How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
11-12-12, 05:37 PM
#129
Banned
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Posts: 20,052
Received 168 Likes
on
126 Posts
Re: How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
I finally caught up with this film after coming across some good word of mouth lately. My expectations were not very high, but I thought I'd check it out. Something to watch with the family. I was surprised how bad the film is overall. It had a lot of things going for it, but it had just as many crippling flaws. I'm surprised you guys liked it so much.
First of all the script is really talky, and has a lot of dialogue. I'm fine with that but you can tell the filmmakers don't have any faith that their audience will sit still for any of it so they have all the expositional dialogue spoken DURING action sequences. This was highly distracting and simply bad storytelling and totally contemptuous of the audience.
Second the whole world looked great and the unique dragon designs were fantastic, each one cooler than the last and the adult vikings, because they were so caricatured, looked excellent too, but the kids looked horrible. Their porcelain faces looked like a Final Fantasy cut scene from 1998; expressionless and plastic-y and awful. And they're the main characters!
Lastly, this was one of the most heinous examples I've seen lately of the always annoying screenwriting frustration where the whole conflict could be solved in ten seconds if the main characters would just get themselves in the same room at the same time and say ten words to one another. When the script requires that everyone be in constant ignorance of one another for the drama to be sustained I just check out. It's hack writing.
Also, the kids’ stupid "comic relief" comments during the final battle were not funny and a distraction. It also seemed like they may have been looped in at the last minute in an effort to make the film "more funny".
First of all the script is really talky, and has a lot of dialogue. I'm fine with that but you can tell the filmmakers don't have any faith that their audience will sit still for any of it so they have all the expositional dialogue spoken DURING action sequences. This was highly distracting and simply bad storytelling and totally contemptuous of the audience.
Second the whole world looked great and the unique dragon designs were fantastic, each one cooler than the last and the adult vikings, because they were so caricatured, looked excellent too, but the kids looked horrible. Their porcelain faces looked like a Final Fantasy cut scene from 1998; expressionless and plastic-y and awful. And they're the main characters!
Lastly, this was one of the most heinous examples I've seen lately of the always annoying screenwriting frustration where the whole conflict could be solved in ten seconds if the main characters would just get themselves in the same room at the same time and say ten words to one another. When the script requires that everyone be in constant ignorance of one another for the drama to be sustained I just check out. It's hack writing.
Also, the kids’ stupid "comic relief" comments during the final battle were not funny and a distraction. It also seemed like they may have been looped in at the last minute in an effort to make the film "more funny".
Last edited by Mabuse; 11-13-12 at 11:16 AM.
11-12-12, 05:51 PM
#130
Re: How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
11-12-12, 06:01 PM
#131
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
Lastly, this was one of the most heinous examples I've seen lately of the always frustrating screenwriting frustration where the whole conflict could be solved in ten seconds if the main characters would just get themselves in the same room at the same time and say ten words to one another. When the script requires that everyone be in constant ignorance of one another for the drama to be sustained I just check out. It's hack writing.
But back to How to Train Your Dragon...you're probably barking up the wrong tree. It's almost universally loved.
11-12-12, 07:48 PM
#133
11-13-12, 11:21 AM
#134
Banned
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Posts: 20,052
Received 168 Likes
on
126 Posts
Re: How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
That's besides the point. I'm talking about every scene where hicup, a character who is entirely confident during every other moment of the film, stammers and struggles to get a word in whenever he talks to his father. Sure their relationship is a difficult one, but he's not stammering because he's nervous he's stammering because the filmmakers know that this whole movie could be over in 2 minutes if the kid would just say, "I shot down the dragon that you all fear the most, and it turns out he's nice. I can ride him around the town."
I'm generalizing, but I think you know this writing crutch is used all too often.
Last edited by Mabuse; 11-13-12 at 11:29 AM.
11-13-12, 12:31 PM
#135
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
11-13-12, 01:25 PM
#136
Banned
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Posts: 20,052
Received 168 Likes
on
126 Posts
Re: How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
It's an animated movie but I don't think it's a "kids" movie. It seemed like they were shooting for a family film for all ages like The Incredibles. And it seems that they were aiming higher than pure kids fare like Gnomeo and Juliet.
That particular flaw bugs me because (a) it’s a frustrating sloppy way to sustain drama and I’ve seen it so many times it’s literally annoying to watch and (b) I wasn't expecting a film with 98% on RT and so much good word of mouth to resort to that technique. Also, I had several other gripes with the film which I listed above.
It all added up to maybe 2 out of 5 stars and a fun film to watch with my daughter. I wasn't expecting much but I was expecting something much better considering word of mouth and reviews.
That particular flaw bugs me because (a) it’s a frustrating sloppy way to sustain drama and I’ve seen it so many times it’s literally annoying to watch and (b) I wasn't expecting a film with 98% on RT and so much good word of mouth to resort to that technique. Also, I had several other gripes with the film which I listed above.
It all added up to maybe 2 out of 5 stars and a fun film to watch with my daughter. I wasn't expecting much but I was expecting something much better considering word of mouth and reviews.
11-14-12, 02:07 PM
#139
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I agree, on both counts. Most of my friends loved it also (one used almost identical wording to yours). HTTYD was a sleeper hit that built slowly at the box office almost entirely by word of mouth. Top 20 movie for me.
I disagree with the comments on the story writing; every time I thought the story would go one way it surprised me by going in another direction. Kept me guessing most of the way through. There aren't many animated children's movies that I like, HTTYD was an exception, as you can see from my signature.
I disagree with the comments on the story writing; every time I thought the story would go one way it surprised me by going in another direction. Kept me guessing most of the way through. There aren't many animated children's movies that I like, HTTYD was an exception, as you can see from my signature.
12-01-12, 02:46 PM
#143
DVD Talk Godfather
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Gateway Cities/Harbor Region
Posts: 63,306
Received 1,819 Likes
on
1,132 Posts
Re: How To Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010)
Nice. I have a Bearded Dragon so that's hilarious to me.
