-Muggle Film Reviews-

---

Dragonheart - My rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5 stars)

A king with a dragon's heart, a former knight turned dragon slayer, a maiden who is definitely not in distress, and a dragon with the voice of Sean Connery - these are some of the main characters of one of my favorite childhood movies. And of course we can't forget the monk who's trying to compose an epic ballad featuring all their adventures.

This movie has humor, emotion, revolutions, revenge, and of course, a dragon. Without giving too much away, here's a quick overview of the plot: Bowen, a knight of the old code, turns away from knighthood and instead hunts dragons, seeking revenge for a perceived harm to his protege. When he finds himself at an impasse with a dragon, they make a deal - Bowen won't kill the dragon, and the dragon won't eat him. Thus a partnership is born. Eventually, they get dragged into the middle of a revolt against the king, which forces them to face the consequences of their pasts.

I've seen this movie at least fifteen times, and I think I love it more each time. It makes me laugh, makes me cry, and always leaves me feeling satisfied with a story well told. I will also never think of the constellation Draco the same way again.

(And for those who are interested, you may recognize David Thewlis and Jason Isaacs, long before they appeared as Professor Lupin and Lucius Malfoy.)

---

Warm Bodies - My rating: ★★★★ (4/5 stars)

It's Romeo and Juliet with zombies and a happy ending! (Seriously. I'm not kidding here.)

If you're looking for some relief from the pervasive darkness and despair of most zombie stories, Warm Bodies is a great option. The movie follows R, a zombie who doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the zombies, as he finds and is ultimately saved by true love. Yes, that's right - love is all you need.

Zombies in this particular story end up with some of the memories from the brains they eat, which adds an interesting aspect to the story. R also has a zombie buddy that he hangs out with, although their conversations pretty much just involve groaning and grunting at each other. It's funnier than it sounds, I swear.

It's really hard to capture in words what makes this movie so enjoyable, but it manages to be sweet, funny, and refreshingly unique even while making abundant use of tropes and much cheesiness. If you like lighter-hearted zombie fare (or even if you don't), then you should definitely give this movie a chance.

-Reviewed by Kris Shah