"This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopelessness and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery." Thus begins Dreamworks' "How to Train Your Dragon," a wildly adventuresome movie for the whole family.
Berk, a Viking village apparently located somewhere in Scotland, is plagued regularly by various types of dragons, who steal the livestock and set buildings aflame. Most of the Vikings bravely fight off the beasts, but Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the adolescent son of the chief (Stoick the Vast), is not like most Vikings. He is small, clever, inventive, and sarcastic, and most importantly - NOT a warrior. Think Eric Foreman from "That 70's Show" or Smalls from "The Sandlot." As such, Hiccup is an outcast in his village, wanting nothing more than to be like everyone else.
Everything changes when he encounters a Night Fury dragon (offspring of Lightning and Death), the most elusive and dangerous breed known to man. While unexpectantly befriending the dragon, whom he names Toothless, Hiccup also trains with the other Viking teens in dragon combat. During his time with Toothless, he discovers everything the Vikings thought they knew about dragons is horribly incorrect; the beasts, usually considered "extremely dangerous - kill on sight" are simply misunderstood. Trying to convince the other Vikings (especially his father) of this fact is another challenge all together.
This movie has many great attributes. The animation (particularly in 3-D, if you choose to see that version) is superb. To me, even though the characters are intentionally cartoonish, the realism of everything is quite amazing. They have pores on their faces. Individual hairs on their heads and on their fur clothing stand out. The landscape, the way the sun glints off the water, it's all so real. There's an incredible attention to detail that is subtle, it does not hit you over the head. Even the way the dragons move harkens back to the days when animators welcomed wild animals into their studio so they could study their movements (like in "The Lion King." Although, I have to admit, they probably did not do that for this movie). (You might recognize some of Toothless's characteristics; a couple of people who worked on this film were also behind "Lilo & Stitch.") The action sequences are sophisticated and advanced for a film of this genre and target audience.
The four principal characters were well-cast. The voice of Hiccup is Jay Baruchel (most recently seen in "She's Out of My League"), who is perfect for the awkward, not traditionally cool kind of guy. Gerard Butler has the thundering Scottish accent that resonates well in an intimidating Viking leader. Craig Ferguson also lends his Scottishness to the film as the comedic and handicapped Gobber the Belch, the trainer in dragon combat. He was quite amusing, especially in the variety of prosthetic hands he uses. America Ferrera plays Astrid, the tough yet pretty Viking youth at the top of the combat class. She's feisty and strong, like many characters Ferrera portrays (although Astrid is blonde...not like Ferrera). The supporting cast did a decent job, but I feel some of their talent didn't come across well, or it didn't really matter if a "big name" person voiced their characters (such as Jonah Hill and Kristen Wiig).
Aside from the people behind the voices, the script is incredibly witty and funny. It's not your typical children's fare where the humor is too slapstick and dialogue too infantile. Yes, the movie has its silly moments, but they are surpassed by a "man and beast" story that fully envelops the audience with surprising depth.
Additionally, the movie's score (always a big influence on my opinion) was stirring and powerful, fitting for a more epic movie, yet perfect for this one. I downloaded it the day after I saw the movie ($7.99 for over 20 tracks? Not bad!).
Overall, "How to Train Your Dragon" has adventure, heart, and humor. It's perfect for families, but even if you don't have kids, go see it. It might just be my favorite movie of the year so far.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Why "Glee" makes me smile
I was not an original Gleek. I saw the ads for the show before the pilot aired, but it wasn't until Josh Groban had a guest appearance on the third episode that I actually tuned in to watch. I admit, I was slightly confused because I had no clue who was who in a very diverse ensemble cast. I also admit that I wasn't hooked right away; I would catch another episode here and there, but I think it must have interfered with another show, or work, or fun.
But now that I have nearly worn out my DVDs of the first season and belted the tunes out in my car, I admit that I am a full-blown Gleek, completely excited for its mid-season return next Tuesday. Why is this show so capitvating to me (now)? Read on, my friend.
Of course, I have to start with the music. It is, after all, a show about a glee club. The arrangements of all the musical numbers are wonderful. Additionally, I like that some of the songs are 'performance' numbers, in which the glee club is rehearsing for competition, or actually in competition with other choirs (such as the first season's finale, "Sectionals"), and some of the songs are kind of thrown in to embellish plot lines. Either way, you know that every episode is going to have at least one really great number.
The writing is extremely quirky and real. While there are serious moments and serious issues contained within the show, it is essentially a musical comedy. Some of the lines have made me nearly fall out of my chair laughing (Favourite: "'Who is Josh Groban?' KILL YOURSELF!"). And many other lines (sometimes delivered as internal monologues) simply ring true to how we all felt as awkward teenagers dealing with the pressures of being awkward teenagers.
None of the above would come together as a successful show if it weren't for the cast. I appreciate how none of the actors is completely gorgeous (although I think Quinn's character has the longest eyelashes I've ever seen), and the glee club is intentionally diverse. You have the club's star, Rachel, who is perky (annoyingly so), perfectionistic, and proudly Jewish. Her "leading man" is the football team's quarterback, tall and often naive Finn. Except...Finn is dating the cheerleading captain Quinn, creating that popular couple we all knew in our high schools (only popularity and glee club do not often coincide). Additionally, there is Mercedes, the larger black girl who can belt with pipes like none other; Artie, the shy wheelchair-bound geek; Tina, the Asian punk rocker who is surprisingly timid; Puck, the badass mohawked tough guy; and Kurt, the gay fashionista who sings soprano. Then there are some background club members who don't get many lines or solos, but fill out the group well. Teaching/mentoring them is Will, the Spanish teacher and former glee member (back when he was a student at McKinley High), who is trying to balance his glee club work with his home life, dealing with his wife Terri, who is wonderfully high-strung. And one of the more standout cast members: Sue Sylvester, the coach of the Cheerios cheerleaders who has it out for Will and the glee kids (because their existence takes money away from her award-winning cheer people). She's amazingly infuriating. Yet, we get peeks at a softer side, which creates dimension. Other honorable mentions in the cast include Emma, the guidance counselor who is an extreme germiphobe with humongous eyes and a cute way of speaking.
Anyway, I do wish the show displayed more talent from different people...We know Rachel can sing, we know she harmonizes well with Finn, and we know Mercedes has a huge voice. I wish Puck got more leads, and I definitely wish Kurt had much more screentime and song solos. We've basically only heard him once, when he competes in a diva-off with Rachel for the song "Defying Gravity" from Wicked. He sang the song as good as she did, if not better, and the duet of the song on the soundtrack is wonderful. He has a fantastic voice, and I wish they would show it off more.
Wow, this post is an extremely long blog...I apologize for my rant, but if people had any doubt about this show, I urge you to give it a try. I would recommend starting from the beginning, though. The evolution of the show and its cast is enjoyable to witness. It's a fun-filled, smile-inducing, not-really-nostalgic look at high school in all its stereotypical-ness, but it's funny, and the music is great.
But now that I have nearly worn out my DVDs of the first season and belted the tunes out in my car, I admit that I am a full-blown Gleek, completely excited for its mid-season return next Tuesday. Why is this show so capitvating to me (now)? Read on, my friend.
Of course, I have to start with the music. It is, after all, a show about a glee club. The arrangements of all the musical numbers are wonderful. Additionally, I like that some of the songs are 'performance' numbers, in which the glee club is rehearsing for competition, or actually in competition with other choirs (such as the first season's finale, "Sectionals"), and some of the songs are kind of thrown in to embellish plot lines. Either way, you know that every episode is going to have at least one really great number.
The writing is extremely quirky and real. While there are serious moments and serious issues contained within the show, it is essentially a musical comedy. Some of the lines have made me nearly fall out of my chair laughing (Favourite: "'Who is Josh Groban?' KILL YOURSELF!"). And many other lines (sometimes delivered as internal monologues) simply ring true to how we all felt as awkward teenagers dealing with the pressures of being awkward teenagers.
None of the above would come together as a successful show if it weren't for the cast. I appreciate how none of the actors is completely gorgeous (although I think Quinn's character has the longest eyelashes I've ever seen), and the glee club is intentionally diverse. You have the club's star, Rachel, who is perky (annoyingly so), perfectionistic, and proudly Jewish. Her "leading man" is the football team's quarterback, tall and often naive Finn. Except...Finn is dating the cheerleading captain Quinn, creating that popular couple we all knew in our high schools (only popularity and glee club do not often coincide). Additionally, there is Mercedes, the larger black girl who can belt with pipes like none other; Artie, the shy wheelchair-bound geek; Tina, the Asian punk rocker who is surprisingly timid; Puck, the badass mohawked tough guy; and Kurt, the gay fashionista who sings soprano. Then there are some background club members who don't get many lines or solos, but fill out the group well. Teaching/mentoring them is Will, the Spanish teacher and former glee member (back when he was a student at McKinley High), who is trying to balance his glee club work with his home life, dealing with his wife Terri, who is wonderfully high-strung. And one of the more standout cast members: Sue Sylvester, the coach of the Cheerios cheerleaders who has it out for Will and the glee kids (because their existence takes money away from her award-winning cheer people). She's amazingly infuriating. Yet, we get peeks at a softer side, which creates dimension. Other honorable mentions in the cast include Emma, the guidance counselor who is an extreme germiphobe with humongous eyes and a cute way of speaking.
Anyway, I do wish the show displayed more talent from different people...We know Rachel can sing, we know she harmonizes well with Finn, and we know Mercedes has a huge voice. I wish Puck got more leads, and I definitely wish Kurt had much more screentime and song solos. We've basically only heard him once, when he competes in a diva-off with Rachel for the song "Defying Gravity" from Wicked. He sang the song as good as she did, if not better, and the duet of the song on the soundtrack is wonderful. He has a fantastic voice, and I wish they would show it off more.
Wow, this post is an extremely long blog...I apologize for my rant, but if people had any doubt about this show, I urge you to give it a try. I would recommend starting from the beginning, though. The evolution of the show and its cast is enjoyable to witness. It's a fun-filled, smile-inducing, not-really-nostalgic look at high school in all its stereotypical-ness, but it's funny, and the music is great.
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