HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Post Release Discussion - Page 2

The song at the end was a new track from one of the members of Sigur Ros. Usually, I'd much prefer the score to get some more attention after a movie like this, but I thought the song worked really well (mostly because Powell's score gets to close the final moments of the film on such a high).

I'm definitely getting the score.

Figured I'd join the pile-on, great film, and one of the few instances were I thought the 3D (almost) totally worked. My only complaint was my cheap theater handed out the old-school crap glasses, which over a regular pair of glasses equals an awesome splitting headache. Still worth it though, if only to see a six or seven year old kid in front of me go "Wow!" and hop back when the big dragon hit. I wish I had that much fun at the movies.

What a fantastic movie. The scene where Toothless and Hiccup are learning to fly together was just amazing. So much to love, and the 3D IMAX didn't disappoint. Watching my girlfriend's 5-year-old react to it all was just as much fun as the movie, as it was her first 3D/IMAX experience. She kept reaching out, trying to touch things.

Oh, and the trailer for TRON was brilliant. I've seen two 3D IMAX flicks this year, and am trying to watch my spending, but I have to save my bucks for TRON as well.

Toothless was adorable.

So it's happened... Harley has finally snapped.

EDIT: Heeeey, now I look like I'm the one that snapped!

Film was totally by the book, and I loved every second of it.

Toothless is one of my favourite animated characters ever! So perfect.

EDIT: because my original post sounded like it was written by a retard.

I didn't get it. It's a nice kid's film, I guess. Way more for me in Coraline, Up, Fantastic Mr Fox, and even Princess and the Frog. Maybe Imax 3D was the important part I'm missing, but I wasn't feeling it.

I think the movie gets a lot of points for being one of Dreamworks Animation's watchable movies, first off.

I'm guessing you saw it in 2D? Maybe the addition of screen size and an extra dimension really do make the movie. You'll notice that most of the positive comments in this thread focus on the awesome/badass/Toothless/score/experience of the movie as opposed to any particular virtues it has in terms of storytelling and filmmaking. No coincidence, I'm sure. Heheh.

I wouldn't even try to compare them to the first 3 movies you mentioned. I probably enjoyed it more than Princess and the Frog though.

worth it for someone who can't watch it in 2D?

Well, since 3D is one of the big selling points, yeah.

I'd agree that its watchable, but people seem to love this movie. If the only hurdle a Dreamworks cartoon has to get over is not being totally shitty, who's gonna get excited?

I guess the 3D might have been the problem. I would have liked Avatar a whole lot less in 2D, I suppose.

Kung Fu Panda is another movie that I don't quite get the overwhelming love for, but it's full of likable characters, great design, well choreographed action, and good storytelling. Dragon had all those things, but lowered about one notch down. When I compare this to the worst of Pixar (Bug's Life, or Cars), there's so much more thematic strength and ideas in the Pixar stuff.

I'm sorry to come in and rain on the parade here. I certainly don't think it's a bad movie. It's just a movie I wouldn't have cared at all about if it weren't for the online enthusiasm, and the movie I saw was very consistent with marketing and expectations.

Really? So much more in CARS? Did I miss more than just the simple and obvious (and borrowed) through-line of that one?

To each his own man, but Cars holy lol what a piece of shit

Well, it isn't something I'd like to defend the hell out of, but yeah, there was more going on there. The death-of-small-towns stuff is all pretty well thought out, and I seem to remember the Paul Newman character having a lot more going on than just being a mentor (he was kind of a jealous asshole occasionally). The way they end the big race at the end was a nice narrative twist too. Beyond that, the world-building stuff in Cars is awfully thorough.

Look, Cars is hardly some unrecognized classic, and if someone wants to make the argument that Dragon is better than Cars, that's not insane or anything, but I wouldn't. But ultimately, it's all just so much meh.

Despite the fact that I rag on it a bit, I actually like and enjoy Cars. But I'd say the world-building in that movie is good because compared to most animated films, it took its time and ran pretty long.

If you weren't all that blown away by the visuals and thrill-ride aspects of specific sequences in Dragon, it makes complete sense that the rest of the movie didn't thrill you either. It takes a really simple well-worn story and goes through it pretty briskly. Movies that do that really need to find someone's sweet spot for that person to really love it. Both Dragon and Kung Fu Panda do that for me in a way that feels very different from Pixar's films. If Dreamworks can maintain at least this level of satisfaction in me and continue to improve their type of CG animated film, that'd be great.

I actually do think Kung Fu Panda is quite subtle in its storytelling for such a big bombastic story. My admiration for that movie grows.

Well, I've seen the film twice now, once in 2D and 3D respectively, and I agree that the 3D implementation is what nudges the experience from "all right" to "pretty good". I'd compare it to "Avatar" in that respect - taken by itself, the plot and characters are nothing you haven't seen before, but combined with the visual spectacle it becomes a memorable experience - although I would add that both in terms of storytelling and 3D, "Dragon" is the superior movie.

Yes, the plot is familiar, but unlike "Avatar", it adds little twists/deviations from the formula that make all the difference, at least for me. The best example (mcnooj already brought it up) is probably the pained expression on Stoik's face after the inevitable "You're not my son" scene - I don't think I've ever gone this fast from rolling my eyes to welling up.

It's an important moment in terms of character development, backed up with genuinely great animation - something this movie is full of. Just an example, but another thing I loved about this movie is how the dragons, and Toothless in particular, weren't overly anthropomorphized or turned into cartoon characters, instead being portrayed as (very intelligent) animals, with their own thought processes and behaviour - and the animation captures this inner life, with its conflicting instincts and emotions, some closely related to what we know and understand, some completely alien and unknowable, admirably well. It's of course all based on studying animal behaviour in real life, but that's my point: It's all in the little details, and they get it right - it's just a pleasure to watch, whether you know what you're looking for or not.

DreamWorks don't tend to get a lot of credit for their animation skills, partly because some reviewers don't understand or care about the difference between animation and effects, but mostly because the fast-paced nature of films like the "Shrek" series doesn't leave much room to really appreciate what they're doing. It's the same problem that makes it nigh impossible to win an Oscar for a comedic performance. Give these guys earnest material like "Dragon", and you'll find a lot to like.

I look forward to seeing more films like this from them. Not everything has to be as thematically daring as much of Pixar's output ("Ratatouille" is one of my favourite animated movies ever, but I still kind of can't believe that it got made), nor are madcap comedies with fast-talking sidekicks the only alternative. Just making good movies is perfectly fine, as well.

My family got a dog in the past year and we love her to death. Simply based on that (and the fact that my parents hadn't been to any of the 3D movies that have come out in the past couple of years), I treated them to the movie. Of course, they LOVED Toothless, as I knew they would. I don't know how you could have a pet (or love animals in general) and not love Toothless. He (or she?) was a fantastic mix of the behaviors of dogs and cats.

As you said, Aeglos, the restraint the film showed in not Dinosaur-ing up the creatures is to be commended. Really well said.

It's actually one of the things that turned me off the trailer when I first saw it. At the very end the trailer touted its release in IMAX3D with one of those tiny dragons sitting on the text doing a little smirk and eyebrow raise/waggle. Figured that would be the way the film would be, but thankfully such tired animation cliches were kept to a minimum.

I think I have to agree. Of course I love the entire score though and this film. Actually gave me chills and elicited emotional response. I was invested in the story of this film and completely enjoyed the ride.

I like 3D alot, but I struggled with it in this film. Constantly having to refocus my eyes after every quick cut kept taking me out of the movie and spoiled some of my enjoyment. I think 3D is better with longer takes. But maybe my eyes were just extra tired because it was the late night showing.

I've seen this movie twice both times in 2D and still loved it. Some people are talking like "you haven't seen this film unless you've seen it in 3D", so I guess I have to give them the benefit of the doubt and see it that way. But the 2D has already sold me.

OUCH!...I was watching the pre-masters show today and part of the music in the background was from "How To Train Your Dragon". Obviously it's already available for perversion....But I guess you gotta make money somehow...

I'll join the majority of folks who thought this was shockingly great. A lot of it plays like the dragon equivalent of The Black Stallion .

Late to the party here, but I have to say that this one surprised the hell out of me. I mean, I'm generally not the kind of guy who compares every movie to "Citizen Kane," adopting more of a "It-was-good-for-what-it-was-supposed-to-be" mentality. And, as far as a 3D CGI animated movie in what is becoming a sea of 3d CGI animated movies or just 3D movies in general, this will be one of the ones that stands out.

Great voice acting, beautiful visuals, lotta great action sequences to boot. Also, who maims a kid in a kid's movie!? Brilliant.

Loved it. The voice acting was great and while it never let up in the action(The opening dragon attack was pretty intense and I saw some kids cover their eyes when the big dragon came out.), the quiet moments were fantastic, like Astrid and Hiccup riding Toothless in the clouds. Toothless himself was a great character. Thank God the dragons didn't speak, it just made it better. Toothless had qualities of all the cats and dogs I ever had, and Hiccup's relationship with him was very genuine and familiar. I damn near cheered when Hiccup was about to be killed at his final test and miles away Toothless wakes up, looks pissed, and flies off to save him. Seriously, if you never had a dog, you wouldn't understand that kind of love. It's not unconditional either, you have to earn it for a dog to truly love you.

Great, great movie.

Agreed. A fantastic risk that really paid off imo.

Definitely. Made even better by the fact that Toothless actually has to 'panther' his (I'll call it a he from now on) way through the woods.

What makes that moment work so well for me is Hiccup's reaction to it. Hiccup looks down, you see a brief moment of shock, then he instantly gets up to test his new leg out. No hysterics, no crying. He just gets on with it.

Toothless swooping in to break his fall was just priceless. Big-time sobs in the theater for that moment.

You said it there. Honestly...the last act of this flick had me wrapped around its little finger emotionally. And even though I *knew* Hiccup was wrapped up safe and sound in the dragon's wings, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering if I was going to have to explain to my 8-year-old daughter that "sometimes the hero doesn't make it".

This film is *exactly* the reason I go to the theater, chasing that thrill and emotional high from when I was a kid.

Several days later, I'm still feeling warm from this film. Was reminded of it today when I was out by the pool and my cat Loki was stalking the bushes and he jumped up on the poolside and curled up next to me while I read.

Our store's wine delivery guy was asking me about this movie and Clash of the Titans. I full-on pushed Dragon while pleading him to skip out on Titans. He has two young boys and I can't think of a better movie for a family to go to. I literally implored him while psyching myself to want to see the damned movie again.

I took my 4 year old to see it today. He was scared.. but engaged. And by the time the young vikings were straddling dragons he was cheering loudly in the theater.
Afterwards, he picked up the Mcdonalds happy meal dragons he had know nothing about before hand and starting playing Dragons. My son is now playing with Dragons instead of Nascars.

Color me extremely HAPPY.

I was doing the same thing at my work. I work with a lot of doctors and I was telling those with kids to go see this film.

What a wonderful film. It's funny, exciting, charming, emotional, just a great experience.

The 3D was pretty spectacular. No blurring, and we must have gotten lucky and had a decent bulb in the projector, because everything looked clear and bright. The flight with Astrid was truly breathtaking, as was the final fight. Like the Iron Monger in Iron Man, I was really impressed with the mass and heft they were able to give to the giant dragon, particularly in the shot as he's breaking out of the mountain and the Vikings are all scrambling away. You really felt the awe and terror they must have been feeling.

I was also very impressed by the animation. Great detail on all the characters, and wonderful work on the eyes and facial expressions.

And I downloaded the soundtrack from Amazon the second I got home.

Toy Story 3 has some serious lifting to do to get past this.

Seeing as how the trailers for Toy Story 3 haven't gotten me particularly more excited for the film than I already am (most of it feels like a Dreamworks trailer), I thought the same thing after I saw Dragon. But I've heard from a friend (and Dre mentioned it as well) that the 3rd act of TS3 will be very satisfying.

Hope so.

Forbidden Friendship is a real nice track too. A tender companion piece to the super-rousing Test Drive.

My only gripe about Test Drive is that it kinda just muffles to a conclusion, since that scene in the film has that triumphant moment cut short by Hiccup being blasted in the face with plasma fire. Works great in the film, but I wish it was expanded on the album.

Something was naggingly familiar about the designs in the film, and it didn't really hit me until the end credits with the little sketches in between the credit blocks -- Sleeping Beauty, particularly Maleficent's minions.

EDIT: And as much as I'm digging the score, I wish it included the end title suite.

The sketches in the book were either Gerald Scarfe or a very good imitation.

To me that's not just a nice detail, it's the heart of the film. The movie is about understanding animals, be they pets or otherwise, and realizing that, while you can train them and co-exist with them, they aren't going to dance in tutus for your amusement the way they do in cartoons. (Uh, most cartoons.)

I actually thought it was kind of a dick move that they killed off the "queen" and thereby presumably fucked up the dragon ecology, which undermines the message a little. Of course, it's not hard to conclude that Hiccup has a lousy handle on biology and that the "queen" wasn't a "queen" at all but just a bullying parasite like a cuckoo. That sure makes a lot more sense, given that these are clearly multiple species of dragons.

...Which is certainly the film's masterstroke, and will assure nerd loyalty from a generation of kids. I skipped the trailer, so when I realized that the movie was going to feature a whole array of different dragon designs, I had a little geek out, I don't mind telling you. Dreamworks should make a mint on the inevitable "guide to dragons" spinoff book.

Not quite equal to Kung Fu Panda--that movie had an effortless charm that this movie lacks due to its reliance on formula--but it's extremely encouraging to see Dreamworks continuing its run of successful films. It's also interesting that they seem to have a better handle on the awesome nerdy stuff kids want to see on screen than Pixar does: kung fu, 50s movie monsters, and dragons. I love Up to death, but it's not surprising people were concerned about that movie's prospects. Of course, I'd actually like to see Pixar push harder for less commercial work and leave the blockbuster geekery to Dreamworks.

Welp...get ready for the sequel

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-92216814.html

I thought it was pretty obvious that the big dragon was telepathically coercing the other dragons to bring it food. The way Toothless went into a sort of trance both times he was near it seemed to spell that out pretty clearly.

Ok, so are you arguing for or against the "queen" thing? Controlling the dragons hypnotically seems more like something a queen would do.

I think it was just a big lazy dragon who wanted someone else to get his food for him. I know the characters in the film draw the beehive comparison, but what benefit did the other dragons get from the relationship? Seemed pretty one-sided, and the hero dragons sure had no qualms about attacking it.

I think that the dragons were able to break free when bonding with a human "rider", so to speak.
And I think "not getting eaten" might count as a benefit.

I call the big lazy dragon, Paulie.

"Weak haul today? FUCK YOU, FEED ME."

Toothless is Henry Hill. They stole everything. And now it's over.

I don't really see anything to suggest that the giant dragon had anything to do with helping the ecology of the dragon world. In fact it only hurt them as the humans tried to kill them as well. By killing of the giant dragon, we have a much more beneficial ecology mutually between the dragons and humans.

The one who sets himself on fire is Joe Pesci.

Well, with the events depicted in the film, I'm sure the construction industry will falter now that the people of Berk don't need to rebuild all the time.

SEQUEL! Revenge of New Housing!