Well if I thought Alice in Wonderland was a cool piece of 3D work, that certainly took a hit when I saw How to Train Your Dragon. The graphics were amazing, the story line was incredibly good and, of course, now I want a pet dragon. In the movie, a scrawny Hiccup would do anything to show his fellow Vikings that he has what it takes to fight off the local threats - dragons. Too bad his efforts usually end up worsening the situation. His status as an outcast is only made worse by the fact that his burly dad, named Stoick no less, is the town's chief and embarrassed by his son. But in his attempts to prove that he can kill with the best of them, Hiccup befriends a wild dragon and discovers that what he and the Vikings know about the creatures is completely wrong.
This was yet another film I had no intention of seeing, but for some reason A. really did (something about good reviews or whatever.) Well I was captivated from the get-go. You quickly get wrapped up first in a boy's wish to belong and then in the bond between him and his dragon as if it were any other domesticated animal. The climax had me on the edge of my seat, freaked and clutching onto A.'s arm (dragons are no joke, people), but that's when I understood why Alice just wasn't up to par with work like this. This was what good 3D looked like; the movie truly came to life. It sucked you in and the flames engulfed you. The only trouble I had was that I had to wear my prescription glasses under my 3D glasses and constantly adjust them to see the movie well, which gave me a slight headache and some cross-eyed action, but trust me it was worth it.
Another quick point: after the movie A. and I brought up the same observation. Toothless, Hiccup's fire-breathing pet, reminded us an awful lot of another misunderstood creature: Disney's Stitch. Can you see the resemblance?
They're each feared and seemingly ferocious, but inside both is a cuddly monster with a toothy grin just waiting to come out and play. And come to think of it, Lilo and Stitch shared a similar bond: just two lonely souls looking for some understanding and friendship. Although if I had my pick, I'd totally go with the dragon. Way cooler.
How to Train Your Dragon (on IMAX 3D): 5/5 Toasties
Images: howtotrainyourdragon.com, liveforfilms.wordpress.com and disney-clipart.com
They're each feared and seemingly ferocious, but inside both is a cuddly monster with a toothy grin just waiting to come out and play. And come to think of it, Lilo and Stitch shared a similar bond: just two lonely souls looking for some understanding and friendship. Although if I had my pick, I'd totally go with the dragon. Way cooler.How to Train Your Dragon (on IMAX 3D): 5/5 Toasties
Images: howtotrainyourdragon.com, liveforfilms.wordpress.com and disney-clipart.com