Movie Review: How To Train Your Dragon
I’m reviewing this movie pretty late in the game, and that is entirely my fault. To be fair, I’ve been hyping How To Train Your Dragon on my twitter account since seeing it a few weeks back. And now I’m reviewing it on this blog. How To Train Your Dragon is by far one of the best animated films put out by Dreamworks in the company’s history–probably because it is an adaptation of a series of books by Cressida Cowell. It’s a step in the right direction, I think, and hopefully we’ll see more films of this quality from Dreamworks in the future, since most of their films have been rather dreadful in the past. How To Train Your Dragon follows Hiccup, the son of a fierce viking warrior in a viking village plagued by dragon attacks. Hiccup isn’t like everyone else, as if the name didn’t give that away. He’s small, eccentric, an inventor, and everything that a viking is not. His father is ashamed of him and the village views him as a social pariah. When one of his contraptions causes havoc during a dragon attack, Hiccup is sent to dragon training in hopes that it will turn him into a mighty warrior like his father. But Hiccup, however, isn’t a total failure: during the last attack, one of his contraptions snags a rare and unseen species of dragon, and Hiccup sets out to prove once and for all that he’s not the loser everyone thinks he is. Where do I start? How To Train Your Dragon is one of the best films I’ve seen for kids (and adults). It’s adorable, thoroughly enjoyable, and, in a weird way, kind of beautiful, both visually and emotionally. From a narrative perspective, How To Train Your Dragon is predictable, but the way it plays with its cliches is quite humorous. There are a few moments in the film where characters refer to the dragons in RPG language (+5 to armor!), which for a geek like me is hilarious and awesome. The same is true of other elements of the story, such as Hiccup’s developing relationship with Toothless, the rise of the dragon-killer trainees, and so on. Don’t expect a purely original movie here, because this isn’t one of those, but it is a story that knows it’s a cliche and isn’t afraid to make light of that fact. Probably the strongest point of the film is how its characters interact and make you forget that you’re watching something that has been done before (unlike some movies–cough, Avatar, cough). Hiccup is nerdy and lovable and his relationship with Toothless (his dragon) is wonderful and heartwarming. It’s almost impossible to not find the two of them adorable in all the right ways. Even the other characters, from Hiccup’s father (Gerard Butler) to the handicapped Gobber (Craig Ferguson) to Astrid (America Ferrera) and the other trainees, mesh well from start to finish. The characters are typical, yes, but also wonderful for it. This is very much a character-driven movie, and How To Train Your Dragon is all the better for it. If one has to nitpick, probably the things that will bother people who see this film are its minor inconsistencies and some of its cliches. The accents throughout the movie are haphazard. Most of the adults are Scottish, for some odd reason, while all of the younger characters are American. It didn’t bother me as much as it should have, though, perhaps because the story is downright entertaining. Probably most damning is the Father/Son narrative that is painfully transparent and unfortunately very predictable–as I’ve indicated earlier on a broader level. I noticed it while watching, and it makes How To Train Your Dragon just a few strides short of perfect, but I don’t think the obviousness of its plot points detracts from the wonder of the film as a whole. The worst thing about How To Train Your Dragon, though, has nothing to do with the film itself: it has everything to do with Hollywood’s obsession with 3D. Do NOT see How To Train Your Dragon in 3D. It’s not worth the extra $3-$5, not because the movie isn’t worth that, but because 3D is really overrated, too gimmicky for its own good, distracting, and sort of lame. 3D sucks some of the color from the picture, which is terrible when How To Train Your Dragon is full of so much color. It can also take some time to adjust; I found myself somewhat disoriented for the first fifteen minutes before my eyes settled in. There are some cool moments, though, such a when ash particles appear outside of the screen, almost as though they are falling around you, but for the most part, the 3D is plain annoying. Don’t bother. See the movie on a normal screen. In the end, I think How To Train Your Dragon is a must see film for kids and adults alike. If you have a family, take them to see this one. It’s a little dark at times, but I think the adorable characters and the great character development make for a wonderful film that everyone can enjoy. If you haven’t seen it, then you should. It takes the cake as the best Dreamworks film yet to be created and the characters will stay with you for days to come. Plus, the soundtrack is wonderful! I have it on my computer now and it has a lot of wonderful melodies. If you’re a writer, it’s a good soundtrack to write to! Directing: 3.75/5Cast: 4.5/5Writing: 4.0/5Visuals: 4.25/5Adaptation: N/A (I haven’t read the original, so I can’t really make a judgment)Overall: 4.125/5Value: $9.00 (based on a $10.50 max)
Movie Review: Iron Man 2
I saw Iron Man 2 last Friday with a group of friends, praying that it would live up to its hype and be able to follow its predecessor without falling into the gutter. Hollywood is not all that great at producing sequels. Transformers 2 was an utter disaster, and numerous other sequels in Hollywood have flopped or done well, despite being dreadful. Sequels are territory that few directors or writers really should tread into. Only the most talented can pull it off. And that’s exactly what Jon Favreau has managed to do in Iron Man 2. The second movie in one of Marvel’s most popular franchises is both a decent movie and a decent sequel. The second film takes place six months after the events of the first. Iron Man has, more or less, “privatized world peace” and become a target for the U.S. government, who want to seize his suits and designs in order to produce a fleet of Iron Men for the military. Stark, however, is not interested in giving up his pride and joy. To make matters worse, a new corporate rival is doing everything he can to supplant Stark from media fame, and Stark’s health is taking a downward spiral that has nothing to do with his drinking habits. And if that weren’t enough, Iron Man has found a new enemy in Ivan Vanko, a Russian with a chip on his shoulder–a very big chip. While Stark is busy keeping the government off his stuff and convincing people that the world is safe, Vanko is busy building the weapons he needs to take down Stark for good, with a few friends in high places to help along the way.Iron Man 2 is far from perfect, but it does succeed in a number of areas. The visuals are fantastic, and they are significantly more complicated here than in the first film. If you’ve seen the trailers, then you know what I’m talking about. There are dozens of new suits, a new bad guy, and a lot of action that succeeds precisely because the visual effects are superb. Iron Man, War Machine, and Vanko’s various suits are believable from start to finish and the various action sequences flow well and look beautiful. Likewise, the cast is right where it should be, with some exceptions. The banter between Stark, Pepper, his body guard, and the various other characters who make an appearance in this film, is often hilarious and perfectly timed. But, you probably already knew that having seen the first film. Where the film’s cast succeeds is in its additions. Mickey Rourke as Vanko is a perfect choice; his accent is spot on and his presence on the screen is menacing and dark. Throw in a little Sam Rockwell, who plays an eccentric business man, and you’ve really got a recipe for success. Rockwell is hilarious, ridiculous, charming, and deliciously hate-able. It’s unfortunate, though, that so little was done with Don Cheadle as Rhodey, but I suppose the film was too packed to make much use of the various secondary characters, particularly since the primary focus is and always has been Stark. Beyond this, however, Iron Man 2 does have a few problems, which, I would argue, don’t ruin the film, but do give it a rating less than 4 out of 5. The plot, while not as absurd and convoluted as that of Transformers 2, does get carried away. There are a lot of things going on, and some of the major points don’t aren’t resolved in the finale. Hopefully we’ll see more resolutions in Iron Man 3, but as a viewer, I did want to see a bit more from the ending and from the middle sections. The inclusion of S.H.I.E.L.D. in this movie was particularly problematic because it introduced new conflicts in Stark’s life that, while important, really needed more time for an adequate resolution. The plot is thick enough with Vanko, the U.S. government, Stark’s health, his life as Iron Man, and his relationship (or lack thereof) with Pepper. Now we have S.H.I.E.L.D. doing whatever they do, Stark’s daddy issues, and a whole lot of connected stuff that seems a little convenient. We all know Stark is a smart cookie, but I felt like the film could have given us more of the genius we saw in the first movie. Instead, there’s S.H.I.E.L.D., which existed, I felt, to waltz in and give Stark the answers to some of his questions. Lastly, I had one minor issue with the final battle. While overall the fight is rather lengthy, the actual face-to-face fight between Iron Man and Vanko was, in my opinion, a little too short and anticlimactic. Here we have the villain of the movie spending little more than a minute or two fighting the hero, despite the fact that the villain is brilliant and, I think, slightly more wicked than Stane from the first film. We needed more. Reducing a conflict like that to a few minutes, especially when you consider that Vanko is essentially given a second chance to take a shot at Stark, is really unfair to the character and to the audience. Still, the battle was entertaining, just not as long as I would have liked. Overall, I enjoyed Iron Man 2. It had some minor flaws, sure, but I think its positives helped dispel much of my misgivings about the film. It has a lot going for it. With a great cast, wonderful visuals, and a plot that manages to entertain, despite its flaws, it’s not hard to see why Iron Man 2 is selling loads of tickets. It’s definitely a film I would recommend seeing on the big screen, if you have the chance. If you’ve seen the film, let me know what you thought of it in the comments! Directing: 3.5/5Cast: 3.75/5Writing: 3.0/5Visuals: 4.5/5Adaptation: N/A (I haven’t read enough Iron Man to make this judgment)Overall: 3.6875/5Value: $7.00 (based on a $10.50 max)
Quickie Movie Reviews (2010): Volume One
I love having a library that lets me borrow movies for free, especially when they carry some really interesting titles. Such as the following: Torturing DemocracyPossibly one of the most important, and sadly relatively unknown, documentaries ever made on the U.S./War On Terror torture issue. It follows, moment by moment, the beginning of the programs that authorized torture in Guantanamo and provides witnesses and expert testimony to show how the U.S. essentially got away with some of the worst human rights violations in this country’s history. And, to echo what one of the interviewees said: our military men and women will suffer for years as a result of this, because we have now officially told the rest of the world that all of this is okay.Pros: Absolutely shocking. I knew about the whole torture thing already, but this documentary takes things to new heights. All the witnesses are credible ones, not just random people disconnected from the subject; they are either victims or part of the resistance to the movement towards torture. You have got to see this documentary. If you think for a second that the torture thing was right, or that the people who did it didn’t know what they were doing, this will set the record straight. It’s just…astonishing. Well crafted, well informed, and a must see.Cons: It’s narrated in fairly typical documentary style, which can make it a little dull at times, but I think the shock of the information is enough to keep anyone interested in this topic regardless of the narration style.Rating: 4.75/5Value: $10.00 Deadly Enemies (Documentary)This short documentary offers insight into the U.S. and Soviet bio-weapons programs during the Cold War, told through the eyes of those who were actually there, doing the work or fighting against it.Pros: This is another of those documentaries I think everyone should see to get a clear picture of what was really going on during a time of when propaganda was normal (on both the U.S. and Soviet sides). The inclusion of actual Soviet doctors who worked in the Soviet bio-weapons programs (and on the U.S. side too) is a nice touch. Overall, this is an effective documentary.Cons: There’s a subtle pro-American slant here. While I think it’s likely that the U.S. may have shut down most of its bio-weapons programs after their support for the U.N. resolution that banned such weapons, I honestly doubt that all of them were shut down. I think some investigation into this would have helped, because this film does lean too much against the Soviets, who were just as terrified of us as we were of them during the Cold War.Rating: 4/5Value: $9.75 Life After People (Documentary/History Channel)Probably one of the most fascinating of the History Channel’s documentaries, Life After People strings together the thoughts of scientists and writers on what the world would be like if our species were to simply disappear.Pros: Great ideas, decent visuals, and a lot of fun. Not much more needs to be said.Cons: Some parts are a little dull and sometimes the visuals are kind of lame. It’s good, but it could have been better.Rating: 3.75/5Value: $9.25 Life of Brian (Monty Python)A crazy retelling of biblical legend in which a young fellow named Brian is born on the same day as Jesus Christ. Crazy antics ensue.Pros: There are a few moments of brilliance here, and overall the story is entertaining.Cons: Not as good as The Holy Grail. Sometimes the comedy is too juvenile for its own good. I enjoyed it, but it could have been better.Rating: 2.5/5Value: $4.75 And there you go. Have you seen any good movies in the last few months, old or new? Let me know in the comments!
Movie Review: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
You’ve probably never heard of this movie. More than likely, it’s not even playing in your local movie theater. What is it? Well, for starters, it’s the last movie to feature Heath Ledger, which became a problem for the director because they hadn’t finished filming (which explains why Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell make short appearances). Ring any bells yet? No? How about the fact that it’s directed by Terry Gilliam? Okay, well, if you’re not on board yet, let me get the important bits out of the way: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a stunning example of how fairytales, myths, legends, and all those other things we’ve passed off as nothing more than childish fantasies can be used to tell emotionally engaging and complex modern stories that comment upon all facets of human existence. An immortal (Christopher Plummer as Doctor Parnassus) and his little companion (Verne Troyer) run a traveling show with the Doctor’s teenage daughter and an impetuous youth. But Doctor Parnassus has made a terrible deal with the Devil, and the Devil has come for his payment. The Doctor must find a way to thwart the Devil and protect those he cares about without making things worse for he and his daughter. Slipping between a 19th century England (my guess) and a strange world driven by hopes and dreams (literally), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is beautiful in almost every detail.I’ve been looking forward to this movie for a while, for many of the reasons I listed in the opening paragraph to this review. I expected it to be good, yes, but I didn’t expect it to be the one film from 2009 that will stick with me forever. IDP (the acronym I will use for this film from now on) is infectious in waya I don’t think anyone ever expected. IDP is really a monument to collaborative effort. Everything from the cast to the design meld together into the closest thing one can get to perfection in a film whose main actor passed suddenly in the middle of filming. IDP is not flawless. How could it be? There are huge chunks of story that probably couldn’t be done without making Gilliam’s use of the fantastic in Ledger’s absence inconsistent. But, what could have been a disaster turned into something I think I’ll remember for decades to come. It’s a film I might be willing to pay $20 for when it comes out on DVD, and that’s a claim I can’t make for most films. Visually, IDP is not just stunning, but bloody brilliant. Whoever was responsible for the development of the fantastic “dreamworld” did something most films have never been able to do: take something that, to most people, would seem impossible and turn it into something so real, so odd, and so wonderful that it lights up the screen and allows viewers to revert back to that childish, dreaming state (all without playing down to the audience). The way the scenes (both in the “dreamworld” and outside of it) seamlessly mesh together real and fantastic gives IDP a charm, a kind of aura that recaptures the power of stories. You really have to see the film to understand. While everyone is talking about Avatar, I’m focusing all my attention on IDP, because there is nothing quite so mystical and astonishing as a film that can meld the real world with one that doesn’t exist (a feat that no secondary world/universe can ever do). But what about the characters and the story? The cast works well together, and Christopher Plummer really shows his colors here. I’ve never seen him in roles that really require him to demonstrate emotional complexity (though I haven’t seen all his films), but here he creates a character you love and hate all at once, who is so unimaginably human that you forget that he’s an immortal. Ledger is also well placed here, along with the supporting case (even Verne Troyer is lovable, and his cracks about midgets were definitely humorous). The rest of the cast seemed to fit well, but most importantly, I think is the story: a mish-mash of fairytales and myths in a modern (or pre-modern, if you will) world. The story unfolds at a pace that gives you time to think, if you want to, or surprises you with humor or twists and turns. It’s like watching a movie for kids with adult jokes tossed into the mix that everyone enjoys (except IDP isn’t for kids). The short version of all of the above is this: see this movie. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is an amazing film that deserves more attention than it is currently getting, and you should support it by seeing it in theaters. Forget Avatar or whatever other big movie is out right now. They can’t hold a candle to what has to be Gilliam’s finest work yet. Directing: 4.75/5Cast: 4.75/5Writing: 4.75/5Visuals: 4.5/5Adaptation: N/A (it isn’t an adaptation as far as I know)Overall: 4.7/5Value: $10.00 (based on a $10.50 max)
Rewatching My Shelf: Volume One
I’m starting a new feature called Rewatching My Shelf. I own quite a few DVDs and have started rewatching some of them. In doing so, I’ve found myself either disliking films I previously loved, or enjoying, yet again, those classics that made me clamber to buy them on DVD in the first place. So here is the first batch: The Mothman Prophecies (Richard Gere)A Washington D.C. journalist mysteriously ends up in a small town where people have reported seeing a bizarre mothman creature…the same creature his wife drew before dying of a brain tumor…Pros: I’ve always loved this movie. It’s not a horror movie; it’s just damn creepy. The acting is decent, the story is good enough, and overall I just find this one enjoyable. I think it’s the creepy-factor that gets me; every time I see it I am overcome by creepiness.Cons: It’s not a perfect movie. You never find out what the heck the mothman really is, and a lot of strange stuff happens, but only a few people seem to take notice of what lies underneath. Still, it’s a good one, I think.Rating: 3.5/5Value: $7.50 The 13th Warrior (Antonio Banderas)Antonio Banderas plays an emissary on a mission to open communication with the barbarian peoples of the north. But strange things are happening in the far north and an unexpected roll of fate calls thirteen warriors (one of them the emissary) into action to battle an ancient foe. Based on Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton.Pros: Probably my favorite Banderas film next to Assassins. A lot of fantastic action, a decent enough story, and a lot of clever dialogue.Cons: The ending is incomplete and I am not entirely sure how accurate the film in regards to its Viking-like northmen.Rating: 4/5Value: $8.50 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightly, and Geoffrey Rush)Honestly, I have no idea how to describe this movie in a short an succinct way. The best I can do is use the blurb on my DVD case: The roguish, yet charming, Captain Jack Sparrow’s idyllic pirate life capsizes after his nemesis, the wily Captain Barbossa, steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and later attacks the town of Port Royal, kidnapping the governor’s beautiful daughter Elizabeth. In a gallant attempt to rescue her and recapture the Black Pearl, Elizabeth’s childhood friend, Will Turner, joins forces with Jack. What will doesn’t know is that a cursed treasure has doomed Barbossa and his crew to live forever as the undead.Pros: Everything about this film is brilliant. Wonderful effects, wonderful characters (I mean, come on, we all know Captain Jack Sparrow by now, right?), and a downright awesome story. This is a classic. Period. End of story. If you haven’t seen it, or disliked it, then I disown you forever!Cons: If you hate pirates or fantasy, then don’t see this movie. That’s the only con…Rating: 4.75/5Value: $11.00 (or whatever IMAX charges now) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Harrison Ford)Archaeologist Indiana Jones sets out to find the legendary Ark of the Covenant when a duo of government operatives question him about a series of strange Nazi messages that indicate that Hitler has been searching for all kinds of ancient relics. Filled with Nazis, a Frenchman, Marian (Indy’s female accomplice), and the forces of good and evil, this Lucas/Spielberg classic is not one to be missed or forgotten.Pros: I’m actually surprised how well this one has aged. Unlike a lot of films, this one still stands up to the tests of time. The action is wonderful, the dialogue is witty and fun, and Harrison Ford is simply delightful. Toss in a fun story, beautiful scenery and special effects, and you’ve got one hell of an action adventure film!Cons: The only problem I have with this film is that it suffers from being too stereotypical about its enemies. Then again, they’re Nazis and I think any director or writer would have a hard time turning them into gray characters.Rating: 4/5Value: $9.50 Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, and Samuel L. Jackson)When the Trade Federation sets up a blockade around the small planet of Naboo, two Jedi set out to negotiate the cessation of hostilities. But the Trade Federation is not acting alone: the Sith, long thought extinct, have re-emerged in an attempt to reclaim power. When negotiations fail the two jedi (Qui-gon Jin and Obi-won Kenobi) set out to save the Queen, and in the process discover a small boy on the familiar planet Tattooine…a boy who may very well be the Chosen One to bring balance to the Force. (Does that sum it up well?)Pros: Beautiful graphics, a decent enough story, and freaking amazing lightsaber battles. Probably the best of the prequels, to be honest.Cons: Some questionable acting from the younger cast and too much reliance on CGI. It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s enjoyable. I agree with everyone else that Darth Maul should not have died in this particular movie.Rating: 3.5/5Value: $10.00 (Star Wars is totally worth seeing on the big screen.) And there you have it!
Quickie Movie Reviews (2009): Volume Nine
Yet another batch of old movies viewed and reviewed. Some interesting ones this time, but also some really bad ones. Here goes: Wings of Desire (Peter Falk) Daniel, an angel who spends his days easing the mental suffering of human beings, falls in love with a young woman and must sacrifice his wings and immortality in order to be with her. Pros: An interesting concept (this is a film that predated City of Angels) and the last 20-30 minutes of the film are actually quite good. Plus, there’s the lovely Peter Falk playing himself in a rather unique way (in fact, the little surprise about Falk at the end made me grin). Cons: It’s really boring. Most of the film is spent establishing the concept, and, quite honestly, they could have spent more time on other things. The concept was obvious in the first ten minutes, but the writer/director wouldn’t let up and just pounded it into my head relentlessly. It was too much. Rating: 1.5/5 Value: $2.00 Hole This quasi-science fiction / psychological comedy movie posits a world in which a strange cockroach virus has devastated Taiwan, forcing the government to begin evacuating people against their will. But for a couple of unusual characters (a sleazy young man whose upstairs apartment perpetually leaks into the one below it, a woman who randomly breaks out into song, and a bicycle-riding boy who plays games with people’s doorbells), evacuation is not an option. Pros: There are moments of sheer brilliance in this, like when the guy upstairs decides to shove his whole leg into the whole in his floor and dangle his foot around in the singing woman’s apartment. I found myself laughing here or there, but I think it’s fair to say that this is not a comedy so much as a weird psychological film. Cons: There is no plot and the movie plods along at an astonishingly slow pace. The good bits are far and few between. There is some good here, but I’m not sure if the wait is worth it. Granted, at least it’s not as boring as some of the films I’ve watched. The subtle humor seems to work well. Rating: 1.5/5 Value: $2.25 Jigoku A Japanese version of Dante’s Inferno, this follows a young man whose life gets turned upside-down when he and a friend run over a drunk gangster on the way home. The event causes an avalanche of disasters that eventually land him and his entire family in hell… Pros: For its time, this must have been freaking terrifying. It’s fairly gruesome and doesn’t pull any punches. Hell literally looks like hell. The story itself is convenient, but it gets the job done. Cons: Can be a bit slow in parts and is clearly outdated. It’s good, but it’s from a different era of film, and if you’re not into that, then you won’t be into this. The acting is somewhat ridiculous, too, but, to be honest, I think the insanity portrayed by the characters worked well. Rating: 3/5 Value: $5.50 The Big One (Michael Moore) In this short companion to one of Moore’s first book tours, our favorite Flintian takes on corporate downsizing and outsourcing. Pros: It’s Michael Moore. You either love him or you hate him. Here Moore is somewhat more level-headed than in his higher profile documentaries, and his jokes and antics are much appreciated and enjoyable. Cons: This isn’t really a documentary, though I had expected it to be. It’s good, but Moore really should have taken this further and made it more a traditional documentary. Rating: 2.5/5 Value: $3.50 Titus (Anthony Hopkins) A semi-modern adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most twisted works about a Roman general who slowly loses his sanity after his children are killed, maimed, or worse by a vindictive Goth queen-turned-Roman-empress. Pros: The opening for this is amazing. I absolutely loved it. The story is also twisted in a good way, and Anthony Hopkins is amazing here. The other actors are mostly good, with a couple bad eggs here or there. Cons: Not for the faint of heart, though not nearly as gruesome as some of the horror films being made to day. One of the key problems with this film is that all the dialogue is in typical Shakespeare style, which makes it really difficult to understand what is going on at times. Most of the time it’s pretty obvious, but unless you’re familiar with this particular story, the subtlety is lost to you. Rating: 3.25/5 Value: $6.50 And that’s that! I think I’m going to get Netflix, because the University of Florida library is running out of good stuff…