Following Sean Connery's passing, film lovers have been paying tribute to the film and theater icon. The James Bond movies stand out, of course, but there are other famous roles he had in the Highlander films, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Hunt for the Red October, among others, that we all enjoyed as well.
However, as much as fans loved him in these action films, the fantasy-comedy Dragonheart is definitely his most underrated movie ever given how different he is in it.
Though you wouldn't expect it, Connery as a dragon is a massive selling point -- and it speaks for itself. Rob Cohen's film focused around Connery's Draco being initially hunted by Dennis Quaid's Bowen as the knight thought the dragon's heart poisoned King Einon. However, they'd call a truce, eventually forming a partnership and conning villages as Bowen made it seem like he was killing Draco, all so they could earn food and money. Little did these unsuspecting villagers know Draco was indeed the last of his kind, and as long as his half-heart beat, so would that of the wicked king.
There's a lot of comedy in the film that Connery really delivers on. His lines are so funny, more than even The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen where his Alan Quartermain had a mashup of humorous quips. But as brilliant as his dynamic is with Bowen, there's so much depth that goes beyond an immortal, a spy or Indy's archaeologist and explorer dad. Draco gave a piece of his heart up to instill hope in mankind and show humanity that man and beast could coexist once more. It was also so he could die and become one with the stars, and as he explains this, it's profound and poetic.
Sure, Draco's aggressive in battle but Bowen understands how much he romanticizes the code, so much so that Bowen reconnects with King Arthur's inspiration, too. Even more dramatic is how Draco tries to hide his identity. He corrupted the perceived a messiah in Einon when really, the king was always a tyrant deep down. Draco speaks to the masks we wear and how we still have to believe in the best in people, and this ultimately motivates Bowen to join the dragon, Kara and oppressed villages in a rebellion.
Usually, Connery's roles are true blue heroes but this one makes Draco into an antihero as he has to work back up to trusting humans, understanding that while man really can be the planet's biggest monster at times, they can also be heroes. While he's not exactly Thanos trying to raze half the universe's population, when he initially lives in recluse, you can relate to how he views the bigger picture of the world -- he's fearful, despite his might. The way he makes this U-turn is brilliant and very emotive. In fact, Draco's journey is so sentimental in the way that he keeps offering himself up, both to Einon's mom and to Bowen, all so they could kill him and thus, end Einon's life.
Draco's all about sacrifice, and this philosophy creates a really complex character with layers upon layers. Plus, when you factor in how amazing the dragon's design looks, too (for 1996, that is) it's style and substance perfectly mixed together. The fact such a big name actor like Connery took on this live-action CGI role says a lot. Clearly, he knew there was a power to Draco that many of his other live-action movie roles didn't have.