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Insightful article by moviepilot.com

Was How to Train Your Dragon 2's Underwhelming Box Office Caused By Upset Parents? SPOILERS

Oneill5491

30 Jun 2014, 19:46

Insightful article by moviepilot.com

Was How to Train Your Dragon 2's Underwhelming Box Office Caused By Upset Parents? SPOILERS

If that genuinely was (part of) the reason, then it was worth it, I'd say. The darker parts of the film turned it into something really special and unusual, and it's certainly not doing 'badly' enough that they won't finish the trilogy.

doeslingx

30 Jun 2014, 20:00

Oneill5491

30 Jun 2014, 19:46

Insightful article by moviepilot.com

Was How to Train Your Dragon 2's Underwhelming Box Office Caused By Upset Parents? SPOILERS

If that genuinely was (part of) the reason, then it was worth it, I'd say. The darker parts of the film turned it into something really special and unusual, and it's certainly not doing 'badly' enough that they won't finish the trilogy.

Regardless of how people feel about the quality of HTTYD2, it IS very special and unusual. It is a mature fantasy/action film and one of the only major US animated movies in its genre. Unfortunately this makes its disappointing run at the box office all the more sad. Studios are going to look at this movie as an excuse for why they stick to the comedic/lighthearted genre and won't risk trying out any other kinds of films for years to come.

Oneill5491

30 Jun 2014, 19:46

Insightful article by moviepilot.com

Was How to Train Your Dragon 2's Underwhelming Box Office Caused By Upset Parents? SPOILERS

As time pass I am more and more convinced the American box office numbers are in big part explained by this. That being said I would like to comment 2 quotes:

Quote:

 

I don't take my kids to movies to feel sad and morose.

Really!? So god forbid your kids will ever experience sadness, they shall never experience such an awful feeling until it's too late. No wonder there is so many entitled and spoiled kids out there

Quote:

 

I am really disappointed at the trend of either killing off parents or having one missing. Not violent enough? Let's put the dad on a boat and burn his body.

I wonder how many of these kids have watched the original Star Wars trilogy. I've just checked and The return of the Jedi is a PG movie where you have Luke burning his father's body, and this is not a animated movie, this is a live action one. So I'm here like

Quote:

 

Perhaps it isn't just the fact that a parent died, but the fact that he was killed by a beloved character. Perhaps parents are worried that they can't explain to their children that Toothless was acting against his will. To be honest, that kind of mentality is the reason why the message was watered down in 2012's The Lorax. Parents didn't want to explain who the Once-ler represented, so the movie portrayed him as a hip hero that went down the wrong path and gave the story a clear-cut villain.

And this is the best part, the cherry on the top, movie making people have to change things because parents don't want to play their role as parents and explain things to their kids. I have such a high hope in future generations now

Oneill5491

30 Jun 2014, 19:46

Insightful article by moviepilot.com

Was How to Train Your Dragon 2's Underwhelming Box Office Caused By Upset Parents? SPOILERS

I have thought this was a major reason for the box office disappointment since the first week. It was a small sample size, but when the word has gotten out that quickly, even among a small group of parents, that the movie is scary/sad it is not a good sign.

To be fair to parents, the desire to protect your kid from sad/difficult things is incredibly strong. It can cause you to make wrong judgement calls, even if they were made with good intentions. I have to admit, when I heard WHO would be doing the deed in question, I was a bit taken back. But I knew from previous experience that trying to hide serious issues from little kids actually tends to make it worse. But many others, thankfully (it involved a very sick family member), have not had that eye awakening experience.

Many parents constantly doubt themselves, and worry if they are doing it "right," so it does not take much nudging from opinionated blowhards to convince them that their child seeing a death on screen will scar them for life. This is where I think Dreamworks may have missed the mark in their promotion, they needed to reach out to influential mothers within this community to get out the message about why it is important to see this movie with their kids vs. just hiding from serious topics.

Trust me, I have already given up on over-protective parents.

My parents, being the 'just get good grades' parents, allowed me to watch a movie (when I was 6) about a babysitter clown killing children (with my older cousins). Yes, I got freaked out, yes, I have a fear of clowns now, but my parents didn't restrict me.

The thing is, hiding your kids from 'scary' things, don't help. It makes kids even MORE scared.

If my dad got killed by my *insert thing here* , I would RELATE to Hiccup. Not be trapped in depression.

Very sad news.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/business/dre ... 00957.html

Eret

01 Jul 2014, 01:09

Very sad news.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/business/dre ... 00957.html

That really sucks, and is likely not a good sign.

Eret

01 Jul 2014, 01:09

Very sad news.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/business/dre ... 00957.html

That's something nobody wanted to hear, even if it isn't so surprising. They've had a few outright bombs recently, and HTTYD 2 was supposed to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like they handled the lay-offs very well either by forcing people to leave immediately without even a chance to pack their things. That in itself could end up generating more bad publicity.

That's depressing.

My favorite movies as a kid were always the ones that handled the tougher subjects... in a way I think they helped me prepare for them in real life. Not to mention it typically left more of an emotional impact on me as well. So much media aimed at kids now is so shallow -- which I can say not in a "kids these days" way but because as an animation addict I still watch those things. I feel like they're missing out. HTTYD 2 really took me back to how it felt to be watching some of the films from my childhood -- such as Bluth films, which never shied away from sadness and hardship. I understand not wanting to hold up "realism" as the standard in everything, but even so... hopeful endings always meant much more to me if there had been a serious struggle beforehand, you know? One in which you lost something.