How To Train Your Dragon (Review Thread)

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by EricJ

When it comes down to the Pixar vs. Dreamworks "war", I put it this way:
Look at Civilization--The Greeks invented math, science and drama out of their own smart heads; the Romans stole every other civilization's idea and bullied their way to the top, but couldn't write a poem or play to save their lives...Which would you rather be?

The point was, DW made a good movie, but they made one by getting everyone ELSE's good ingredients and hoping it'll work as well as it did for them.
Whereas Pixar finds a director who happens to love cars, old toys or cooking enough to tell a story about it, and lets them follow that idea by getting the whole studio to see whether the story has enough shape and structure to survive the long process of making it.

When we like a DW movie, we like the movie and good luck with next year's; when we like a Pixar movie, it's the creators who get the credit.

First of all, why is there even a war in your mind? Why have you "created" this war?

Why would you not give the creators at DW the credit. Thats your personal bias. Did not DW find a director who was passionate about his Dragon story? You dont think someone spearheaded this idea and followed it through? A movie like this doesnt just come together by accident and luck. Someone has overseen this project and the result is good. Why do you refuse to give credit?

The romans had a few good sculptures, artists and acrchitects, so...

The directors of HtTYD had a previous affiliation with Disney. And? Where did they work before that? Should we accuse Disney of stealing talent from other studios?

Where did Lasseter work befor Pixar? Where did Brad Bird work before Pixar? Where did Joe Ranft work before Pixar? Why dont your rules about stealing talent apply to them?

Why are DeBlois and Sanders no longer at Disney? Were they canned for lack of talent? Doubt it. Did they leave because they wanted to follow their own creative path? If yes, they have demonstrated that their own ideas and ability to build a cohesive team succeed in abundance.

You create falicies in order to further your campaign of DW dislike.

You see a war. I see 2 studios (and many others) trying to make great movies and a profit.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Why are DeBlois and Sanders no longer at Disney? Were they canned for lack of talent? Doubt it. Did they leave because they wanted to follow their own creative path? If yes, they have demonstrated that their own ideas and ability to build a cohesive team succeed in abundance.

Well, er, yes and no:
The story given out was that Lasseter felt that Sanders' work on the proto-Bolt "American Dog" was too "quirky", unquote, to fit the new back-to-basics studio image while P&tF and Rapunzel were being readied to restore the new classic lineup--
Among themselves, however, some animators report that Dog's early tests were, quote, "a painful mess" to sit through and that Sanders "had no talent for creating a focused storyline" without DeBlois's collaborations rescuing them--And while we have no record of Lasseter's actual discussions with Sanders, it's a little easier to guess what had been said over Sanders being replaced as director and exactly why he quit over feeling so "unappreciated" at the studio...Think we got the polite version of the story.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Well, er, yes and no:
The story given out was that Lasseter felt that Sanders' work on the proto-Bolt "American Dog" was too "quirky", unquote, to fit the new back-to-basics studio image while P&tF and Rapunzel were being readied to restore the new classic lineup--
Among themselves, however, some animators report that Dog's early tests were, quote, "a painful mess" to sit through and that Sanders "had no talent for creating a focused storyline" without DeBlois's collaborations rescuing them--And while we have no record of Lasseter's actual discussions with Sanders, it's a little easier to guess what had been said over Sanders being replaced as director and exactly why he quit over feeling so "unappreciated" at the studio...Think we got the polite version of the story.

So there we have it. Fair and square. Dreamworks didnt steal Disney talent, and, as it turns out, he is VERY talented. Perhaps the Sanders/DeBlois combo is the magic. And, focused is definitely a word I would use to describe Dragon.

[Hep]

Glad to hear this one's a gem! I was going to take my daughter this weekend, but she's been under the weather . In any case, Squid's seal of approval has peeked my anticipation .

[tommyboy81]

you know what sucks about this. Even though it opened up on 7000 screens if the theater can't provide a 3-D screen they wouldn't get the 2-D. I think thats so stupid. They're people out there that probably went to the theater to see and found out that its not showong in there city because they have no 3-D screens. Wonder what's going to happen with Clash of the Titans next week.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

you know what sucks about this. Even thought it opened up on 7000 screens if the theater can't provide a 3-D screen they wouldn't get the 2-D. I think thats so stupid. They're people out there that probably went to the theater to see and found out that its not showong in there city because they have no 3-D screens. Wonder what's going to happen with Clash of the Titans next week.

Thats lame. And in Diesels town, it plays on 3D only. Studios are going to short themselves operating this way.

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Thats lame. And in Diesels town, it plays on 3D only. Studios are going to short themselves operating this way.

you wonder how much more money and people who have seen this if they had the option.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

you wonder how much more money and people who have seen this if they had the option.

The more you think about it, the less sense it makes.

[Blu Myers]

Saw HTTYD this weekend and I was amazed by how into this movie I was. My whole family absolutely LOVED it, and there are some tough critics in there. I also thought the 3d was spectacular. It wasn't that "everything coming at you" type of 3d, but more of a "layered" approach.

But at the core, it's a great story with a lot of heart. I also liked all the different types of dragons in the movie, and the climactic battle was awesome. Highly recommended.

[SGRSBSKIER]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

you know what sucks about this. Even though it opened up on 7000 screens if the theater can't provide a 3-D screen they wouldn't get the 2-D. I think thats so stupid. They're people out there that probably went to the theater to see and found out that its not showong in there city because they have no 3-D screens. Wonder what's going to happen with Clash of the Titans next week.

On Friday, How to Train Your Dragon landed on top with an estimated $12.2 million on approximately 7,000 screens at 4,055 theaters,

How to Train Your Dragon had 2,178 sites presenting the picture in 3D, which carried a hefty price hike in many markets starting Friday.

http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2653&p=.htm

I don't know how many of those 2,178 sites had multiple screens showing it in3D.

My theater has 4 3D screens but we only had it on 1 screen.

4,055 is the most theaters any movie that has come out this year and would have been 7th last year.

Clash of the Titans even explains on the TV trailers that its also in 2D.

Now every 3D movie that has come out we have shown in 3D until we get rid of it. We got rid of Avatar which we probably would have kept if one of our smallest screens had 3D.

Our 3D screens are in our 2 biggest screens which are also THX certified, 1 of the next size, and 1 of the next size smaller. (12 screens, 6 different sizes).

I don't know how many theaters do it the same way we do. But there are currently no plans to make any of our other screens 3D and next summer there are many 3D movies that should do very well and get multiple screens:

6/3 ----- Kung Fu Panda 2
6/17 ---- Green Lantern
6/24 ---- Cars 2
7/1 ----- they are talking about it Transformers 3
7/15 ---- Harry Potter 7 part2


Potter and Transformers previous movies got 3 screens each.

[Mat-the-Cat]

Probably already mentioned here somewhere but How to Train your Dragon is currently sitting at 97% on Rottentomatoes after 103 reviews. Most impressive.

I most likely won't see this in theates but it WILL be a day one buy from Amazon.

[Gaius Marius]

Very good movie! This is the first time I feel that Dreamworks truly reaches Pixar. They have made some great movies (Shrek, Over the Hedge, Kung-Fu Panda, and Monsters vs Aliens), but they have lacked the timelessness of Pixar's films. This one had great action and heart, superb voice acting, and some really beautiful scenery. Saw it in 2D (I don't have an interest in 3D, and 3D makes the gf sick), but still the visuals were amazing.

Highly reccomended!

[SquidPuppet]

It has been discussed in the thread already, but I just found this at the very bottom of Roger Eberts review. I never noticed it the first time I read it.

"Note: The movie is being shown in both 3-D and 2-D. The 3-D adds nothing but the opportunity to pay more to see a distracting and unnecessary additional dimension. Paramount has threatened theaters that if they don't clear screens for "Dragon" despite the current glut of 3-D films, the studio won't let them show it in 2-D. This displays real confidence in 3-D. "

[Briscogun]

Originally Posted by Gaius Marius

Very good movie! This is the first time I feel that Dreamworks truly reaches Pixar. They have made some great movies (Shrek, Over the Hedge, Kung-Fu Panda, and Monsters vs Aliens), but they have lacked the timelessness of Pixar's films. This one had great action and heart, superb voice acting, and some really beautiful scenery. Saw it in 2D (I don't have an interest in 3D, and 3D makes the gf sick), but still the visuals were amazing.

Highly reccomended!

Saw this yesterday. My 7 year old was seeing the 3D version for a birthday party, so I took my 2 year old to the 2D version (he'd never sit still with the glasses on). It was a fun movie. I like the message about kids following their heart, trying to break the cycle, listening to their feelings, all that stuff.

The end caught me a little off guard. Not your "normal" ending. My daughter said it was "sad". Dreamworks did a good job with this one, though. Should look nice on blu for the holidays!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Hep

Glad to hear this one's a gem! I was going to take my daughter this weekend, but she's been under the weather . In any case, Squid's seal of approval has peeked my anticipation .

I am sorry to hear that your daughter is ill. Hope she feels better soon. Be prepared to do the in-theater-consoling thing, as there are a few scenes with the "beloved pet in danger" themes.

[Hep]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I am sorry to hear that your daughter is ill. Hope she feels better soon. Be prepared to do the in-theater-consoling thing, as there are a few scenes with the "beloved pet in danger" themes.

She is very strong for her age (4); she can even handle Where the Wild Things Are with a good deal of understanding. I think it has a lot to do with us allowing some exposure to movies with a wide varitey of emotional content, not just happy-go-lucky fare. I'm really looking forward to this one next weekend.