Princess Dragon is a French animated film directed by Jean-Jacues Denis and Anthony Roux. It follows the two princesses, a human named Princess and a green-haired dragon named Bristle on their journey to protect the dragon’s secret lair. 

Princess Dragon Details

Release Date	December 15 2021
Directors	Jean-Jacques Denis, Anthony Roux
Stars	Lila Lacombe, Kaycie Chase, Jérémie Covillault
Language	French
Production Companies	Ankama, France 3 Cinema, France Televisions

Princess Dragon’s plot

In the French animated film Princess Dragon, we encounter Princess, a human, and Bristle, a green-haired dragon with human features.

Bristle’s father is an ancient red dragon, called Dragon, who treasures his gold. However, Dragon seeks children to inherit his wealth.

After meeting the Frog Witch, he agrees to exchange his second most prized possession for three eggs. Three months later, Dragon’s children Rock and Zephyr are born, followed by Bristle.

Startled by her human appearance, Dragon drops her from the sky. Miraculously, Bristle survives the fall and demonstrates fire-breathing abilities. Despite resembling a human, Bristle is eventually accepted by Dragon.

As the princesses grow older, they meet in the forest, where Bristle saves Princess from danger. Seeking shelter, they head to Bristle’s lair. However, Dragon, in a rage, tries to kill Princess to protect their secret.

The Frog Witch returns, demanding Dragon’s second most prized possession. In his rage, he chooses to give up Bristle. In the meantime, the frog witch steals their fire and flight abilities until retrieving Bristle. Heartbroken, Bristle throws herself off a cliff and turns into an egg.

Later, Princess brings the egg to her castle and calls Bristle her friend. The egg hatches, and Bristle appears bigger.

Meanwhile, in Princess’s kingdom, her father’s obsession with wealth leads to the queen’s imprisonment, and Princess is betrothed to a snobbish prince. Princess is forced to reveal the dragon’s lair. Princess and Bristle work together to save Dragon from the impending army attack.

My Take

I really enjoyed watching Princess Dragon. It was a short, 1 hour 10 minute film. The film was made by the same creators of another french made animated film called MFKZ.

Princess Dragon’s 2D animation style looks like it comes straight out of a fantasy novel! The color and style add to the mystery of the characters.

I felt like I was going on an epic adventure with the princesses and occompanying characters. The Director did a good job of telling the story through blenging unique character design with beutiful and fantastical settings.

Over time, Bristles’ appearance changed and morphed every time she hatched out of an egg. At first she appears small and more human-like. Later she grows into an enormous green dragon and gains the ability to fly.

Bristles ability to morph from a small human into a big and powerful dragon symbolizes the meaning of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” She, like all of us, have the ability to grow and become better than we were before.

I loved the different characters’ personalities. The prince, wearing a pink outfit with orange hair is portrayed as a snobbish pipsqueak who looks down on the poor and unfortunate.

On the other hand, the princess is smart and rebellious like her mother. Yet, the king has a thirst for power and status that can never be quenched.

I really enjoyed the pony who was overly impressed with himself! Ultimately, he ends up saving the other characters from harm on many occasions.

The story was narrated by the Frog Witch who we really never get to know- the source of her powers or her real motivations are hidden. This uncertainty makes for an endearing and mysterious character.

In my opinion, the storyline and character tropes of Princess dragon are very similar to other films, however there are many plot twists and elements that make Princess Dragon unique.

For instance, the individual character designs are creative and the portrayal of the enormous centuries-old magical dragon is amazing- the animators did great work on his character.

The Theme

A central theme of Princess Dragon is overcoming greed and prioritizing the true values in life. Both the dragon and king cherished possessions: the dragon treasured his golden treasures, while the king valued his status, military strength, and power.

Ultimately, the dragon had to choose between his family and his belongings, emphasizing the importance of familial bonds over material wealth.

My favorite Scenes in Princess Dragon

Some of my favorite scenes in Princess Dragon revolve around the old dragon character. His design is breathtaking.

The fight scenes, depicting the dragon blowing fire, are particularly powerful and well-crafted. These moments not only showcase the dragon’s strength but also add depth to the story’s fantastical elements.

The scenes that contained the dragon transitioned seamlessly between moments of awe-inspiring beauty and intense action.

While watching, I looked forward to getting a glimpse of the red dragon, and I wasn’t diappointed. Ultimately, his scenes contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment of the film.

Whether he’s soaring through the skies or engaging in fierce battles, the dragon’s presence adds to the overall plot and magic of the story.

Recommendation

I highly recommend Princess Dragon to anyone interested in a search for adventure, fantasy, and comedy.

It beautifully illustrates the power of friendship and family, weaving these themes into an engaging and captivating story. With its stunning animation and heartfelt moments, Princess Dragon offers an unforgettable experience that will resonate with audiences of all ages.