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Mar 30 | 3 min readDragon Rider on Sky Cinema: Patrick Stewart, family fun and a big heart – 3 reasons to watch the animated adventure movie
Sky Original Dragon Rider is available to watch on Sky Cinema with NOW and is a fun-filled blast for the whole family.
If you’re looking for a fun family adventure you won’t go far wrong with Sky Original Dragon Rider.
Available to watch on Sky Cinema with the NOW Cinema Membership, this all-star animated adventure follows the story of dragon Firedrake who takes it upon himself to save his community after humans start destroying the dragons' homeland.
With the help of his loyal friend Sorrel and an orphan boy called Ben who he bumps into along the way, Firedrake embarks on a dangerous adventure to discover a safe haven for his kind and put a stop to the villainous dragon-eating Nettlebrand.
Watch the Dragon Rider trailer:
Full of laughter, heart and a fabulous cast, here are three reasons to watch Dragon Rider now…
1. It’s big-hearted family fun
Dragons, monsters, a daring crusade – Dragon Rider has all the perfect ingredients to hook young viewers in from the kick-off.
But it’s not all just mythical adventures and high-flying action - there’s plenty for adults to enjoy too.
From the glimpse of a movie poster for ‘How To Tame Your Dragon’ to Patrick Stewart’s villain signing up for a dating app, there are belly-laugh gags for all ages.
2. An incredible voice cast and Patrick Stewart stealing the show
Dragon Rider brings its A-game to the voice cast with Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones, Love Actually) as Firedrake, alongside Felicity Jones (Rogue One) as sidekick Sorrell and Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor, Bates Motel) as the ‘dragon rider’ Ben.
Sanjeev Baskhar and Meera Syal are a hoot in cameos as Mad Doc and Subisha Gulab, but it’s Patrick Stewart (Star Trek) as the dragon-eating Nettlebrand who steals the show.
Playing the bad guy with a mix of high camp and sneering pomposity, Stewart is clearly having a ball and channels similar vibes to Jeremy Irons’ iconic Scar in The Lion King.
3. It carries an environmental message
“It’s like my dad always said, never trust humans”.
It’s fair to say that us humans don’t come out of Dragon Rider all that well.
From the power-crazed inventor who gave the world the villainous Nettlebrand to anonymous masses ripping up the planet and destroying the dragons' homeland, we’re accurately portrayed as selfish and self-involved.
The movie doesn’t get too heavy-handed with its messaging, but kids will definitely pick up on the message about caring for the planet and other species that is tucked underneath the bonnet of the globe-trotting adventure.
Watch Dragon Rider with the NOW Cinema Membership.
Images © 2020 Constantin Film Produktion GmbH / Cyborn BV / Rise Picture
