So, usually people use these blog things to comment about their lives or spiritual epiphanies they’ve had. Which is fine and good, but not really worthwhile with me, since my life is dull and uninteresting. If I were doing something like that, this is what the week’s blog entry would look like.
Dear Internet. This week I had my hair cut and put boxes on shelves. Also I went to Bible Study in Grand Rapids and discovered I like Josh Turner’s music.
Daily entries would read like this:
Dear Internet. Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. We were kidnapped by the homeless people and forced to do work in a warehouse. It was the best day ever.
Actually no, my sister is a very sensible lady, so saying that would be slander. I try not to be slanderous.
So, instead of boring anybody who reads these with mindless anecdotes of my box-shelving life, and to make sure I actually have enough to write on this site, I shall make weekly entries on whatever I am currently reading/watching/playing, and what I think of it. Which, by the way, may take a while to get through, as I have all SORTS of comic books I read over the summer that deserve a comprehensive review.
Today’s entry, however, is not a comic book. It is a movie. An animated film called “How to Train Your Dragon,” which my little brother had seen in the theatres and very much recommended.
How to Train Your Dragon is beautifully animated. There’s no doubt about that. Most of the dragons are improbably built, and nearly ALL of the Vikings are, but the movement of the characters and the environments, especially the clouds, are wonderfully done. There’s this great scene where the protaganist takes his girlfriend on a ride through the clouds and it’s really cool. My brother said he saw the movie in 3-D in the theatre, which must have been really amazing.
The movie has some original takes on things, too. The hero’s father is, surprisingly, NOT a bad guy, just rather big and awkward. Nor are the Dragon’s wholly lovable, they do kill Vikings and all that other stuff (They don’t talk, either… I was worried about that). They DO have the stereotypical warrior babe in the film, and there is the whole “we don’t need to fight” thing going on, but the main character can be surprisingly natural at moments. And, without spoiling anything, at the end of the film they do something VERY unusual to the main character.
That being said, it’s not the best movie I’ve seen. The hero is, naturally, opposed to killing dragons (Otherwise this movie would have a VERY different title), which makes for some rather cliche moments and messages. The dialogue feels stiff at times, particularly where the characters say something like “For Odin’s Sake!” or some other ridiculous swear word. Some parts seem rushed or contrived, and especially near the beginning of the movie, it feels like they’re trying to fit in too much into too little. The end too, is a little too typically happy… despite the unusual twist I mentioned, they make sure to bring all the major plot conflicts and assure you they’re resolved. Somewhat Wizard of Oz style.
But like I said, the animation is beautiful and a lot of the boy/dragon moments are done very well. I really can’t complain about the plot, and several of the characters were intriguing. I would recommend you watch the movie at least once, but I don’t think I’d buy it.
I’ll post again next week, or whenever there’s a major development in my life I feel the Internet must know about.
The Solomon Code 