In this 1994 family-friendly fantasy film from Full Moon Features subsidiary Moonbeam Entertainment—directed by Ted Nicolau and his second for Moonbeam after 1993's Remote, Young John McGowan travels to Scotland to live at his grandfather's castle after he loses both his parents in a traffic accident. At the magical wishing tree on his grandfather's estate, he manages to find a friend, an infant dragon whom he nicknames "Yowler". They grow up together, and one day documentary film maker Bob Armstrong, his daughter Beth and his pilot Brownie McGee stumble upon Yowler.
Eager for fame and money, Bob convinces John to "rent" Yowler to local corrupt businessman, Lester McIntyre. John, who is coerced in part by the offer to have the mounting taxes on the castle paid off, allows Lester to take Yowler in. He does so also partly because of his growing interest in Beth. Yowler is miserable and harassed in the new theme park built for him, and when it becomes clear that McIntyre has dupped them in order to exploit the dragon, John and his new friends take action.
Tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: John tells Yowler to fly away as fast and as far as he can, he does. Thankfully, he comes back.
- Breath Weapon: Being a dragon, Yowler can spit fire.
- Chekhov's Skill: Yowler, (having no one to teach him) has been unable to fly all his life. After the climax he's pretty much self-taught.
- Con Man: Bob and Lester McIntyre form a duo, nearly scamming John and his family out of their home.
- Establishing Character Moment: The first thing Bob does onscreen is film someone's home without permission, then trespass on private land and start filming on their family cemetery.
- Giant Flyer: Yowler himself, once he learns how to fly.
- Heel–Face Turn: In the last third of the movie, Bob and Brownie help John free Yowler.
- Here There Were Dragons: Yowler is the only dragon ever seen during the film. It's hinted that dragons have since gone extinct.
- Horrible Judge of Character: John, sure John trust the two guys who are painfully obviously only interested in making a buck.
- Our Dragons Are Different: Yowler's basically a big puppy that follows people he likes everywhere.
- Raised by Grandparents: John is raised by his grandfather after his parents die in a car crash.
- Trailers Always Spoil: One of the most egregious examples of this trope of all time, in that it quite literally explains the entire movie in sequential order while spoiling every single plot point and beat along the way, right up to the climax. See for yourself.
