Troy Ricci

So Jenn and I had a rare opportunity to go out last week, and catch a movie! After a short discussion we both agreed upon ‘How to Train Your Dragon‘. We did not see it in the Imax as we had hoped, but did manage to get to our favorite theater in Aurora, and catch it in 3D!

We were drawn in immediately by the awkward voice of narrator, and hero Hiccup as he described his world, and we were quickly introduced to all of the main players, and the many variety of dragons! . I’m not going to post a synopsis of this movie, because a) I don’t have time, and b) I’m way too lazy, but I do want to say how much we both loved it. The characters were likable, if somewhat typical, and the CG was outstanding. Toothless the dragon, was animated to perfection, and his relationship with Hiccup was both heart breaking and inspiring.

This is one of the movies that the whole family will enjoy, and even if you don’t drag the kids along it stands up well against any other films currently in the theatre.

Recently it has begun to climb the box office ranks again, and that is mainly due to word of mouth. People are giving this animated feature a chance, and it is delivering.

A great movie that I will own on Blu-ray the day it is release, and I know I will be enjoying it again with my son, many times in the years to come. Go see it!

I’ll keep this one pretty short, because there’s not a lot to say. First of all, I was a big fan of the original Clash of the Titans when I was a kid (even had the lunch box), so I was obliged to go see the remake. I went in with low expectations, and that was probably for the best. Having said that; I enjoyed the movie. It was simply your typical Hollywood blockbuster, it was weak in almost any critical category there is, but it was entertaining, and for most people that’s all movies are for. Personally, I like to be challenged by a movie. I like it to mean something that I have to work for to understand. Maybe I’m a bit of a movie snob, but that’s me. This flick simply entertained. It was a 2 hour trailer, a spectacle of violence and CG splendor.

A few things….

The CG at times was seamless, and incredible, especially any of the scenes with Pegasus or the Kraken, but at other times the CG was very weak (Medusa), and was something you’d expect from a pilot episode on the sci-fi channel. The casting was a mess. I could go on for a while on this one, but what’s the point. No one seemed comfortable in their skin, with the exception of the beautiful Lo, played by Gemma Arterton.
What I did like, however, was how they managed to keep some of the same feel as the original. This was especially apparent in any scenes on Mount Olympus. There was this hazy, blurred, lighting effect that was hoaky, but it made me smile.

My favorite moment had to be the short cameo by Bubo, and if you don’t know who that is, your not a real fan of the classic.

Want to turn your brain off and be entertained? This might do it for you. I’d suggest seeing it in 3D, but if there is anything else you want to see, don’t skip it for this.