This movie is a prequel to the excellent TV series of the same name. It was co-written and co-directed by the series' creator, Arthur Qwak (Lordy, what a name), but it's whole different beast.
It takes place about ten years before the TV show, so the heroes haven't met Jennyline yet and Zaza doesn't exist yet either.
Gwizdo (Rob Paulsen) and Lian-Chu (Forest Whittaker) are professional dragon hunters, but far from the best. Gwizdo can read and write and has a talent for business, but is a terrible coward. Lian-Chu isn't the warrior he'd become in the series, but he's a kind soul, sensible if a little naïve, and knits, to Gwizdo's chagrin (in the episode "A Fistful of Veggies", he finally says, "Lian-Chu, remind me to never make fun of your knitting again"). While Gwizdo is giving Lian-Chu a pep talk one morning, they meet a little girl named Zoe, who is an orphan (like the heroes) and has a rich uncle. She mistakes them for knights and Gwizdo goes along with the lie. I can't understand why. They'd win just as much of her admiration by admitting that they're professionals, stone-cold mercenaries. And in the end she doesn't mind anyway.
Honestly it reminds me of Maurizio's lie in 'Der Satanarchäolügenialkohöllische Wunschpunsch' (and by coincidence, both he and Gwizdo have been voiced by Rick Jones).
The lord of the place offers the dragon hunters a huge sum of money for killing the World Gobbler, which eats masses of land (in the show, the islands are dead dragons). They have to sucker punch it even though, like the dragon in "A Fistful of Veggies", it has a weakness that even a knitting needle can penetrate.
The story itself is very simple. Reminds me of 'All Dogs Go to Heaven', actually. You have a cynic (Charlie/Gwizdo) and his sensible best friend (Lian-Chu/Itchy) who "adopt" a little girl (Zoe/Anne-Marie) and the cynic grows to care about her.
Zoe seems annoying, but don't worry, when Jennyline adopts her in the series, she grows up to be the awesome dragon hunter Zoria. Somehow it doesn't make sense. This little idealist who believes in fairytales is Zoria? Somehow I find it hard to believe.
There's Sir Lensflair, who's an elderly Prince Charming if he went nuts. And yes, in the series there is a character named Prince Charming.
Rob Paulsen is a riot as Gwizdo. He has a lot of funny lines and is a match for Rick Jones. However, the movie makes him look uglier. The TV series version is a bombshell by comparison. Maybe his design didn't translate well to CGI.
His character in the movie can be annoying but he's shown to love Lian-Chu no matter what. He loses a bit of charisma from the TV series, somehow.
Forest Whittaker's voice is deeper than Harry Standjofski's but is just as gentle and mature.
And finally there's Hector (who was also voiced by Jones in the series and is voiced by Dave Wittenberg in the movie), who provides some cute comic relief.
The film has excellent visuals, good action sequences and one excellent scene where Gwizdo is tormented by his guilty conscience; Paulsen is on top form in that scene, which recalls one in "Gland of the Mimikar" where he tries to make up excuses for why he can't go and save Lian-Chu himself (which he does anyway), and in "The Strange Taste of Cocomak" where Gwizdo's constant bad luck sends him into a depression.
It's worth watching for pretty visuals, but especially if you're a fan of the series.
Review of Dragon Hunters
