Kids love dragons. There’s no doubt about that. They are a part of so many stories growing up. So, when they see the title House of the Dragon, they likely want to watch it.
We all know House of the Dragon isn’t for kids. It’s not even for teens. So, you need to find something else to watch with them. The good news is movies have you covered. Not sure where to start? Here are three movies that feature dragons that you need to watch instead of House of the Dragon.
The Shrek movies
Let’s just start with some classic animation. Dreamworks brought us Shrek, and it was the animated comedy that we didn’t realize we needed until it came out. And can you believe that some of the movies in the franchise are more than 20 years old—and the franchise is still going strong?
As is usually the case with a fairy tale, there’s a dragon guarding a princess trapped in a tower. Many have tried and failed to get her, and Shrek becomes the latest guy. He doesn’t want to, but he ends up being commanded to. So, he and Donkey head out on this mission.
The dragon isn’t the dragon you would expect. All she wants is love, and she finds it in a special four-legged animal along for the ride.
The How to Train Your Dragon trilogy
Next up, we have another animated set of movies. How to Train Your Dragon is like a kid version of House of the Dragon when it comes to dragons and riders. That’s where the similarities end.
Hiccup is in a world where dragons have caused destruction on lands. Everyone is against them, and the kids are taught how to take a dragon down. Hiccup doesn’t want to do that, especially when he comes across the most feared dragon of them all. That dragon doesn’t appear to have any teeth—until he does!—and is named Toothless.
We get a story of how dragons are misunderstood. It’s a journey of love rather than fighting, and soon, the village of people learn that you can ride a dragon and they can help rather than hinder.
Check out Damsel
If you’re looking for something for tweens and teens, I highly recommend Damsel. Millie Bobby Brown plays a young girl who ends up marrying into the royal family. Only, it turns out that on the wedding night, the bride is thrown into a pit where a dragon goes to eat her.
She refuses to become a damsel in distress, though. Instead, she fights for survival, while unraveling the truth of the past. It turns out that this dragon believes a version of events that aren’t true. Can the young damsel help the dragon get to the bottom of the conspiracy and take down the real enemy together? Or are other brides doomed to face the same deadly fate?