And now for something completely different. . .

[elderberrywine]

A rare film rec here -

I'm not a fan of 3-D. My eyes seem to fight it somehow, I tend to get headaches by the end of the movie, and I don't see how having bugs/birds/whatever fly past you generally adds a lot to any movie.

All that being said, How To Train Your Dragon is why 3-D was invented. It is the movie Avatar wishes it was. The story is wonderfully sweet and resonant, the flashes of humor were actually funny (rather than the snarky stuff more typical in cartoons these days), and the flying scenes were utterly magical. By the end, the audience was so invested, grown-ups and children alike, that we were moaning, "Noooooo!" at a particular scene, quite unselfconsciously.
But not to fret, it ends well, more or less.

One could quibble about the Scottish accents of the adults, and the very American speech of the kids, but that was quickly a minor point indeed. (I can't imagine a Norwegian accent is that hard, but I must admit they had me at the very beginning when the narrator admitted his people had certain "stubbornness issues". Ahahaha, so true.)

Go, go. Attach yourself to some random kid, if you have none to drag in, and pretend he/she is yours. But don't miss this one.

Comments

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

I was looking at this (http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/3-d-movies.htm) just yesterday. Save on aspirin!

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

Heh - that's what I was thinking as I was fumbling with those wretched (for me) double glasses before the movie started - 60 years and we still haven't improved on this?

Well, for this movie, it was worth it. For Avatar, not so much.

And isn't Bwana Devil one of the best titles ever? I've no desire to see it, but it rolls off the tongue so delightfully.

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

Bwana Devil is rather fun, as I recall. :D

I don't see how it's possible, no matter what the technology, to make 3D work for some people's eyes and brains.

[romeny.livejournal.com]

I never heard of the movie but it sounds like something to get on DVD.

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

Oh, if it isn't in your area yet, it should be soon - it was top of the box office last week and I suspect might be this week as well.

It would be fine on DVD, I'm sure, but the 3-D flying scenes were especially wonderful, and you would miss that. But since your family demographics are much like mine, it might be a little tough to get someone to go with you. ;D My husband was like, "Okaaay..." but he really enjoyed it too.

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

It's interesting that so many of the movies I've enjoyed the most the last few years have been animated: Up, Bolt, Wall-E, etc. They have heart-warming stories and true humor.

Thanks for the rec on this--I look forward to seeing it, 3D or no.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I agree, Belle. I thought Up and Wall-E were wonderful.

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

I knew I was in trouble with Up when I started crying in the first 15 minutes!

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

Ah ha, so true. The music wasn't helping at all.

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

I just found out the Up composer is the same one who does the soundtrack for Lost, and there are some wonderful moving themes in that show!

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

He did Star Trek too, and that had wonderful themes - especially in the opening.

I'm an aficionado of film music, and he's moved waay up on my list of best composers, this last year. :D

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

Anything Pixar wants to do, I am so there. :)

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I don't normally rec movies, but I thought that this was one that might be dismissed as a kid's flick, and it was really much better than that.

I think it's generally considered that a Pixar movie is always worth seeing, but Dreamworks has (IMHO) a spottier records. This one, though, was a keeper.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I was going to say what Belle said about animated movies. Up and WAll-E in particular charmed me and touched my heart. I'm glad to know HTTYD is in the same category. I'll try to get to the theater to see it.

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

It really was a touching story, and that's a rarity in non-Pixar animation these days. And not a single fart joke. Thank you!

[annwyn55.livejournal.com]

I really like what I've seen of the trailers so far - and the reviewers are all for it. I'm gonna try and see it tomorrow, but I'm still bringing advil - just in case. :)

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

So did you? What did you think?

[annwyn55.livejournal.com]

*g* After the adventure with the dog, we didn't feel like going to a movie anymore. Perhaps this weekend, but we definitely will watch it.

[akikotree.livejournal.com]

I adored this movie! My and several of my (not kids anymore) friends went to see it and loved it, and would definitely see it again. I am also not a fan of 3-D usually, but the flying, the flying...!

[elderberrywine.livejournal.com]

It really was so much better than I had expected, and I thought that many would understandably dismiss it as a children's movie. It was that, of course, but more than that, in the best Pixar tradition.

And as you say, the flying. . . .

So choked me up, it did.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

LOL, just stumbled across this post and since I saw the film a few weeks ago and loved it I thought I'd squee a bit with you. Really really liked the humour and it wasn't a succession of cliches and I loved the animation and the story line.

The only thing I didn't like was that that black dragon looked too anime-like when all the other dragons were more traditional dragons...

But *happy sigh* excellent film! I want to have it on DVD, too. :)