Firebreather (film)

Firebreather is a 2010 CGI animated made-for-TV film, based on the Image Comics comic book series of the same name, which premiered on November 24, 2010 on Cartoon Network. The film was directed by Peter Chung from a screenplay by James Krieg based on a story by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn, and stars Jesse Head and Dana Delany.

Plot
On the last day of the war between humans and Kaiju, a human woman named Margaret Rosenblatt (voiced by Dana Delany) and a male dragon Kaiju named Belloc (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) fall in love, and have a son named Duncan. Sixteen years later, Margaret and Duncan (voiced by Jesse Head) are moving into a new house as he gets ready for his first day at a new school. However, Duncan fears that his orange skin and appetite for coal will make others think of him as a freak and a prime target for bullies. At school, he quickly develops a crush on its popular girl Jenna (voiced by Amy Davidson) and makes an enemy out of her ex-boyfriend Troy Adams (voiced by Josh Keaton). In biology class, Duncan makes friends with fellow outcasts Kenny and Isabel (voiced by Dante Basco and Tia Texada) who happens to be a Kaiju-obsessed fangirl who develops a crush on Duncan after he shows her a Gomorradon, a small frog-like Kaiju he caught in the process of apparently making a fool of himself. Late that evening, Troy's friends break into Jenna's locker and steal the money she saved for the school's Homecoming. The next day, Duncan meets up with "Blitz" Barnes (voiced by Reed Diamond), undercover as the gym teacher, and defends Kenny from Troy and his friends in a game of dodge ball. After a confrontation with Troy, Blitz takes Duncan to Dr. Pytel (voiced by Nicole Sullivan) at the M.E.G.T.A.F. base upon the discovery of him being able to breathe fire. Later back at school, Blitz smooths things over with Principal Dave (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams) to keep Duncan out of trouble. While he and Troy are cleaning up their mess in the cafeteria, Isabel tells Duncan about a party that everybody will be going to, and he agrees to go in hopes of romantically seducing Jenna.

At the party, Troy tries to tell Jenna about Duncan until Troy's dad (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams) comes and takes him back home for being grounded. Duncan and Jenna begin to form a friendship but she abruptly leaves after he talks about Troy's dad. Isabel finds him and tells him about Jenna walking off because of the fact that her dad is dead. However things take a turn for the worse as Belloc arrives looking for Duncan. While hiding with Isabel, Duncan reveals to her that Belloc is his father. Belloc finds them and Duncan tells Isabel to run, but before she can escape, Belloc traps her underneath his tail. Duncan demands him to let her go and lures him away, freeing Isabel. Belloc chases Duncan but quickly captures him and takes him away to the Kaiju lair in the desert. Much to Duncan's dismay, he learns that Belloc wants him to become his successor as "King of the Kaiju" and rule over the giant dragon-like monsters, though the human world has made him soft when he needs to be remorseless. Then Belloc presents Duncan as his heir to the other Kaiju and throws him into a lava pit, Duncan emerges in his Kaiju form and faints. Waking in the desert, he finds his way to Kenny's trailer. Kenny tells Duncan that Isabel told him about Belloc being his father and asks why he was at the party. Duncan replies that Isabel invited him, causing Kenny to become jealous. Back home with his mother, she assures him that the move and deal with M.E.G.T.A.F. were to let him live a normal life and go to college.

Back in school, Duncan is surprised that everyone except Troy now treats him like a celebrity. Isabel reveals that it is because she told them about him saving them from Belloc. Then Duncan sees Jenna head for the locker room and leaves. Meanwhile, Jenna opens her locker to find an envelope with a glowing crystal inside to sell and pay for Homecoming. Later, Isabel attempts to approach Duncan but loses her chance when he and Jenna meet up again. He asks Jenna to be his date for Homecoming, and she agrees. Afterwards, Blitz takes Duncan into the desert to locate the Kaiju lair but they fall under attack. Duncan fights the Kaiju while his father watches, as it is the first of many challenges for the Kaiju throne. Duncan almost kills the Kaiju but refuses to do so. Then Blitz appears with reinforcements and they open fire on Belloc, until he abruptly surrenders. That night, Duncan, Jenna, Kenny, Isabel, and Margeret go to the dance together. As Jenna and Duncan dance together, Isabel watches them despite Kenny's attempts to get her to dance with him. However after Troy and Jenna are elected Homecoming King and Queen and go on stage, Isabel dances with Duncan in a romantic embrace, causing Kenny to break them apart and unleash his jealous fury. In the process, Kenny yells at Duncan that Isabel only likes him because of Belloc being his father. Jenna overhears this and backs away from Duncan into Troy's arms, causing Duncan to storm out. As Isabel reprimands Kenny for what he did, two Kaiju named Abbadon and Astaroth appear.

Just as Abbadon and Astaroth start wreaking havoc, putting all the dance participants in danger, Duncan comes to their aid. Changing to his Kaiju form, he fights off the two kaiju while his friends get out of danger. Then he draws them out to the town and into the desert. Meanwhile Margaret and Jenna head off in a plane to Belloc to get his help. Belloc breaks out and hurries to help Duncan out. Duncan climbs a cliff only to have Blitz be there. Then Abbadon and Astaroth reach him and try to eat Blitz and Duncan jumps off the cliff to catch him. As they fall, Duncan get a new ability, wings, and gets Blitz to a safe place. Then he turns his attention to fighting. While fighting, Duncan gets trapped and Margaret and Jenna arrive, crashing their jet into the kaiju before ejecting themselves. Belloc arrives and then Duncan and Belloc fight together. Duncan, refusing to kill them, causes an avalanche to fall, freezing the two kaiju sparing the fireborn Duncan and Belloc. Belloc allows himself to be carried away to stay close to Duncan and Duncan flies off with his new wings.

Cast

 * Jesse Head as Duncan Rosenblatt
 * Dana Delany as Margaret Rosenblatt
 * Kevin Michael Richardson as Belloc
 * Reed Diamond as "Blitz" Barnes
 * Amy Davidson as Jenna Shwartzendruber
 * Tia Texada as Isabel Vasques
 * Dante Basco as Kenny Rogers


 * Josh Keaton as Troy Adams
 * Grey DeLisle as Ms. Julia Dreakford
 * Billy Evans as Steve
 * Jameson Moss as Big Rob
 * Nicole Sullivan as Dr. Alexandrine Pytel
 * Tom Tartamella as Whitey
 * Gary Anthony Williams as Principal Dave, Troy's Dad

Reception
Mania.com's Rob Worley viewed Firebreather at the New York Comic Con, awarding the film a B+ and stating "Teen Angst + Kaiju Big Battle = CG Awesome!," but criticizing how the animation could be "... somewhat distracting as the characters sometimes have a puppet-like appearance." Worley concluded that he would like to see the film turned into a franchise or a TV series.

Home media
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 22, 2011. Bonus features include a 2-D animation test, deleted scenes, animatics, and a visual development featurette.