Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Dragon Soldiers’

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

Caution: This article contains minor spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Dragon Soldiers’.
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This past summer, my son Tommy who’s an Animation, Film, Photography and Motion Design major at Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction), had the chance to attend the local premiere of Dragon Soldiers (Lionsgate; 2020) at the Avalon Theatre – slide show below. Put on as a fundraiser for the Avalon Theatre Foundation, I was happy to hear what a great time Tommy had. So much so, I decided to purchase the film on Amazon Prime Video in support of local film makers and today, I’d like to share my thoughts on this fun installment co-written, produced and directed by Grand Junction native and campy monster fan Hank Braxtan (Snake Outta Compton 2018; Dead Ant 2017). Come along, won’t you?
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Braxtan’s “In Development” section on his PhotonicMedia site states: “Our philosophy is simple – Make what you want to see, and be excellent to each other.” The awesome Bill & Ted reference aside (insert air guitar motion here!! – LOL!), this motto seems abundantly clear not only in this film, but throughout Hank’s work. Often collaborating with his wife (Arielle Brachfeld), who co-wrote and stars in Dragon Soldiers as the Park Ranger Gwen Peters, Braxtan shares the spotlight in multiple ways. Including featuring the town of Fruita, amongst others, along with the amazing surrounding Colorado landscapes and terrain. Which I must admit, is pretty darn cool. I mean… it’s a scenery cinematographers dream! And the movie definitely doesn’t skimp on the wide shots and panoramic views. There’s even plenty of aerial shots mixed with close ups of flowers, cascades and river shots as well as various rock formations in the state, including the Colorado National Monument. I’m no film major, but allowing the beautiful topography to be your set is definitely a visually smart, yet cost effective move, no? Plus, we also get to see things from the dragon’s point of view which helps intensify the danger. HECK YA!!

Additionally, like a large chunk of Braxtan’s other films, Dragon Soldiers under PhotonicMedia was made in partnership via Lionsgate Films and his wife’s other, other day gig (LOL!), Automatic Entertainment which lists it as a creature-feature/action film. And boy do I agree. The effects are a bit cheesy, but still quite cool overall. Especially when compared to any number of similar films running today. I mean… specializing “in low budget genre movies – science fiction, horror, fantasy, and action…with a dash of comedy,” means cheesy, yet cool overall, is EXACTLY what Hank was going for! *Fist bump* Nailed it!! LOL! We also don’t have to wait until half the film is down before seeing the creature as it’s shown throughout. Including a suspenseful opening sequence. Right outa the gate… NICE!!

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And speaking of collaboration, several other folks both behind and in front of the camera have previously worked with Hank on other projects. Including Dan Sinclair who, like Arielle, co-wrote and stars in Dragon Soldiers. Not to mention our two leads, Antuone Torbert who plays Julius Green and Ruben Pla who plays Artie Cameron, have recently, along with several other cast members, returned for Hank’s latest monster feature, Jurassic Hunt (Lionsgate; 2021), currently streaming now. And most definitely my next campy sci-fi adventure!! So, if constant collaborations and returning actors doesn’t represent being excellent to each other, I am obviously lost on the translation… LOL!! It clearly shows on screen, that’s for sure. And this fun Vimeo of The Making of Dragon Soldiers, gives you a bit more insight into the team dynamics and Colorado setting as well. But beyond my love of scenery and praise for teamwork, what I also liked about this movie on top of having all the camp of a traditional B-tastic sci-fi flick is the emphasis on soldier camaraderie. Let’s discuss!
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Ruben’s character Artie leads a group of mercs hired by Fruita’s slimy Mayor Eddie Mordry (Butch McCain) to search for a missing local militia (AKA weekend warrior) group. As with most military teams, Artie assembles a squad based on certain skills – Bobby Tristan the weapons expert (Heath C. Heine), Julius Green the tracker (Torbert), Lance Hollis the skillful demolitionist (Tarkan Dospil) and Hector Kayman the sniper (Motown Maurice). Yep, that sounds about right for a search party heading into the unknown!! Besides, rumors of monsters in the woods aren’t enough to scare off a group of military veterans, right? NOPE! From the get, our soldiers clash, but waste no time having each other’s back when needed. Which is exactly what any platoon should do and Hank, a military vet himself, knows it!! NICE!! Working together the guys sweep the terrain while the resident sniper watches from above. Eventually, the soldiers, a weekend warrior and the Park Ranger are mashed and must work together to defeat the ancient beast culminating in a thrilling yet comedic climax followed by a lovely follow up and a just veteran tribute of sorts in the end. EXCELLENT!! *Air guitar*

Finally, apart from scenery, soldier camaraderie and the dragon, we also get to see a poke at the would-be weekend warrior via Sinclair’s character Griffin which I found absolutely hilarious. And let’s not forget about the cult. Yep! There’s one of those too… LOL!! There’s also a post-credits scene that I found to be a silly and fun nod to Caddyshack (Warner Bros.; 1980) of all things… LOL!! Plus there’s commentary on fracking, crooked politicians and even the rising homeless population, particularly among veterans. Considering Braxtan’s military history and Colorado upbringing, the whole thing feels like a bouquet of homages and I must say, they’re B-tastic in all the best ways!! All wrapped in a gun shootin,’ mind altering gas (yep, that too… LOL!!), blood-soaked explosive bow… LOL!! All of which make Dragon Soldiers a fun sci-fi adventure mixed with real-life undertones, comedy and beautiful scenery. So, basically… all the things!! *BIG GRIN* Check it out if you haven’t already. Until next time.

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Images from the Premiere