Fantasy movies are some of my absolute favorites. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find, especially if you want something quality. So whenever I'm looking for a fantasy movie to watch and I stumble on something at random, I keep my expectations pretty low. That's how I approached "The Crown and the Dragon," but I was pleasantly surprised. The production quality was unexpectedly high for a independent fantasy movie. The acting was pretty good and the two protagonists had believable chemistry. The plot followed the typical good-vs-evil, fate of the world, plus dragons! theme, as fantasy often does, but it's delivery felt original and fresh. Is it on the same level as the full-scale fantasy of Lord of the Rings? No. But it came together really well and I had a great time watching it. I would definitely watch it again and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fantasy fix.

Alright, this is my first review so bare with me. I picked up this movie at a Redbox machine having never heard of it and the summary kind of confusing, I obviously had to get it. This is what I personally thought of it.The graphics sucked, they did do their job though. When a dragon was needed, they had a dragon. So, for the low budget I'd say they were pretty decent graphics. Some actors were better than others. The two main leads did pretty well. So, the minor roles having some issues was okay. (They casted Kristen Stewart for the lead in Twilight, so, I will excuse minor characters.) The story had many plot holes. It left the viewer wanting more in both bad and good ways. But, through it all I kinda loved it. I don't know why. I don't really care all I know is that I would watch it again. Much like Rocky Horror Picture Show, somehow bad makes it good.

Yes, the CG work is lame. Yes, the acting is far from Oscar worthy. Yes, there are incredibly gross moments when the continuity goes out the window (Hero dumps heroine in creek. Dress gets muddy. Next scene or two, dress looks great. Next scene after that, dress looks muddy. Next scene after that... well, you get the idea.). Yes, the payoff is pretty WTF, and it ended feeling like there should have been one more scene added (the much ballyhooed coronation).Despite all that, it has a certain goofy charm that I wont try to explain. The hero is cute — although he needs a bit more time at the gym — the heroine is cute — although her acting is as dense as a page from a small town phone book. And somehow they sorta/kinda make it all work. Don't ask me to explain how. They just do. Yes, yes, I know: great big huge monstrous gaps in the plot, characters that make zero sense because no one bothers to give them sufficient backstory (Does anyone know what the "glittering" was supposed to be?), and of course those magical self-cleaning costumes. But I watched it through to the end and felt like I got every penny of the five bucks I paid for it.

Add Dungeon & Dragons with Harlan Romance seasoning and stir in a bit of Game of Thrones, the end result is The Crown and the Dragon. Yes, the CGI-effects could been better and derivative factor is high but the Irish-Scots cast never treated the material with contempt - displaying admirable professionalism with director Anne Black keeping things tight as humanely as possible in this tightly-budgeted concoction.Young and naive Ellen Barethon (Amy De Bhrún) accompanies her aunt to a secret enthronement of the rightful king in a land taken over by foreign empire to deliver an ancient artifact to the royal majesty. Ellen soon become the sole guardian of the relic after tragic circumstances and had to rely on one Aedin (David Haydn). Aedin saves her from certain death and later cuts a deal to be her 'protector' as Ellen vows to finish what her aunt started. The artifact is merely a MacGuffin. The heart of the story lies in the burgeoning relationship between Ellen and Aedin from guarded suspicion into the inevitable you-know-what. Kudos to both Amy and Haydn for making the romantic entanglement authentic and grounded in reality with immeasurable help from no-frills script. The 'string' dance by the pair is beautifully choreographed and for me - one of the few highlights in the flick.It's eye-catching performance of Amy De Bhrún that keeps the proceedings lively. Her spunky character is someone you can hold on to during dreary parts and the anchor holding together the movie as it head towards obligatorily revelations and proper intro of traitorous Corvus (Tim Treloar) coveting both the relic and bewitching Amy.If you are looking for guts-ripping sword fights and battling mystical creatures, this is not the movie for you. The elements are there but purely on perfunctory level.