither onto rooftops of crowded buildings, and eat an elephant from a zoo, without anyone seeing it? Hell, at one point it charges down a crowded street and then disappears without a trace. Yeah, right.
  
  Finally, in the last 20 minutes or so of the movie, I finally got to see a battle between with dragons and, uh, giant rhino things on one side and the US military on the other, and I have to admit that its not that bad, but it only lasts about five minutes and then goes back to the brain dead plot. Come on, the only reason I went to see this movie was because I wanted some mindless violence and dragon battles. Is that so much to ask for?
  
  Don't even get me started on the acting, the script, or the effects; I'd never finish this review if I tried to explain just how bad they were. Let's just say that I had to watch this movie again, I'd probably stab myself in the knee just to dull the pain. Apparently this is a blockbuster in Korea; I sure hope I never have to find out what's considered a bad movie over there. If you read this review, please leave a comment.
  
  Re-play value; EXTREMLY low.
  
  

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