Watch The Sword and the Dragon For Free

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Ilya Muromets" looks gorgeous. It's beautifully shot -- such that many scenes almost look more like spectacular paintings rather than shots from a live action film -- and lavishly produced and costumed. One can tell that there was no expense spared on the extensive location shooting, swarming armies, et cetera, and visually this all pays off. Unfortunately, that's mostly all of what this film as going for it, and ninety minutes of scenic decoration eventually becomes too much. The story is based on a very old Russian folk tale, but it seems to me that the writer of its adaptation didn't pay a lot of attention to what would make it into an entertaining film. We end up with a spectacle that is largely plot less for much of its running time, revolving around the hero effortlessly doing some casual superhuman trick, then getting lauded for it by everyone. We get the message that people are supposed to like him a lot, but we don't feel it ourselves. We move past being quite so episodic about halfway through as get some story, but the villains are too cackling and over the top to seem a threat, and the heroes are still presented devoid enough of character, revealing dialogue, or involving story that I didn't find it involving. We jump far ahead in time at various points, but nobody seems to change much, so we end up with a film trying to tell what should be a lot and weighty story that in fact carries none of the impact it should. Then we have a few plot howler moments as well, such as the long-lost son immediately changing his national allegiance and vowing to fight for it as soon as somebody new claims to be his dad. It deserves commendation for fantastic photography and production, but unfortunately the humorlessly uninvolving story keeps it from being very entertaining, so I can't say it didn't deserve the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment that it ended up receiving.

Like many who have reviewed the film before me, I saw this first as a child at a theater. The action parts impressed me, tremendous battle scenes with thousands of extras. The Wind Demon impressed me as did the Mountain of men, and the mountain of gold. Plot points were lost on me as was the erotic dance scenes. I remembered the heroic music, the beautiful scenery and the magic rug. It was with trepidation that I screened a you tube positing. If ever a movie cried out for restoration, it is this one. The color was faded to the point of being black and white. The print was fairly clean, but to view this on my small computer monitor made the loss of spectacle even more noticeable. One reads among the reviews the Soviet propaganda slant the people saw in the movie. It was based on a folk tale hero, one who like in the heros of our westerns of old, were straight shooters. Ilia plead his allegiance to the land, and those who work it. He would not be swayed by wealth nor power, from doing the right thing. You may call me old fashioned, but these time honored virtues are sore lacking in todays media. The Dragon of the title makes a very late appearance in he film, and is rather easily dispatched, still this was one of the first three headed fire breathing flying dragons I had ever seen in movies, and that alone boosts its "awesome to kids" factor way up. Glad I re watched it.

I heartily agree, it was always a childhood favorite. The music is haunting and the scenery is beautiful. I have memorized most of the lines and how many times have I wished for Ilya's magic cloth? O for a steed like Chesnut Grey! The special effects are precious, only those of us you truly enjoy 50's sci fi movies can appreciate the dragon, the wind demon and the forest creatures during the weaving scene.I have tried to find an uncut version of this film because its hard edit indicate that there may be missing scenes. The Russians really know how to stage an epic! See it if you can.

This russian movie is so weird trippy kooky. I love that!As much as I loathe dubbing, sword and the dragon in english just makes you realize a huge chunk was lost in translation. Why is Ilja stuck on the throne? What's the deal with the flag in the barrel? The ominous Tugars (love that name!) cause havoc and what was Ilja's plan anyway: let's close our eyes and pray we're lucky?? Oh, and the coincidence of meeting Falcon would've been better if he stuck a sword through him and then saw the ring! Goofy fun that goes well with jugs of Stolichnaya.I've seen this with Mike and the Bots and it's hilarious. I'm sure in its original russian, the movie makes much more sense. But the dub, it's crazy goofy!