Jordan Scott Price
Veteran
I'm with you there. I used the excuse over the summer "I don't have the time" and completely missed what is probably a must-see in 3D. I saw Inception several times and Toy Story 3 once in theaters; just missed this one.
Finally saw it on DVD a week ago. What a brilliant movie. I'm so hooked. Is anyone else retardedly hooked like me? I went out and bought the damn DVD the day after I saw it on Netflix.
When I was a kid, I would get hooked on a movie without any real explanation. Something about it just roped me in, and I ended up watching the thing every day, much to my parents' dismay.
I'm in my 20's and feel like that dorky kid again watching The Lion King or Balto for the ninety-ninth time, only now it's How to Train Your Dragon.
If I had to guess, I'd say it is the attention to detail, the gorgeous visuals, the powerful storytelling, the parallels (particularly the ending, where we see Hiccup and Toothless complete each other because they have similar disabilities), and - probably first and foremost - the score. I am going to be on the fence at the Oscars this year because Dragon's score is just as good, if not better, than Inception's.
And bringing in Roger Deakins was an ingenious move. The lighting in Dragon is probably the best in animation history. Most appear so flat; even beloved Up has a very flat lighting scheme (though IMO it is still the best animated feature all-around), but Dragon looks so realistic in part because of its minimalistic and subtle lighting. E.g. The back lighting during the scene where Hiccup touches Toothless's face is elegant and involving. (A screen grab from that particular moment is now my desktop background.)
It is such a tired story, but the creators tackled it with originality. I cannot wait for the sequel (2013). Actually, I can, and I would rather wait for a quality sequel than a quick turnaround to capitalize on the franchise.
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