How To Train Your Dragon (Review Thread)

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Same here, I had only seen the trailer once and didn't remember much from it so wasn't anticipating it at all. But with all the praise its getting, and personal endorsements from GreenScar and Squid, it definitely deserves a chance.

You had me beat. I never watched the trailer until now. It reminds me of Avatar in a few instances in the trailer, but it actually looks like at the very least a decent action animated movie to me. I'll rent it when it comes out on Blu-Ray.

A personal endorsement from GreenScar has some merit, but I'm not so sure about one from Squid. He seems a little unreliable.

[Sith]

Well, if everyone loves it, maybe it should be seen.

[Sweetmeats]

Saw it again and loved it even more. Awesome movie.

[Hi-Def Steve]

Like others I wasn't planning on seeing this, in the theaters anyway. But I think I might now with all the praise its getting.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

If you rent the Blu-ray, you will say "SH!T, I should have caught this at the theater."

If you see it and think it sucks, come back and abuse me. But this one just does not have any of those divisive elements that some flicks have. Its a plain old romping action flick with a load of other good qualities.

With the price of tickets nowadays, I rarely ever watch a movie in the theater. Unless the 3D is really well done, there's little incentive for me not to wait. The price of tickets is one reason why I blind buy a decent amount of movies I'm really interested in instead of spending the money to see them at the theater.

I'm not really doubting that you're right. While I don't always agree with critics, it is hard to argue with the fact that it's the best reviewed movie of the year so far. I'm always up for a good action flick. While a good amount of people around here don't share the same opinion of Monsters vs. Aliens as I do, that proves that I love me some animated action movies as well. I just had no idea that this movie is what it is since I never watched the trailer before last night.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by killowertz

With the price of tickets nowadays, I rarely ever watch a movie in the theater. Unless the 3D is really well done, there's little incentive for me not to wait. The price of tickets is one reason why I blind buy a decent amount of movies I'm really interested in instead of spending the money to see them at the theater.

I'm not really doubting that you're right. While I don't always agree with critics, it is hard to argue with the fact that it's the best reviewed movie of the year so far. I'm always up for a good action flick. While a good amount of people around here don't share the same opinion of Monsters vs. Aliens as I do, that proves that I love me some animated action movies as well. I just had no idea that this movie is what it is since I never watched the trailer before last night.

They undermarketed this. And the trailer does NOT show any of the good stuff, which is actually a good thing. I understand your reasons for waiting, and thay make sense. For me, any movie that has strong visuals as a main focus warrants a trip to the theater (about 6 per year).

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

If you rent the Blu-ray, you will say "SH!T, I should have caught this at the theater."
If you see it and think it sucks, come back and abuse me. But this one just does not have any of those divisive elements that some flicks have. Its a plain old romping action flick with a load of other good qualities.

On one of the animation boards, we were discussing how Dreamworks doesn't seem to have a united "house style" like Pixar does--unless, of course DW does have a "house style" for the Shrek movies, and they're trying desperately to get away from it--that "you never quite know whether you're going to get the Good DW or the Bad One", and that this was one of the Good ones, like Monsters vs. Aliens and Prince of Egypt.

Which brought up the idea that DW doesn't seem to have a head on its body, and has to import all the Good in its good movies: Either by hiring good directors from elsewhere (like, say, from Disney), or, like Brenda Chapman with "Egypt", discovering good directors who end up doing better movies elsewhere...Like, say, at Pixar.
While it's a Good movie, and "not a Dreamworks one", that does seem to work against it--We're watching a good movie made by directors who used to work for Disney, and know in the back of our mind that DW will never be able to reproduce the results under their own power unless they hire the same bargain-saled directors to save their behinds again.

...In other words, keep an eye out for how many people you hear coming out of the movie saying "This was Pixar's best movie yet, but that one Dreamworks teaser they showed looked awful!"

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by EricJ

We're watching a good movie made by directors who used to work for Disney, and know in the back of our mind that DW will never be able to reproduce the results under their own power unless they hire the same bargain-saled directors to save their behinds again.

:

How can we know this? A crystal ball? All the dreamworks bashing for the sake of bashing really irks me. They make some good movies and they make some weaker ones. Enjoy the good ones. Why do people feel the need to bash a studio that trys hard? Do they come up short sometimes? Yes. But, even now, when they have a credible success, some people cant just compliment them on their acheivment, they have to rehash their previous shortcomings. I feel sorry for these people that need to clutch so tightly to past negatives. Let it go.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

How can we know this? A crystal ball? All the dreamworks bashing for the sake of bashing really irks me. They make some good movies and they make some weaker ones. Enjoy the good ones. Why do people feel the need to bash a studio that trys hard? Do they come up short sometimes? Yes. But, even now, when they have a credible success, some people cant just compliment them on their acheivment, they have to rehash their previous shortcomings. I feel sorry for these people that need to clutch so tightly to past negatives. Let it go.

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.

[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.

[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 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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.