While it lacks the highly stylised aesthetic found in his later films, Anderson's debut contains plenty of eccentric characters and his signature brand of comedy and drama, proving that even his weaker films are still a delight.
A pretty impressive cinematic feat for its day. Some elements are laughable today – the dragon with blood that seems to flow like a hose is the prominent example – but there's no denying its influence on just about every fantasy epic to come after it.