Skyrim, How to Train Your Dragon, Eragon, and Age of the Dragons. It seems we just can’t escape from the fantastical creature: the Dragon. It captivates our imagination and thrills our senses. When I saw Age of the Dragons, I was very excited to see yet another interpretation of dragons in our culture. However, this excitement was short-lived once I pressed “play.”

Age of the Dragons is a modern rendition of Moby Dick, but instead of hunting the great white whale, Ishmael and Ahab are hunting the “Great, White Dragon.” I’m not joking. They didn’t even give the dragon its own unique title. They just ripped it straight from the novel. And how I wish this was the least of the movie’s problems.

In this version, dragons are just wild animals. No intelligence whatsoever. In Skyrim and Eragon, they have their own culture and language. But in Age of the Dragons, they are no more than scaly lizards with wings that mindlessly breathe fire. Maybe it’s just me, but the thought of an intelligent dragon is way more captivating than a mindless beast.

Next were the special effects. However, I’m not so sure why you would call them “special” in this movie. It looked like the cheap animation of a poorly designed computer program. I would tell you more, but that would mean picturing it in my head again. I’d rather not.

One of the most surprising things in this movie was that for a film with many no name actors, it starred Danny Glover as Captain Ahab. You may remember him as the actor who voiced Jethro in Prince of Egypt and played Colonel Isaac Johnson in Shooter.

Overall, don’t rent this movie. Granted, I’m sure most of you had it on your “must see” list, but I’m here to tell you don’t. Please. I’m serious. I’m not teasing. Just let it sit in Redbox until it’s replaced by another Jennifer Aniston chick flick. She’s bound to have another soon.

Adam McDonald, Co-editor