The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

This is a different kind of review for a different kind of movie. By different, I mean very different from the traditional methods of movie making. The Reluctant Dragon is a different kind of experience from any that I’ve had before when it comes to movie-going. I honestly don’t even know how to describe this odd bit of wonderment that Walt Disney came up with in 1941, and I truly mean that! The only thing I can think to do with this review is just tell you what happens and what I think about it.

Brief non-spoiler Plot Summary:

It is almost impossible not to give spoilers. This movie is sort of a scripted documentary; a story about a guy who wants to pitch a short story idea to Walt Disney. However, mixed in with the live-action documentary-type scenes are cartoon shorts. See what I mean by different?

For those of you who are parents looking for movies to watch with your kids, I don’t know if I’ll continue to mention this, but just keep in mind that until probably somewhere in the mid-1980s to 1990s, people just smoked cigarettes and cigars…everywhere. There’s smoking in this movie, so there you go. You’ll also briefly see some maquettes (small made-to-scale character models) that show the unclothed breasts of a few animated characters from Fantasia.

My overall review (CONTAINS SPOILERS):

In my opinion, this is a great movie. It was even better the second time I saw it. Of course, being an “artist” myself and a lover of the 2d animation art form, I really got to nerd out while watching this movie. I would venture to say that if you are a movie or history buff as well, this is a must-see movie. I think Walt Disney was really trying something unique with this project.

It is neither a feature animation nor a live-action film. As I previously stated, it’s a mix of all kinds of things. It’s black and white at first, and then it becomes a color film. It begins as a scripted story, but also has a bit of a documentary feel. Then, in the midst of all this, there are random cartoon shorts interspersed. The film ends with a cartoon short bearing the name of the film: “The Reluctant Dragon”. This short is about, well, a reluctant dragon who doesn’t like to fight.

If this all seems confusing, you are not alone! I would agree that, on the surface, this movie makes no sense. In my mind, though, I feel like I can see Walt Disney snickering a bit as he produced this project. Knowing that he was opening the curtain, just a little, for the world to see what goes on in his fantasy movie-making wonderland.

That is the basic plot of what happens in this movie. The scripted story may feel a little campy or overdone to a modern audience, but I personally dig that sort of thing. The idea of a random couple deciding to take a children’s story book to Walt Disney and actually being able to drive up to the old studio and get an audience with Disney just seems absurd, really, especially nowadays. But that is exactly what happens.

The couple literally drives up to the gate at the Disney studio and asks if they can speak to Walt in person to pitch their story, and the attendant happily obliges. Then, after they get inside, the husband is given a tour of the studio, but decides to escape his chaperone and look around on his own. Next, we’re given the real juice of the movie. Here, Walt allows the audience to see just how things work at Disney’s creative studio. I won’t spoil these rare encounters he has with the staff at Disney, but it’s pretty amazing to watch, and when the husband actually meets Disney, it’s quite interesting to watch Walt take on the role of actor, playing himself.

As for the cartoon shorts, they are incorporated into the movie as the husband visits different departments and is given demonstrations of how the various movie-making processes work. As the movie winds down, we’re finally given the namesake of the movie: “The Reluctant Dragon” cartoon.

Bottom Line:

This is a fun cartoon and could have been its own stand-alone short without an accompanying movie, but I’ll take it for what it is here. I give this movie an 8 out of 10, but for me, I know I’m biased here, because I love seeing the animation process. This movie, for me, is like a kid visiting a candy shop or toy store.

So, please, watch this movie and for a little while, imagine you’re in a movie theater in the 1940s, with no smartphones or internet searches to spoil anything, and enjoy the greatness of this moment in time.

NOTE: It appears that this movie is NOT on Blu-Ray yet, but can be purchased in various DVD sets here and rented or bought here as an Amazon download. It is currently available on Disney+ at the writing of this blog.

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