Escape to the Movies: How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Dragon Training Pays Off

[Ashley Blalock]

Not an awful feeling about Transformers 4: We Are Out of Ideas But Still Want Your Money? It's got to be something you ate or maybe you are coming down with something.

I expect Transformers 4 to be nothing but the same worn out big budget summer action movie formula of no plot, no character, and the hope that the best in CGI destruction can somehow cover up how weak and formulaic every aspect of the film is. Killed off the A list Decepticons so they have to drag out Galvatron from when Transformers stopped being cool in the 80's and Lockdown because they killed off too much of G1.

Could be wrong since I've been wrong about films in the past, but I'm just not expecting anything special out of Transformers 4 except for the special effects. Although even with that it's getting to be been there done that with how violently can they kill robots since PG-13 lets you get brutal with non-organics.

 

[Tanis]

Here's my question:
How does it work as a sequel to the ENJOYABLE cartoon series?

I understand that, after this movie, there's going to be another season of the HTTYD cartoon.
This excites me because I rather enjoyed the first season and I hope whatever world changes this brings are brought into the new season.

 

[Makabriel]

/snip

Can a review of a movie be done that does not include content of the movie? Yes, and you did it quite well.

Has Bob established over a VERY long time that his reviews and critiques will possibly include some spoilers and content from the movies? Yup. So why do people take it upon themselves to make him change the way he does things while the rest of us enjoy the way he does.

Honestly if he took up your style (which would be hard to put to video) I'd probably skip this content.

 

[Makabriel]

Here's my question:
How does it work as a sequel to the ENJOYABLE cartoon series?

I understand that, after this movie, there's going to be another season of the HTTYD cartoon.
This excites me because I rather enjoyed the first season and I hope whatever world changes this brings are brought into the new season.

From what I'd read it's actually outside the cartoon series. Could be wrong though.

 

[PunkRex]

Dreamworks Animation really is a great studio. 'How to Train your Dragon' and the 'Kung Fu Panda' franchise are some of my favorites and I can't wait for the follow ups.

When I was younger I thought of them as less then Pixar, but looking at it now Pixar seem very more free to do what they want (not that Pixar films arn't amazing). Dreamworks feels a lot more restricted and the fact they still manage to make movies this good shows just how great they are.

 

[PunkRex]

Here's my question:
How does it work as a sequel to the ENJOYABLE cartoon series?

I understand that, after this movie, there's going to be another season of the HTTYD cartoon.
This excites me because I rather enjoyed the first season and I hope whatever world changes this brings are brought into the new season.

From what I'd read it's actually outside the cartoon series. Could be wrong though.

I havn't watched a lot of the T.V. series but I think Stoick rides a Thunder Drum yet in the new film he rides a new dragon called Skull Crusher so there are probably a few differences.

 

[fluxy100]

Wait what? It's not a film critic's job to tell if a movie is good or not? Then what is the whole purpose of critic screenings or reviews? Are they just there so someone can just talk about a movie for five minutes and then get paid for it? What is the point of listening to a review if it doesn't inform me of the quality of the thing being reviewed?

 

[StriderShinryu]

Honestly, I would like to see Bob just put in a sentence or two at the start of the review video that basically amounts to "see it" "skip it" or "consider it." That way, people who really just want to know if Bob thinks the movie is worth seeing or not can watch the first 10 seconds of the video and then leave the page.

As for the movie itself? I might catch it at some point if I'm bored. It doesn't look or sound bad by any means, it just doesn't grab me at all.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Going to see it soon at the time of this post and debating watching the review or waiting until I have seen it.
But in any case thank you bob for including the spoiler warning, and while yes "if it is in the trailer it's not a spoiler," if its the one spoiler I think it is, I wasn't angry, more like miffed or annoyed when that appeared in the trailer. But then "holy crap, new How To Train Your Dragon!" kicked in and my annoyance vanished completely.

 

[Uriel_Hayabusa]

I was pleasantly surprised by the first movie and while I tend to avoid 3D movies (I don't like wearing the glasses) I think I'll make an exception for this one.

As for Bob's review, I myself wouldn't mind if Bob tried to rethink his reviewing style for a bit. His justification of "If it's in the trailer, it's not a spoiler!" rings hollow for me. I don't think I'm alone when I say that many trailers spoil way too much of their respective movies - or as they say on TVTropes "Trailers Always Spoil".

Besides, plenty of other critics can make craft a good, informative review without spoiling several big reveals.

 

[bigfatcarp93]

SO basically, really good HTTYD sequel surprises no one. Saw that comin'.

 

[josemlopes]

If we all just went out to see the movies instead of getting a general idea if its worth the money (in example, not terribly executed on its premise) then reviewers would be out of a job.

Also, after watching your review of Godzilla I managed to get the important info that you said to my brother without spoiling the damn thing, so no, you dont spoil when its impossible to not spoil, especially since when you started here you sure as fuck barely spoiled anything, nowadays its like you just go "Fuck it, I'll spoil the thing to get my point easily across".

Most times now I avoid watching your review if its a movie I plan seeing since now you dont even put a spoiler warning in some cases, you just keep telling the story untill you reach the end while I am waiting for you to stop since at first you are just telling what the basic premise of the movie is (to the extent of what is shown in the trailers).

 

[Evonisia]

Well I'm interested now, but do I have to watch the first one to really get into the second one?

Also what happened to "If it's in the trailer, it's not a spoiler"?

 

[Grimh]

Spoilers very rarely bother me but I'm gonna have to disagree with you Bob.
Just go see the movie? The reason people look up reviews to know if they should go see the movie.
Anyway, other people have already made the point better than I ever could so I wont get into it too much.

I will grant you however that this time if you saw the trailer you would have been spoiled regardless.
So you know, fuck marketing.

 

[Metalrocks]

saw the trailer and i have admit, id did leave me with a good impression. now i just have to see if my cinema will play it in english since all damn children movies are only shown in chinese.

 

[Evil Smurf]

What was wrong with Shrek? I thought it great!

 

[daxterx2005]

This takes place right after the first?
I thought the tv series took place right after the first?

 

[ecoho]

This takes place right after the first?
I thought the tv series took place right after the first?

about 5-8 years after, hiccups 20 in this one.

 

[V TheSystem V]

Loved the first film, but the trailer for the second film just didn't grab me. It might be because I thought they were spoiling the hell out of the film (is the stuff about Hiccup's mum being alive a spoiler? I assumed it was), but I just lost interest.

Bob's review has assured me that it is actually good, so I might persuade my girlfriend to watch the first one and then go see this.

 

[katsabas]

'It is not really our function to tell you whether or not a movie is good, that's subjective'.

If I wanted a simple opinion & discussion about whether a movie is good, I would ask my friends. But I don't cause I don't want a simple opinion & discussion. I prefer the opinion of someone who has a clue about movies in general than someone in my circle who thinks that 'We're The Millers' is a good comedy and coming satisfied out of the Robocop reboot. Whose opinion carries with it some amount of weight. So for me, what you said is not your job, is PRECISELY your job. Subjective or not, it helps me save money.

Also, I haven't seen the trailer for the movie, I tend not to do that in films I am interested in cause since The (first) Hangover, that turned out to be the way to go for surprises and I like being surprised.