REVIEW: ‘Firedrake the Silver Dragon’ Is An Enjoyable Story About Finding Your Way

Firedrake the Silver Dragon is a CGI kid’s fantasy adventure on Netflix. Firedrake has spent his whole life in the valley with all the other dragons hiding from humans. Dragons once lived in peace with humanity, but centuries ago, humanity’s greed drove the dragons away. One human even created a dragon-killing machine named Nettlebrand, which is said to be unstoppable. Now, humanity has begun to encroach on the valley where the dragons have remained hidden. Desperate for a new home, Firedrake, along with his friend, the brownie Sorrel, head off to find the Rim of Heaven where the dragons can fly safe and free.

To me, there is a notable difference between a kid’s movie and a family movie. Family movies are those films that entertain children and adults equally well. Shrek instantly springs to mind as an iconic example of the quintessential family movie. Kids’ movies, on the other hand, may entertain the youngsters, but will most likely hold little appeal to the grown-ups in the room. Firedrake the Silver Dragon falls firmly in the latter category.

The movie’s tale follows the naive Firedrake through a series of misadventures as he desperately tries to find a new home for his people. Early on in his adventure, he stumbles into an orphan boy named Ben. Confusing a How to Tame your Dragon poster for proof that Ben is a dragon-rider, Firdrake opts to bring the boy along on the quest, believing he can lead them to their fabled location. This happens over the protests of Sorrel, whose father has instilled in her an ardent mistrust of humans.

Through these three characters Firedrake the Silver Dragon delivers messages about honesty, growth, and prejudice. While nothing that comes out of this narrative is particularly surprising, it is implemented well enough, with a clarity that even the youngest viewers will be able to wrap their brains around. Unfortunately for our heroes, this tale isn’t just about inner growth and overcoming mistrust. The monstrous Nettlebrand has learned of Firedrake’s quest and will pursue the young dragon to the edges of the world.

Perhaps the single most humorous aspect of our tale comes in the form of Nettbrand. Voiced by the legendary Patrick Stewart (Picard), Nettlebrand’s over-the-top voice melds Shakespearean flair with the dialogue’s goofy tones perfectly. This performance by Stewart stands out amongst the rest of the Firedrake the Silver Dragon‘s cast who, while never bad, never manage to deliver anything truly memorable.

The CGI utilized to deliver the visuals of this tale is solid, if a bit uninspired. The goofy appearances, exaggerated features, and over-the-top reactions one expects from a kids’ movie are all delivered with enough skill to appease a young viewer long enough to make its hour and a half run time enjoyable.

So when all is said and done, Firedrake the Silver Dragon is a solid movie that will probably manage to hold the attention of younger viewers looking for something new to watch, while probably failing to hold the attention of any adult in the room. If you can’t stand the thought of having to listen to that movie for the hundredth time, this may serve as a nice break for you, and something the kids in your life may get a few giggles, and perhaps a couple of life lessons from.

Firedrake the Silver Dragon is streaming on Netflix.