Dragon Games Review

I have always enjoyed the Ever After High movies and Dragon Games is no exception. I will be mentioning some spoilers in this review. As someone who is not in the target demographic for the movies or the corresponding doll line, I really enjoyed this movie. I think Mattel is very smart in partnering with Netflix to release their movies for Ever After High. I really like that they are releasing each movie as a series of a few episodes and then calling that a season.

I feel that there is so much heart behind these movies. I know that they are simply a marketing strategy to sell their doll line, but they are very well thought out and beautifully animated. Something I really enjoy about these movies is that yes, they focus on the main characters for the central plotline, but they also make an effort to include several supporting characters as well.

I knew this was going to be a good movie based on their movies from the past and how beautifully designed the dolls were. I really liked that the main focus was the continuing struggle of Raven in choosing her own destiny. I thought it was great that the main villain was Raven’s mom and that they finally introduced Snow White into the story to provide some further conflict into the battle of good and evil.

The dragons were a great addition into this fairytale world and I thought they were some of most lovable characters, particularly Nevermore. I loved that the dragons were not fully grown from the start, but we got to see the dragons hatch and build a bond with their trainers from birth. To reference the dolls, I felt it was silly that Apple was the one to be given a set with her dragon. It should’ve been Raven and Nevermore because they were really the stars of the show. Apple’s doll design was pretty disappointing to me when I first saw it, but I was even more disappointed when I saw the animated version. Mattel slacked heavily on Apple’s design compared to her animated counterpart, presumably due to the inclusion of her dragon in the set.

The overall plot was interesting and compelling. I enjoyed the rivalry between the Evil Queen and Snow White. I loved the design of the dragons and the armor for the girls. This was overall a very good addition to the story. My favorite part was Maddie’s subtle nod to Monster High. Apple and Raven showed up after the credits of the last Monster High movie and now this, so I think there is a definite crossover in the future.