A dissenting view
Posted: 30 Jun 2015, 13:45
It came as no surprise to me to see Dreamworks end their relationship with Cartoon Network. What did surprise (and disappoint) me was seeing that DeBlois and Co. Still don't seem to have gotten it through their heads that quality writing and storytelling is just as (if not more) important than eye-popping CGI.
A quick summary: I was 110% impressed with the first 'Dragons' movie. As far as I'm concerned it was, in 2010, and remains to this day, one of the best animated features I've ever had the pleasure of watching. In terms of writing, heart and storytelling, I place it in the same rank with Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away.' 'Toy Story 3' can't even hold a candle to it (or Miyazaki's work for that matter). None of the 'Toy Story' flicks could.
In short, the first 'Dragon' movie left me, literally, breathless as I walked out of the theater. Sadly, the second movie had the opposite effect. I'll post more about it in the appropriate forum later, but suffice to say the second film felt like DeBlois and his team had abandoned everything they did right in the first one. I left the theater feeling betrayed -- yes, betrayed -- as though I'd just had a close friend haul off and slap me in the face for no apparent reason.
Back to the new series. Outstanding CGI and visuals, well up to Dreamwork's usual standards. To this day I would love to know how they manage to make water movement (ocean, waterfalls, etc.) look as natural as they do.
On the downside: Character development, storytelling and pacing are not where they could be. Not even close. Yes, I've watched all 13 episodes. I found several of them so dully predictable I found myself fast-forwarding out of sheer boredom. My most notable 'pet peeves:'
--Does almost every other shot (seemingly) have to consist of the Thorston Twins reaction to something or other?! There is such a thing as humor being forced.
--When did the dragons get demoted to the status of oversize scaly dogs with wings, faithfully and instantly obeying every command their riders give? I'm sorry, but only ONE episode out of RTTE's 13 left me with a different impression (Ep. 13, 'Total Nightmare').
Permit me to expand on this. It has already been more than implied, in the films and the TV series, that the dragons are very intelligent and have their own means of communication between themselves. It has also been shown (although nowhere near enough in my view) that they have independent streaks and individual personalities of their own.
Given this, the show's writers have what amounts to an amazing (and largely untapped) talent pool here. Some of the best moments in the entire TV series have been when a dragon just up and starts acting on their own initiative, leaving their rider to try and figure out what's going on. Episode 5 in Season 1 ('Race to Fireworm Island') did an outstanding job of exploring this. I consider it to be the best episode of Season 1, period.
--I have mixed feelings about Hiccup and the rest of the riders taking up their own island. On the one wing, yes, it makes it easier to focus attention on the main group of characters for the story's continuation. On the other, I was under the impression one of the key reasons for having dragons around in the first place is so they can help defend their home (Berk, yes?) So how is splitting off the most experienced dragons and riders to their own island going to help with this?
For that matter, can just six rider-dragon pairs even defend an entire island on their own? Seems to me any attacking force would be a bare minimum of twenty, probably more.
--"Plasma Blast!" If I had to pick the phrase I loathe most in the entire 'Dragons' franchise, this would be it.
I can accept some anachronisms for their humor value, but considering plasma, as a substance or state of matter, wasn't even discovered until 1879 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28physics%29) this is just too much. The whole purpose of the phrase seems to be to give the kiddies something which sounds Horribly Impressive to latch on to, and that's poor writing no matter how you type it. I'm surprised Jay Baruchel can voice it in this context without laughing himself silly.
--'Star Wars' references. It is my impression Dean DeBlois really wants to be the next George Lucas, and he's developed the unfortunate habit of pushing blatant (and unwelcome) hints of this into the 'Dragons' franchise (come on -- Who didn't get the parallels to Luke and his lightsaber with Hiccup and his dragonfire sword in the second flick?)
The problem is 'Star Wars' and 'Dragons' are as different as night and day (and should remain so!) If DeBlois really wants to break away and work on being Lucas's understudy, perhaps he would do us all a big favor by turning the reins of 'Dragons' over to Chris Sanders (who, BTW, was badly marginalized in the second film).
A friend of mine and I have discussed both movies, and the series, at length. We both agree the only way to recapture the magic and heart which made the first movie such a huge success would be for the third movie to pull a 'Dallas' move on the second.
In essence, this would start by showing some quick flashbacks to the end of the second movie -- and then having Hiccup wake up in bed, in the middle of the night, sweating and shaking from what would have been a bizarre nightmare. Things would then move forward as though the events in the second movie had never occurred.
Sadly, I doubt this will happen. I also doubt there will be much improvement in Season 2 of the current series (though I would dearly love to be proven wrong in this case).
I'm sorry, but until I see some dramatic improvement I can't help but think of the current series as 'Dragons: Race to the Bottom.'
Keep the peace(es).
A quick summary: I was 110% impressed with the first 'Dragons' movie. As far as I'm concerned it was, in 2010, and remains to this day, one of the best animated features I've ever had the pleasure of watching. In terms of writing, heart and storytelling, I place it in the same rank with Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away.' 'Toy Story 3' can't even hold a candle to it (or Miyazaki's work for that matter). None of the 'Toy Story' flicks could.
In short, the first 'Dragon' movie left me, literally, breathless as I walked out of the theater. Sadly, the second movie had the opposite effect. I'll post more about it in the appropriate forum later, but suffice to say the second film felt like DeBlois and his team had abandoned everything they did right in the first one. I left the theater feeling betrayed -- yes, betrayed -- as though I'd just had a close friend haul off and slap me in the face for no apparent reason.
Back to the new series. Outstanding CGI and visuals, well up to Dreamwork's usual standards. To this day I would love to know how they manage to make water movement (ocean, waterfalls, etc.) look as natural as they do.
On the downside: Character development, storytelling and pacing are not where they could be. Not even close. Yes, I've watched all 13 episodes. I found several of them so dully predictable I found myself fast-forwarding out of sheer boredom. My most notable 'pet peeves:'
--Does almost every other shot (seemingly) have to consist of the Thorston Twins reaction to something or other?! There is such a thing as humor being forced.
--When did the dragons get demoted to the status of oversize scaly dogs with wings, faithfully and instantly obeying every command their riders give? I'm sorry, but only ONE episode out of RTTE's 13 left me with a different impression (Ep. 13, 'Total Nightmare').
Permit me to expand on this. It has already been more than implied, in the films and the TV series, that the dragons are very intelligent and have their own means of communication between themselves. It has also been shown (although nowhere near enough in my view) that they have independent streaks and individual personalities of their own.
Given this, the show's writers have what amounts to an amazing (and largely untapped) talent pool here. Some of the best moments in the entire TV series have been when a dragon just up and starts acting on their own initiative, leaving their rider to try and figure out what's going on. Episode 5 in Season 1 ('Race to Fireworm Island') did an outstanding job of exploring this. I consider it to be the best episode of Season 1, period.
--I have mixed feelings about Hiccup and the rest of the riders taking up their own island. On the one wing, yes, it makes it easier to focus attention on the main group of characters for the story's continuation. On the other, I was under the impression one of the key reasons for having dragons around in the first place is so they can help defend their home (Berk, yes?) So how is splitting off the most experienced dragons and riders to their own island going to help with this?
For that matter, can just six rider-dragon pairs even defend an entire island on their own? Seems to me any attacking force would be a bare minimum of twenty, probably more.
--"Plasma Blast!" If I had to pick the phrase I loathe most in the entire 'Dragons' franchise, this would be it.
I can accept some anachronisms for their humor value, but considering plasma, as a substance or state of matter, wasn't even discovered until 1879 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28physics%29) this is just too much. The whole purpose of the phrase seems to be to give the kiddies something which sounds Horribly Impressive to latch on to, and that's poor writing no matter how you type it. I'm surprised Jay Baruchel can voice it in this context without laughing himself silly.
--'Star Wars' references. It is my impression Dean DeBlois really wants to be the next George Lucas, and he's developed the unfortunate habit of pushing blatant (and unwelcome) hints of this into the 'Dragons' franchise (come on -- Who didn't get the parallels to Luke and his lightsaber with Hiccup and his dragonfire sword in the second flick?)
The problem is 'Star Wars' and 'Dragons' are as different as night and day (and should remain so!) If DeBlois really wants to break away and work on being Lucas's understudy, perhaps he would do us all a big favor by turning the reins of 'Dragons' over to Chris Sanders (who, BTW, was badly marginalized in the second film).
A friend of mine and I have discussed both movies, and the series, at length. We both agree the only way to recapture the magic and heart which made the first movie such a huge success would be for the third movie to pull a 'Dallas' move on the second.
In essence, this would start by showing some quick flashbacks to the end of the second movie -- and then having Hiccup wake up in bed, in the middle of the night, sweating and shaking from what would have been a bizarre nightmare. Things would then move forward as though the events in the second movie had never occurred.
Sadly, I doubt this will happen. I also doubt there will be much improvement in Season 2 of the current series (though I would dearly love to be proven wrong in this case).
I'm sorry, but until I see some dramatic improvement I can't help but think of the current series as 'Dragons: Race to the Bottom.'
Keep the peace(es).
