Writer and director, Dean DeBlois has gone to a lot of trouble to craft this sequel as closely to its 2010 predecessor as he can; to the point where every scene centered between young Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless, feels like one of the best things you've ever seen, and all the others are surprisingly mediocre by comparison. That's not to say that HtTYD2 isn't a good film, but you get the feeling it could be even better with more attention paid to the other characters.
The only reservations I have about this second installment are the same as before; the character design of the humans isn't anywhere near as inspired (or inspiring) as that of the dragons, Jay Baruchel isn't particularly great casting as the central hero as his voice, while capable, just doesn't match that character design, and Gerard Butler somehow manages to make his own Scottish accent sound contrived and unconvincing. Oh, and this time Cate Blanchett demonstrates that she can't hold a Scottish accent either, even if her character has been living alone for 20 years.
But don't let my linguistical nit-picking spoil what is, for the most part, an astoundingly beautiful-looking and emotionally charged film. The father/son bonding from How To Train Your Dragon is replaced with a mother/son relationship (it's in the trailer, that's not a spoiler), and while in many films the reversal of themes could seem tacky or forced, it works very well here (even with the wandering accent of Cate). But if it's a boy and his dragon you've come for, you won't be disappointed. The bond between the two is built upon magnificently, and I think it's fair to say that Toothless represents some of the most expressive animation I've ever seen. It's just too bad they couldn't extend that to the humans. The 3D's fairly effective, but isn't a deal-breaker by any means.
As animated sequels go, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a firm-footed winner, although the linear plot might frustrate older members of the audience. Every bit as funny and charming as the original, it may not be an all-time classic, but will probably be one of the year's highlights.
Best avoided if you'll get annoyed by people with Scottish and American accents living on the same isolated, small island, somehow.
Oh, yeah.
Pretty much.
I imagine it does.
Cinema if your little ones want to go, otherwise it'll be just as good on DVD/BRD.
Nope.
Only before the third film comes out, I suspect.
Didn't hear one.
During the opening dragon-race, is Tuffnut's facepaint a visual nod to the Clone Wars' Savage Opress?
No? Just me? Oh, okay then.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Bad Neighbours (or "Neighbors" if you're not in the UK)
Cert: 15 / 97 mins / Dir. Nicholas Stoller
Is this really only 97 minutes? It seems longer when you're in there. Nick Stoller's frat-boy comedy feels like a spiritual successor to Superbad and Knocked Up for its star, Seth Rogen, who comfortably eases into the role of the mid-life crisis next door, and he and Rose Byrne give the most value for money in their roles as suburban parents who have a fraternity house move in yards away from them. The film has plenty of chuckles and a few scattered belly laughs, as well as all the dick, fart and weed jokes you've come to expect from this ensemble.
What it lacks, unfortunately, is both heart and narrative drive*1. Bad Neighbours never becomes more than a collection of individually humourous sketches, and when they're played in succession, the whole thing starts to sag. By no means awful, but it's an also-ran, even by Rogen's fluctuatingstandards.
But, as I sat down in Screen 2 to watch this film, the trailer was playing for the Mrs Br*wn's B*s film, followed by the trailer for A Million Ways To Die In The West, then Blended. Which pretty much makes Bad Neighbours the average-looking punter who rolls up to a party with a bunch of ugly friends in an attempt to make themselves look hotter.
And after a fashion, the film succeeds on that level if no other.
Well, all the best gags are spoiled by the trailer, so yes.
Sometimes.
Not for me.
DVD, tops.
Nah.
Maybe, but it won't be by my choosing.
I didn't hear one.
Do you get the feeling that Christopher Mintz-Plasse knows he's painted himself into a corner, now?
*1 I know that sounds like I'm asking too much, but the Rogen-penned Superbad had both, as did Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Kick-Ass 2(Spoiler-free) Cert: 15 / 103 mins / Dir. Jeff Wadlow
Expectation is the enemy, and the victor, of many a sequel. Some manage to equal their predecessor, a few even surpass it, but following up a breakout hit like Kick-Ass was never going to be easy, no matter how much it stood holding the door open for another movie. Not only is K-A2 contending with its elder sibling, it's also surrounded by many other page-to-screen adaptations, and being a bit indie is no longer a unique selling point. So, how does it fare?
Well, the first half never quite clears the hurdle of 'largely unnecessary sequel', with clunky dialogue, glaring flashbacks and a clockwork mechanism of setup / fight-scene / setup / fight-scene. The thread with Mindy/Hit-Girl trying to fit in at school was the worst offender, with a resolution so telegraphed as to almost be a waste of everyone's time. But thankfully the second half reaches down and gives the first a hand. Everything from the return of Hit-Girl onwards is quite marvellous, and the story suddenly starts to feel like it has some consequence. This really is Moretz's film (despite what I've just grumbled about), and she gets the best deal in terms of having material to work with. That said, Taylor-Johnson and Mintz-Plasse are on great form as the returning hero and villain respectively, and Jim Carrey gives a fantastic dialled-down performance as Colonel Stars and Stripes. Everyone else, unfortunately, is in one-trick-pony territory, and there just isn't the time or scope to give such a massive cast-list that much to do, no matter how entertaining they are. I also noticed a very strong Brit presence on-screen, which was nice. I suspect it's a combination of the Matthew Vaughn connection and the UK location filming, but I'm not complaining.
Ultimately, I enjoyed Kick-Ass 2 very much, but I'd be fibbing if I said it was anywhere near as iconic as its forebear. A third installment would benefit greatly from having Vaughn back at the helm. It spends a little too much time moralising, and not quite enough having fun. But when it is enjoying itself, you can't help but be swept along for the ride.
Oh, and stick around after the credits for a short, final scene.
Almost.
Mostly.
I'd say so, yes.
If you're already a fan, the cinema.
No.
I will.
I didn't hear one, but it could well have been buried. There was a lot of screaming..
Now that Geek has almost become the new mainstream, is the comic-book-movie well starting to run dry?
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
