The Last Dragonslayer (2016)

(On Cable TV, January 2020) It’s always a treat to see a movie adaptation of a favourite author’s novels—even if you haven’t read that specific novel. I should explain that while I read nearly all of Jasper Fforde’s pre-2010 output, my reading regimen fell off a cliff after that date, and I haven’t necessarily placed Fforde’s Young-Adult output on my priority reading list since then. Still—Fforde’s wild imagination deserves more attention, and even a low-budget TV movie is a way to experience his trademark style in a different way. Let’s get the obvious out of the way—as a modestly budgeted TV show tackling a fantasy story set in a world where the modern flirts with the magical, The Last Dragonslayer is not without technical issues, dodgy special effects (although roughly on par with 1996’s Dragonheart, so there’s that), awkward cost-cutting cinematography and less-than-stellar technical credentials. But even in that framework, the film punches above its weight. The Fforde-infused imagination certainly helps, as part of the film’s fun is plunging into an alternate reality that accommodates the Internet and dragons at once. Ellise Chappell is quite appealing as the titular dragonslayer who’s not all that keen on escaping a modest upbringing to be asked to go kill a dragon she has no quarrels with. The film’s takes on familiar fantasy tropes in a world that blends modern tropes with the traditional ones is a lot of fun, and it comes with a healthy dose of satire that harkens back to Jasper’s earlier adult novels. There are links here with The Boy Who Would be King—both would make an excellent double feature. I’m not sure someone will ever dare consider tackling Fforde’s other novels to the big screen, but The Last Dragonslayer is quite nice for what it is.