Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- gentle
- witty
- family movie night
- classic animation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate its inventive combination of live-action studio-tour comedy, animation history, and charming fantasy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Robert Benchley’s live-action studio visit frames the animated dragon story and demonstrations of the animation process.
Benchley spends the film trying to locate Walt Disney and navigating Walt Disney Productions as an outsider.
The dragon prefers poetry to fighting and resists the conventional role of a ferocious monster.
The studio tour explains animation techniques and presents the labor behind Walt Disney’s cartoons.
Films like The Reluctant Dragon, and why
Saludos Amigos
family-friendly blend of live action studio-tour comedy and animated fantasy
The Three Caballeros
Walt Disney anthology format combining live action presentation with animated segments
The Sword in the Stone
gentle animated fantasy centered on a humorous, non-threatening creature
Movie Details
- Directors
- Alfred L. Werker, Hamilton Luske
- Release Date
- 1941-06-19
- Runtime
- 74 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (170)
Cast
- Robert Benchley
- Frances Gifford
- Buddy Pepper
- Nana Bryant
- Claud Allister
- Barnett Parker
- Billy Lee
- Florence Gill
- Clarence Nash
- Norman Ferguson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Reluctant Dragon about?
- A good-natured studio visitor searches for Walt Disney while discovering that a poetry-loving dragon makes a better hero than a monster.
- What is The Reluctant Dragon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Reluctant Dragon as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Reluctant Dragon violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Reluctant Dragon.
- What did critics think of The Reluctant Dragon?
- Critics broadly celebrate its inventive combination of live-action studio-tour comedy, animation history, and charming fantasy.
- Which films are like The Reluctant Dragon?
- Films with a similar feel include Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, and The Sword in the Stone.
- How long is The Reluctant Dragon?
- The Reluctant Dragon runs 74 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Reluctant Dragon?
- In United States, The Reluctant Dragon streams on Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
