DeBois signed on to do the sequel with a trilogy story in mind, and I believe the 3rd movie comes out in 2016.
There's even been speculation/talks of making a 4th movie. Same old Dreamworks milking a franchise to its last drop.
DeBois signed on to do the sequel with a trilogy story in mind, and I believe the 3rd movie comes out in 2016.
There's even been speculation/talks of making a 4th movie. Same old Dreamworks milking a franchise to its last drop.
Question, how much do you need to see the first one to get as much out of the second as possible?
DeBois signed on to do the sequel with a trilogy story in mind, and I believe the 3rd movie comes out in 2016.
There's even been speculation/talks of making a 4th movie. Same old Dreamworks milking a franchise to its last drop.
A fourth would be be too much, but the second plowed the field for a third. Even the main characters' ages in this movie seemed to place them at a midpoint.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Question, how much do you need to see the first one to get as much out of the second as possible?
See the first one first. It's fantastic and you'll have a lot more investment going into the second.
It really is hard to talk about the movie without spoiling it… I enjoyed the amount of detail and depth we got from things this go around. Not that the first was lacking, but the sequel brought an awful lot to light about the characters and the world.
Emotional comments have to go under a tag however since I was OK until:
! the moment I saw the mast of Stoick's final ship edging onto the screen and I knew exactly what was about to happen. Then, all I could think about was the Merry Go, and I just bawled like a baby as that beautiful scene was washed away by my tears.
See the first one first. It's fantastic and you'll have a lot more investment going into the second.
I have seen the first one, but parents have not. I wanted to see how important it was for them to watch the first one to smooch off for theater tickets.
:ninja:
In that case, assuming they don't care too deeply, then the story isn't really dependent on the first, but they'll be missing the origin story.
I can finally click this thread safely and say…
Just came back from seeing the sequel and I thought it was pretty fantastic. It's really hard to talk about without spoiling, but for a sequel to such a great movie it does not disappoint. I'm glad I stayed in a media blackout for this.
! I really loved the whole friendship versus intimidation theme with the dragons. Drago was a very effective villain and his methods made him all the more despicable. I really wish he had a bit more of a character focus, though. We know he must have lost a lot, but all of that is more vaguely implied with the notion that dragons hurt everyone. He must have lost a lot, though, to go as far as he did.
! I had a feeling that Stoick wasn't going to make it through the movie, but I was still struggling to hold back the tears on that. He was a great character and his death held impact as vast as his name.
! I still don't know how I feel about Hiccup's mom. I liked her character and it was certainly a surprise to see that she was alive this whole time, but for her to have been training dragons all along I felt took a bit away from Hiccup's accomplishment in taming dragons. I guess he can stand to spare a heroic deed, though, from the pile he's been racking up.
! I could have sworn that the movie was going to end with Hiccup taming the alpha, but I think it was great for Toothless to establish himself as a leader and do his breed's reputation justice. I'm also loving the growth and attention Toothless is getting in general The writers have done a really good job balancing the attention given to the humans and dragons.
! I'm fully expecting a third movie, since this really felt like a pivot episode with all of the worldbuilding and character developments. Is there word on this being a trilogy?
Oh you already said it. YES!
Dreamworks absolutely nailed this movie. I'd say it's close to perfect.
I want to say more, but I'm tired after all that traveling I did to see this film. It was well worth it!
! I really feel the sequel just added so much more to the franchise. Not just in dragon numbers, explosions, and fights. Those were pretty great too. There was also a greater emotional depth, intensity, and maturity to the movie. Excellent sequel.
Overall its a stronger movie throughout than the first one, (The first one started slow and had a weak final act) and full of great moments and character stuff, gorgeous visuals and music, (soundtrack is easily on par with the first, and the visuals are not surprisingly better) sweet moments, fun comedy bits, and it had me pretty much the whole time. It did not feel its runtime at all and could have easily been 20 minutes longer.
I'm not going to out and out say it's better than the first film though… I think it doesn't hit quiiite the highs of the original's Forbidden Friendship or Romantic Flight sequences, or the overall emotional core of the character relationships... all though it definitely had a couple good montages, and the Dancing and Dreaming sequence was fantastic. (But then I've seen the original a ton of times)
Very very solid, I can't say one film is better than the other... I'd say they're overall about equal and have strengths in different areas, and will definitely be seeing it again. Here's hoping the third and final film keeps this level of quality in 2016.
Also, VERY glad I avoided the trailers as much as possible. Just watched the trailer after seeing the movie and it gave away a TON. (First trailer gave away a major surprise... the second gave away a little bit of everything.)
One minor detail that I had to go back and look at screenshots from the first movie to catch
! That veeeeery light scar on Hiccup's chin. It was there all along. Wonder if they had this minor payoff in mind at all from the start? Was it a detail from the books? I dunno. But its a nice extremely subtle touch.
Saw it today (IMAX 3D, thank you very much), and very much enjoyed and appreciated it but do not yet love it with anything approaching my love for the first.
! First, the minor negatives: I also did a total media blackout, so I was surprised and, I will admit, a little disappointed by the mother storyline. It's done fine, but it seemed to clash a little with what we got in the first movie. This might change over time.
! I enjoyed the simplicity and organic nature of the first's plot, and this one felt a little more like it was trying to be a big movie, and while some of it hit well–the friendship v intimidation theme mentioned above--some of the plot-points were just a bit too forced for me. Also think I would have preferred the movie without the villain being the villain.
! Biggest complaint that's not really a complaint: soundtrack doesn't hit nearly as hard as the original's. Having just listened to the full thing, it's still fantastic and great and sweeping and everything, but most of the really good stuff is derivative of the first one, and it almost seems intentional; it's almost as if Powell was trying to mimick not only the style but the actual flow of the entire score of the original movie until Stoick's death, at which point it goes its own way. Still, he gave us that delightful Hiccup/Valka montage, which was scored wonderfully, and I rather liked the use of the Jonsi song, so this is just my overly high expectations.
! On the many, many plus sides: this is a far prettier movie than the first, which was gorgeous in its own way, and I really appreciate that many of the scenes seemed chosen only for the beauty. Some of the establishing shots are just absolutely incredible. Also, it does CG fire miles ahead of anything else.
! Stoick's death was done really, really well. I, too, saw it coming, but they managed to add even more depth to his character in very little screentime and then didn't overdo his actual death, no trembling last words or the like. Hiccup's speech at his Viking Funeral was a particular highlight, and his story-arc was great, though I would have preferred he figured out his own position in the world rather than having his mother spell it out for him (or, more likely, the audience).
! Most of all, I love what they did with Toothless. He was delightful in every scene--highlight of the whole movie, to me, was the sequence where he got his new back-spikes--but there's an amazing amount of depth to his character for a CG Dragon with no dialogue. And, while it went against what I initially wanted for the finale, the idea of having Toothless stake his own claim as a leader was a fantastic choice, and damned if he wasn't a total badass during that sequence.
So, I'll go see it again in theaters–even if it wasn't up to my lofty expectations, it's still head-and-shoulders above most movies I've seen lately--and see if more of it clicks with the initial shocks out of the way, but right now, I'm just happy that it exists and that at least one more movie is on the way.
I enjoyed the simplicity and organic nature of the first's plot, and this one felt a little more like it was trying to be a big movie
Yeah, I think thats where this one is sitting for me too. The first was just a complete surprise and only about the characters… while this one was about the world. Bigger and broader and more of a plot... but part of the charm of the first was the Miyzaki-esque way that so much of it was just bonding and characters discovering things and not so much a... movie to deal with.
Nothing wrong with the new movie and I liked it quite a lot... it was just doing different things and I don't think it hit me in quite the same places... but then the first one has had years to sit with me. (I wonder how much of that was Chris Sanders in the first one? Given that Lilo and Stitch had a lot of the same bonding elements.)
! I loved how happy and proud Stoick was of Hiccup now (and the village) in contrast to the first film… and also Hiccup and Astrid were SUPER adorable... though they didn't really have a lot of screen time together after the opening scene... which was a shame since their rivalry/romance was one of the neater elements of the first.
! Also, I've listened to the soundtrack a couple times now... I think the Dancing and Dreaming sequence is just going to break me in future viewings. It already got me pretty bad the first time... but knowing what follows after it... a weird mix of sappiness, excitement, and sadness... yeah, I think it's gonna be a real killer on repeat viewings.
A fourth would be be too much, but the second plowed the field for a third. Even the main characters' ages in this movie seemed to place them at a midpoint.
I agree. Comment was more directed towards the fourth being made than the third.
Box office wise though I wish it was doing "better". I mean, the movie might still end up with a profit, but this weekend, early estimates have HTTYD2 only earning roughly $50 million in the US. That's pretty good, but it's only slightly higher than the original's opening weekend, and not nearly as much as previous summer animated weekend openings like Despicable Me 2, Monsters University, or even Madagascar 3. I mean, it was going against 22 Jump Street (estimated to earn $60), and hopefully like HTTYD, the movie has lasting legs in the following weeks.
With the losses Dreamworks have made with recent movies, I bet the studio will still consider this a win, but just feeling slightly bummed that it's not doing spectacular. Guess I'm feeling slightly protective too since Edge of Tomorrow more or less bombed in the US. And thanks to Doug's reviews I'm getting Kung Fu Panda 2 flashbacks. I'm just glad 22 Jump Street is actually good though and worth the revenue it's getting. And hopefully international sales allow it to be considered a hit like Kung Fu Panda 2.
After thinking about Frozen's success, I think I figured out the key to a successful kids/family movie: laughs. They advertised a lot focusing on Olaf, and given the success of other family films while something like Kung Fu Panda 2 failed, it's gotta be the lighthearted laughs that bring in the revenue. Maybe HTTYD2 is too much like the rest of action/adventure films and the market's over saturated in that respect.
Then again, given how the first movie was advertised maybe it's just the franchise/logo of Dreamworks? I dunno.
It's not as consistently funny a movie as the original, for sure. A lot of it is just tone, but a lot of it just didn't connect very well; Gobber in particular didn't connect most of the time. On the other hand, some of the background stuff with Toothless and the other dragons was hysterical.
After a day to soak it in some more, two more quick thoughts:
! Part of the reason I was a little disappointed midway through the movie is that the first fifteen minutes or so (up to the point they find the hunters) are pretty much flawless. Reintroduces all the characters and their development, establishes that joyous feeling that permeated the first one, and just a wonderfully written scene between Astrid and Hiccup. Then…fairly generic plot developments for an hour or so. Especially missed having more Astrid and Hiccup interaction from that point.
! On a bigger level, think the thing that sticks in my craw the most is less the mother's return than her role in Hiccup's development. One of the many, many things I love about the first one is that Hiccup, while awkward and a little hesitant, pretty quickly understands that he's different and accepts that the best thing he can do is chart his own path as the "first Viking to ride a dragon" instead of killing them. Then his mother comes along, claims that title, and tells him he "took after her all along." ...just doesn't do it the same way. Likewise, if one of the main conflicts of the movie is Hiccup trying to figure out who he is in the new world he helped create, I would have much rather that he come to the realization on his own instead of having his newly-found mother explain that he's going to be the one to bridge the gap. Just weakens a character I found pretty amazing.
Box office wise though I wish it was doing "better". I mean, the movie might still end up with a profit, but this weekend, early estimates have HTTYD2 only earning roughly $50 million in the US.
It didn't quite make it to fifty million but earned $49.5 million which is the lowest opening for a June animated film since 2007. That's a lot better than their last two films but Dreamworks may well be hitting the panic button.
Wasn't Croods fairly successful despite mixed reviews? And I know Madagascar 3 did well for them, and that was only two years ago.
(Geez, they're cranking out 2 a year most years… They're at almost 30 films since 1998)
Looking at their upcoming slate they have THREE films next year... though I could see them pushing Kung Fu panda 3 from December and into May 2016 in its more traditional summer slot.
It's not as consistently funny a movie as the original, for sure. A lot of it is just tone, but a lot of it just didn't connect very well
I didn't mean it like the movie didn't really have funny moments. One scene that quickly comes to mind is the one after Astrid gave Hiccup a kiss on the cheek. I just meant something the movie in general is just more action-adventure oriented instead of being focused on kid-friendly comedy.
It didn't quite make it to fifty million but earned $49.5 million which is the lowest opening for a June animated film since 2007. That's a lot better than their last two films but Dreamworks may well be hitting the panic button.
Not even making $50 stinks. Was hoping it was gonna over estimate instead of under. Guess it depends on the next few weeks to see the movie's lasting power. Still have no idea why this is the case. It's the same questions I kept wondering when RotG bombed at the box office since I thought it'd be a hit, but at least I thought that could be contributed to not having a well written story/maybe having holiday figures as super heroes might be controversial.
Wasn't Croods fairly successful despite mixed reviews? And I know Madagascar 3 did well for them, and that was only two years ago.
It made about as much as HTTYD did in its opening weekend in the US, $43 million, and both films opened in March. The Croods ended up making a domestic total of $185 million with a marked production cost at $135 million and did really well internationally ($587 million). And while the reviews weren't stellar, it did about as well or slightly worse than the other big animated films that year on Rotten Tomatoes. For reference: Croods 70% 6.5 average, Despicable Me 2 74% 6.7 average, Monsters University 78% 6.8 average.
Looking at their upcoming slate they have THREE films next year… though I could see them pushing Kung Fu panda 3 from December and into May 2016 in its more traditional summer slot.
They tried with Kung Fu Panda 2 and released it Memorial Day Weekend, and it ended up making less money then the original movie, though it still made its marked production cost back domestically and made a lot of money internationally like the Croods did. Think that's why they're trying a winter release date for the 3rd film at least.
Not even making $50 stinks. Was hoping it was gonna over estimate instead of under. Guess it depends on the next few weeks to see the movie's lasting power. Still have no idea why this is the case. It's the same questions I kept wondering when RotG bombed at the box office since I thought it'd be a hit, but at least I thought that could be contributed to not having a well written story/maybe having holiday figures as super heroes might be controversial.
I think it'll do well enough but will still be judged as a disappointment by Dreamworks; they lucked out by having The Good Dinosaur's production turn into a trainwreck for Pixar since it left them without any competition for the next few months.
Soundtrack's growing on me. It's really, really weird how intentionally similar the tracklist and flow of the music is to the original all the way through
! Battle of the Bewilderbeast, which very strongly mimicks Battle with the Green Death. Thing is, those last few songs, which are mainly newer themes, are some of the stronger ones, so I wish there was a little bit more of a divorce from the original. Still great. Just no real showcases of the soundtrack like Forbidden Friendship or Test Drive or Romantic Flight, except for the montage (and, I suppose, Where No One Goes and For the Dancing and the Dreaming, which are both great but different things).
Just no real showcases of the soundtrack like Forbidden Friendship or Test Drive or Romantic Flight, except for the montage (and, I suppose, Where No One Goes and For the Dancing and the Dreaming, which are both great but different things).
To be fair, there's nothing with quite the extended raw euphoria of 'Test Drive' or 'Romantic Flight' in the first album, but that's because the second movie doesn't really have any such moments either.
Still, having listened to it a couple times now, (and having listened to the original about a thousand) it's nicely layered, both in added grandeur, and intimacy. The first album stood out for the strengths of several individual tracks, this soundtrack is more about specific 'moments' that work best when listened to as a whole. (And Dancing and Dreaming is fantastic… I really wish Gobber wasn't in the soundtrack version though.)
I guess it all flows together as a whole better?
To be fair, there's nothing with quite the extended raw euphoria of 'Test Drive' or 'Romantic Flight' in the first album, but that's because the second movie doesn't really have any such moments either.
Yeah, that's actually one of my problems with the second. It trades simple joy for attempted depth of emotion. It's entirely respectable and commendable and…I still wish I just had the simple joy back. But there are some great moments, especially towards the end.
That said, the original had so many tunes I could hum after hearing once besides the showcases (New Tail, See You Tomorrow, Astrid Goes for a Spin), whereas this one I mostly just perked my ears up when one of the old themes cropped up again. There are some real nice uses of the For the Dancing and Dreaming theme towards the end, though, and the...Alpha theme, I guess?--has some nice uses there, as well. But yeah, totally with you on wishing Gobber wasn't in the soundtrack version, or, for that matter, the movie version.
I guess it all flows together as a whole better?
I'm not willing to cross that bridge with you, but it feels like a more mature soundtrack in its own way, yeah.
Overall I'm agreeing with you on how the movies stack. I can understand why some people are saying the new one is better… and it might be! But yeah, I preferred the simple joy over angst as well.
Well maybe after I see this one dozens of times... or when the third film comes around and rounds out an emotional arc.
But yeah, Dancing and Dreaming is just going to kill me on repeats, I know it.
Overall I'm agreeing with you on how the movies stack. I can understand why some people are saying the new one is better… but yeah, I preferred the simple joy over angst as well.
Well maybe after I see this one dozens of times...
Yeah, this is the part I'm looking forward to. Thing is, I loved HTTYD the first time I saw it and never really wavered. This one has a chance to grow.
But yeah, Dancing and Dreaming is just going to kill me on repeats, I know it.
Neglected to mention this when you first brought it up, but…
! More than that, the scene with Stoick walking up to Valka while she backs away was utterly predictable and everything but good scott was it gorgeous and I may have cried a little.
Oh I definitely cried a little. Movie got me several times.
The worst thing is I don't think it's the movies fault at all I don't like it as much (yet)… it just had higher expectations going in?
I also really wanted more Hiccup and Astrid. That had that wonderful opening scene, the nonchalant "my future daughter in law!" and then... are apart for most of the film. I guess that's what the tv show is for?
Oh I definitely cried a little. Movie got me several times.
I almost bawled when
! Hiccup talked about trying to live up to his father and figure out who he is. Some personal stuff there, yeah, but it was also wonderfully written and performed (and I, at least, love Jay Baruchel as Hiccup).
The worst thing is I don't think it's the movies fault at all I don't like it as much (yet)… it just had higher expectations going in?
There's definitely this, as well as the fact that only a fanatic would be a bit disappointed at how similar the soundtracks are at times. But there are still some issues that I think won't go away. But if they do, I'll be absolutely thrilled.
I also really wanted more Hiccup and Astrid. That had that wonderful opening scene, the nonchalant "my future daughter in law!" and then… are apart for most of the film. I guess that's what the tv show is for?
That scene was SO DAMNED WONDERFUL. I have my suspicions what the third movie is going to be about, and I have hopes that it's going to be much more character-driven. I wouldn't mind the third movie skipping a central villain altogether.
kk, sorry everyone, I'll try to stop responding to EVERY SINGLE POST THAT IS MADE IN THIS THREAD
Aww, but your reactions are the ones I was most looking forward to Tater! Since you're the only person I know that loved the first movie more than I did!
(And the soundtrack should thematicaly sound at least some like the first movie in places…)
I'd be interested in your suspicions. Baseless speculation can be fun!
(And I'm glad the movies are sooooo different from the books, no chance of spoilers from there!)
As someone who wasn't blown away by the first HTTYD, but still recognizes it as a really good movie, I think the second was about as good as the first one. I agree with pretty much everything that's been said here. There are things the second one did better, and some things it didn't do quite as good.
! Things they could've done better:
! -Really wish Astrid had gotten more screentime. The bits with her and Hiccup at the beginning and end were great.
! -Eret was a neat character, I guess, but ultimately he seemed kinda pointless (aside from taking care of Stoick's dragon after he died)
! -He had his moments, but Drago didn't really wow me as a villain. I dunno. I guess he just seemed kinda generically evil and wasn't fully fleshed out.
! -Valka herself was a fine character, but her reasons for not being in Hiccup's life felt a bit contrived.
! -At the risk of sounding like an emotionless dillweed, the segment of Stoick singing to Valka just felt tedious and unnecessary (despite some humorous commentary from Gobber). Like, I dunno, maybe if they hadn't done it right after they'd already an emotional reunion.
! And as people have said, it does lack a lot of the simple charm of the original film. But on the plus side, the animation is still great, the humor is great, Hiccup's and Toothless's friendship continues to be the best part of the story, it had some real good pathos and tension with Stoick's death and Toothless being captured, and, as a whole, it was more cohesive and well-paced.
! So yeah. Real darn good movie.
Yay! I made it two whole posts!
(And the soundtrack should thematicaly sound at least some like the first movie in places…)
I'll try and break it down when I get a minute, but some of the tracks from the original are so like the latter in flow that I can't help but think it's intentional. Listen to the two Battle songs back-to-back and it's pretty amazing.
I'd be interested in your suspicions. Baseless speculation can be fun!
It'd be cliche, but…
!
! I think it'll be about finding other Night Furies. There were two pretty opaque references to Toothless being the only of his kind in this movie, and since each movie has had a kind of parallel development for Hiccup and Toothless, wouldn't be surprised to see the Hiccup/Astrid relationship paralleled in some way. Again, it's cliche, but so was the first movie in its most basic form.
! @Nobodyman:
! > As someone who wasn't blown away by the first HTTYD, but still recognizes it as a really good movie, I think the second was about as good as the first one. I agree with pretty much everything that's been said here. There are things the second one did better, and some things it didn't do quite as good.! -Eret was a neat character, I guess, but ultimately he seemed kinda pointless (aside from taking care of Stoick's dragon after he died)
! Yep, almost completely pointless. Felt like merchandising or just an effort to get a new character or something. Wasn't really anything he did that couldn't have been done by the support team.
! > >! -At the risk of sounding like an emotionless dillweed, the segment of Stoick singing to Valka just felt tedious and unnecessary (despite some humorous commentary from Gobber). Like, I dunno, maybe if they hadn't done it right after they'd already an emotional reunion.
! I'm actually more with you on this than I am with Robby.
! >! I would have been a much bigger fan if they'd foreshadowed it a little. Just have Stoick whistle the tune earlier in the movie. Makes it much more poignant. Instead, it just feels like a song-and-dance sing out of nowhere. Now, I still enjoyed it and find it touching, but I was much more moved by the initial reunion.
Oh well, yeah. Third movie will almost certainly be about
! finding another Night Fury after those blatant mentions of "being the last". TV series has built up that point too.
! -Eret was a neat character, I guess, but ultimately he seemed kinda pointless (aside from taking care of Stoick's dragon after he died)
! Yep, almost completely pointless. Felt like merchandising or just an effort to get a new character or something. Wasn't really anything he did that couldn't have been done by the support team.
About Eret:
! They're probably establishing him to play a bigger role in the next movie as in Hiccup's right-hand man/fighter. Kinda like Stoick had Gobber. Not to take away from Toothless of course and Astrid really isn't the type to play second fiddle to Hiccup. The other young adults in the cast play a great support role for Hiccup but they play that support role in a group. I don't see them singling one out to be Hiccup's go-to-guy, so here's Eret. Strong, capable, a good heart, and what else is he going to do?
! The main problem I have with this is Eret is kind of an outsider but with Hiccup's personality I don't see that as so much a problem. Also, yeah he did come off as a little generic but I liked his character and think they can expand on him.
I'll try and break it down when I get a minute, but some of the tracks from the original are so like the latter in flow that I can't help but think it's intentional. Listen to the two Battle songs back-to-back and it's pretty amazing.
Yeah. Battling the Green Death and Battle of the Bewilderbeast even have almost identical run times, they're only about 6 seconds different, both get triumphant about use the same theme 90 seconds in, (though part 2 has the chorus) and both hit lulls about 3 and a half minutes in, and both reprise the main triumphant Test Drive theme a couple times throughout. Neat. Its actually really impressive that they're so closely mirrored given that… whatever is on screen would have been different.
But yeah, nothing wrong with that, you expect Pirates of the Carribean to have He's a Pirate reprises, and LotR to have the Shire theme, and Star Wars to play out it's themes... there SHOULD be a lot of soundtrack overlap in a franchise. But yes, the clearly intentional mirroring for the first 40 minutes or so is pretty crazy.
Turning the corner on the soundtrack. The new themes and the last few tracks are all golden. Can't wait to watch the movie again so I can match them all with the cues.
On that note…
How weird is it that Powell composed a whole new song for this trailer/sequence that was replaced by that Jonsi track? Kind of a shame, since the Jonsi song still made it in the ending credits (even with as good as it was).
Not too weird given that trailer came out 6 months ago, the actual scene and mood paces a little different, and was at least based on existing material.
Is a nice piece to ahve lost entirely though.
So like yeah this was a good movie and stuff.
I was bummed with some elements of it. Like, the Dragon Quidditch was weird. All of those sidekicks from the first movie in that group of kids? Five of them including the new guy? Needed to have grown the fuck up since the first movie. They are 20 year olds and should've grown into careers and professions by now that suited the village. Like the Jonah Hill kid could have been the blacksmith now. But it's still just that same guy from the last one. The age thing was really unconvincing. They were just taller and nothing else. It would've been a lot more personal and have felt like an actual village if they had grown more. Instead they just are along for the ride and when the battle gets taken back to their home I'm left going "who is even in that village right now"
When we first see Hiccup and he's flying around as an explorer and cartographer it felt really grown up and then all of his friends are these regressive Dreamworks slapstick goons and it really felt disappointing. The world building was cool but it also felt empty in the face of the fact that this movie failed to convince me that this entire village does anything except play Dragon Quidditch and have a guy who puts new teeth on dragons.
The mom was really cool and had a cool outfit
The TV show has shown that these kids are the "Dragon riding Defenders of Berk" So I guess that's their main job now. Even tho Gobber does mention that Hiccup was back for work, so I guess he still helps out there a bit.
Tho I too was a tad disappointed that there isn't at least a second generation of Dragon Trainers behind Hiccup's group.
i forgot there was a show. blhh
For the most part, so did the movie ^__^
One dumb thing I find kind of weird is the town's mistreatment of sheep. You would think that a group of people whose lifestyles are based around knowing that animals have feelings would be a bit more sensitive.
You'll see. The next movie will be about Hiccup's son defending Berk from the Alpha Sheep by attempting to forge a bond with Berk's own sheep. Watch as Hiccup Jr. tries to woo his crush with a romantic sheep ride through the valley.
Watch as Hiccup Jr. tries to woo his crush with a romantic sheep ride through the valley.
Now I'm just picturing the Romantic Flight music with bleating for the main melody.
…it's not unpleasant.
One dumb thing I find kind of weird is the town's mistreatment of sheep. You would think that a group of people whose lifestyles are based around knowing that animals have feelings would be a bit more sensitive.
You'll see. The next movie will be about Hiccup's son defending Berk from the Alpha Sheep by attempting to forge a bond with Berk's own sheep. Watch as Hiccup Jr. tries to woo his crush with a romantic sheep ride through the valley.
who cares? Its funny. I watched the show, and i lol'ed at the many times who had drgon's setting sheep on fire or them dropping dead because of dragons scaring them or the various other amusing bits involving sheep.
who cares? Its funny. I watched the show, and i lol'ed at the many times who had drgon's setting sheep on fire or them dropping dead because of dragons scaring them or the various other amusing bits involving sheep.
But don't you recognize the cruel irony in a village of people who bled and burned as a reaction against nature's oppression committing it upon others? The sheep are the most tragic citizens of Berk. They are clearly a symbol that, though the villagers claim they are better than Drago and above his methods of intimidation, they are heartless monsters all the same. Maybe Drago was better, because at least he did not deny the barbaric nature of his methods. He also had a reason for wanting to oppress the dragons: he lost an arm and presumably more. The citizens of Berk have only profited from their sheep and they repay them with humiliation. The sheep are forced to take the place of balls in sporting events and are frightened or burned for the amusement of others. By the time the sequel comes, though, I am 100% sure the sheep will rise up and rebel.
"Let the ruling classes tremble at the ovine revolution. The lambs have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingsheep of Berk, unite!" - Veal Marx
I saw this today, and oh my god, Valka was so bad ass! I loved her! I want that staff! And outfit! And dragon!
Also, I wish I had realized that Eret was voiced by Jon Snow before hand. It's so funny, I'm so used to Kit Harington having little emotion to some of his characters beyond 'I'm upset because the guy behind me is flicking paper balls at my head', yet he was so emotive as Eret.
Ilso, I wish I had realized that Eret was voiced by Jon Snow before hand.
Thats a good thing for you, you might actually remember his name that way.
He's just Jon Snow to everyone else I know that saw the movie.
Turning the corner on the soundtrack. The new themes and the last few tracks are all golden. Can't wait to watch the movie again so I can match them all with the cues.
On that note…
How weird is it that Powell composed a whole new song for this trailer/sequence that was replaced by that Jonsi track? Kind of a shame, since the Jonsi song still made it in the ending credits (even with as good as it was).
Do you know the name of the OST that is playing in the trailer?!
Loved this movie, I'd say it was probably just as fun as the first.
! While the first movie had him develop a bond with Toothless and learn to fly, as well as convince Berk that dragons aren't bad, the fun in this one is seeing the friendship with Toothless taken deeper, the world expanding beyond Berk (gorgeous shots!), and some more focus on the dragons.
! I also really liked where the movie didn't go. Initially, I got the impression it would be about Stoick wanting Hiccup to be village chief and then Hiccup fighting against it, going on another "Dad, you're not listening!" kind of theme like the first one.
But I liked where they went with Stoick instead. Even with how sad it all was in the end.
And I'm glad they didn't have Hiccup tame the bad Alpha, I thought it would have been too cheesy and predictable. Having Toothless assert his dominance was better, and very entertaining.
One small question, though:
! When Stoick reunites with Valka, Gobber made a remark about how "That's one reason I didn't marry. That, and one other reason." Anyone know what that other reason was? Was this implied somewhere, or mentioned in the show?
@Robby:
One minor detail that I had to go back and look at screenshots from the first movie to catch
! That veeeeery light scar on Hiccup's chin. It was there all along. Wonder if they had this minor payoff in mind at all from the start? Was it a detail from the books? I dunno. But its a nice extremely subtle touch.
My and my girlfriend were wondering about this. Nice to see that detail was there, definitely wanna know if they planned that all along or not.
@Mr.:
One small question, though:
! When Stoick reunites with Valka, Gobber made a remark about how "That's one reason I didn't marry. That, and one other reason." Anyone know what that other reason was? Was this implied somewhere, or mentioned in the show?
! I think it just means he's gay and whether or not that was hidden in previous references, I don't know. I'm about 95% sure that was the implied meaning behind his words though.
Yeah there was an article about that actually. The line was ad-libbed by Fergusson, and they decided to include it in the film with that exact connotation.
That was my initial thought, just didn't have any solid evidence to back it up.
But don't you recognize the cruel irony in a village of people who bled and burned as a reaction against nature's oppression committing it upon others? The sheep are the most tragic citizens of Berk. They are clearly a symbol that, though the villagers claim they are better than Drago and above his methods of intimidation, they are heartless monsters all the same. Maybe Drago was better, because at least he did not deny the barbaric nature of his methods. He also had a reason for wanting to oppress the dragons: he lost an arm and presumably more. The citizens of Berk have only profited from their sheep and they repay them with humiliation. The sheep are forced to take the place of balls in sporting events and are frightened or burned for the amusement of others. By the time the sequel comes, though, I am 100% sure the sheep will rise up and rebel.
"Let the ruling classes tremble at the ovine revolution. The lambs have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingsheep of Berk, unite!" - Veal Marx
lol. Never seen sum1 get so worked up over the rights of fictional sheep in a fictional movie/show. its just some light hearted humour. No sheep were harmed. Lighten up.
lol. Never seen sum1 get so worked up over the rights of fictional sheep in a fictional movie/show. its just some light hearted humour. No sheep were harmed. Lighten up.
Lighten up? How can I be light-hearted when discussing a children's movie? You do not seem to understand the gravity of this.