There Be Dragons

Boxoffice Magazine by

From its baldly overwritten dialogue to its claustrophobically stingy use of locations, Dragons is underdone in every way.

Chicago Reader by Andrea Gronvall

The resulting mix of hagiography and war epic is so muddled that characters keep addressing each other by their first names, the better to tell them apart.

Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf

Controversially, Escrivá started the Opus Dei, and There Be Dragons is best appreciated by those seeking more realism than the albino self-whipper of "The Da Vinci Code."

The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt

British writer-director Roland Joffé dips a toe into explosive material - the Spanish Civil War, betrayal, sainthood, Opus Dei - but all these big themes and characters slip from his grasp.

Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum

Florid, convoluted historical drama.

Austin Chronicle by Marjorie Baumgarten

There's an interesting story here, but Joffe never firmly wraps his arms around it.

Boston Globe by Mark Feeney

In fairness, putting holiness onscreen is an enormous challenge. It can be done, as several directors have shown, most notably Dreyer and Bresson. Bad enough that Joffe is the poor man's Lean. He's also the nonbelieving man's Dreyer and Bresson.

Movieline by Michelle Orange

Because his character is never clear, Manolo's choices lack emotional interest and narrative urgency.