Caught this the other day on Netflix where I made it a double feature with Dragonheart 3. Pretty fun movie that I would recommend to anyone wanting an enjoyable popcorn flick. Stay away from Dragonheart 3 it's a stinker.
Some quick thoughts and SPOILERS AWAY!
[Show spoiler]Lou was only in the movie for a single brief fight scene at the beginning of the movie. He disappeared way too soon
Michael Biehn shows his face and is promptly killed off. His acting was horrid which was disappointing because I usually enjoy his performances.
M Emmet Walsh was ridiculously miscast in the movie, seeming entirely out of place and just playing a variation on the M. Emmet Walsh character.
Victor Webster was surprisingly good stand in for The Rock even if there are moments where he is trying too hard to emulate his predecessor. His performance was good enough to make me want to check out part 3.
Barry Bostwick as an eccentric inventor was a delight in his role and the movie really benefits from his presence and humor.
Rutger Hauer barely made an impression on me in this movie, he has perhaps 3 minutes screentime as the King who hires Mathayus to get a key that holds the answers to unlimited power.
For Don "The Dragon" Wilson fans, don't blink because you'll miss his opening fight with Mathayus.
And for those worried that the female lead would just be a damsel in distress, Ellen Hollman manages to hold her own just fine and even has a full blown wrestling match against Eve Torres. Where she lays the smackdown in a gratuitous girl fight that serves no real purpose other than to illustrate what a sleaze ball Walsh's character is.
The CGI while not topnotch are still decent enough to not distract from the fun of the movie.
Also the Steam powered dragon was something that had me laughing at how stupid it looked because it didn't look right. But once they revealed the secret behind the dragon it all made sense.
I give this a 3/5 rating for sheer fun even if the plot feels like a retread of other better movies.