My Father's Dragon is a Legendary Tale

My Father’s Dragon is a 2022 Netflix animated movie that is about a young boy named Elmer. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island, and the friendship of a lifetime. There is no clear representation of a minority other than a female director.

The animation style of this movie is 2D, with the characters’ eyes being huge in this animation style. From looking at the title, My Father’s Dragon, the story is about Elmer when he was a kid, as told from the unseen woman’s narration. The unseen woman hints to the viewers that Elmer is her father. In fact, Elmer’s childhood is the main focus of this animated movie. Elmer faces a difficult childhood when he moves to the city with his mother; they have no money while trying to set up a new store after the customers at their previous store moved away. Viewers also see that Elmer has no real friends when he moved into the city.

After a heated argument with his mother, Elmer cries and runs away to the docks with the cat following him closely behind. To his surprise, the cat who followed him can talk. Since Elmer is kind to the cat, the cat helps him in return. There are a lot of fantasy elements in My Father’s Dragon, such as talking animals and an enchanted island called Wild Island. Wild Island is where Elmer spends the majority of the movie. He doesn’t reunite with his mother until the movie’s conclusion.

Wild Island where Elmer temporarily stays symbolizes survival, hope, and adventure, as his main conflict is learning to survive on the city streets with no money. Wild Island’s legendary tale is about the island sinks, an enchanted element found in many legendary tales. Over time, the island continues to sink into the sea. Wild Island is inhabited by talking animals, a common element found in many animated movies.

The dragon’s name is Boris, and he serves as a comic relief in My Father’s Dragon. He and Elmer form a friendship and spend most of their time together on the island. Elmer goes on a quest to find a talking tortoise, using the arrows on the rocks to guide him. Elmer also helps Boris become an After Dragon by showing him to face his fears of water and fire. Water and fire are natural elements that play a major role in the climax when Elmer and Boris try to break the roots on the bottom of Wild Island causing the island to sink.

The moral of the legendary tale of Wild Island, and My Father’s Dragon, is to let nature guide one’s soul. This is shown when Boris’s drawing on the rock symbolizes his courage and confidence in saving the island. Elmer’s friendship with Boris, as told through the epilogue, shows viewers that the tale of dragons being best friends is true.

Therefore, My Father’s Dragon tells the story of Elmer’s childhood. The unseen woman narrating the story is a minor role; the events of Elmer’s adulthood are currently unknown.