MOVIE NEWS: How to Train Your Dragon
What’s that you say, OWL readers? You’re thinking of renting a movie and need a recommendation? Or, wait: you want a reminder of what’s hit theatres over the last little while? Well, look no farther than the “Select a Category” menu to the right. Click on “movie news,” and you’ll find 27 editions of this very column just waiting to be perused!
The latest addition to the movie news lineup is How to Train Your Dragon. It’s based on (get this) a series of books by author Cressida Cowell! (Seriously, is any movie NOT based on a series of books these days?)
The story is about a young viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Despite his lengthy and rowdy sounding name, Hiccup isn’t exactly a chip off the old viking block.
To his father’s chagrin, Hiccup shows little ability at the most important of viking skills: dragon slaying. In fact, he turns out to be good at the exact opposite: dragon befriending. This launches Hiccup and his new dragon friend, Toothless, into unfamiliar territory — with hilarious and sometimes frightening results.
Here are a few observations about the movie:
1) It’s 3-D-erific! There are a lot of movies coming out in 3-D these days, and most of them use the technique to immerse you further into the movie. How to Train Your Dragon uses it to make the most of the well-choreographed action scenes — especially the flying ones. If you like roller coasters, you’ll love this flick.
2) It’s kind of scary! Since the vikings in the movie are at war with dragons, there is some serious fire-breathing, dive-bombing, and sword-swinging. Also, for much of the movie, characters alternate between talking tough about hunting dragons to running for their lives.
3) It’s surprisingly heart-warming! The major lessons here are pretty great: 1) be yourself, and 2) don’t judge books by their covers (even if those books are monstrous, fire-breathing dragons). Hiccup isn’t a typical viking by any measure, but he teaches everyone — especially his gruff-and-tough father — that that’s okay. And, in doing so, he changes his whole community for the better.
Overall, I liked How to Train Your Dragon. It’s funny and action-packed, and kept me involved for the full run-time. However, let me say this: if intense action and harrowing scenes aren’t your thing, this is probably a movie to avoid.
What do you guys think? Have you read the book series? Are you planning to see the movie? If you do, come back here and let me know what you thought!
Talk to you next week.
Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com
Loading ...
Craig, you said there was going to be a mailbag this week! Now I have to wait another week! Aw, man! Oh, well…..
I’m still not sure I want to see this movie.
Sorry about that, Katie! This movie snuck up on me! I’ll do a mailbag next week in amongst some other fun stuff.
I used to read the books and the movie is different in a lot of ways! In the books toothless is a two fot tall common garden dragon. And he literally is, well, toothless. Also, dragons aren’t at war at all with vikings! I’ve heard that the movie isn’t bad though.
Thanks for the info, Alex. I haven’t read the book series, so that’s definitely news to me!
Hey Craig should should do a blog on Earth Hour today!
It’s Earth Hour today Saturday 27! Turn off all your lights between 8:30-9:30! Unplug all you electronics and just cheelax for an hour! As you all know Global Warming is really bad right now so please turn off all your lights in the name of the Earth!
Please do it!
Save the Earth!
I never knew that how to train your dragon was a book series! I’ll habe to read it!
I mean: I’ll “HAVE” to read it!
Great movie, I thought I was going to be dissapointed, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Omg, I just saw the movie, it is great! Now that I saw it, I am dying to read the books and see what they are like.
I saw how to train your dargon And it was SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDD!
better than words! It had almost nothing to do with the book(i read it)but It was AMAZING !EXHILERATING! and I learned that movies don’t have to be exactly like the book to be great!
Hey Madeleine , you should DEFENITELY read the book IT Is GREAT!But like I said ,alot different from the movie Right off the toop of my head I can tell you there are NO i repeat NO night furys in the book.
Hayley , Its not a series but more just one book…at least with that title…
What are some other movie reccomendations?
alex i read the books too, and it is very different but it is great!normally i don’t like movies that are’nt the same as the book , but this one was amazing!
Favorite, favorite favorite favorite movie in the WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVER EVER EVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it! I have seen it 7 1/2 times! Hiccup is really cute! And so is Toothless!
It’s awesome, & by the way, from the same studio as Madagascar. There is going to be a Madagascar 3, you know!