yamizi's layman review - movie - How To Train Your Dragon

I got to watch this in 2D instead of 3D, not that I think of that would make any difference.

Anyway, a tested and proven storyline, about how friendship is fostered through times of hardship and overcoming the obstacle as one. I really like that because I think as I grow older, I am seeing less of that. Probably why I am attracted to animation somehow. I like to see nice endings. Life is too fucked.

Besides that, I am really impressed with the innovation in creating different type of dragons and even giving them names! The various colour combination, characteristics and weaknesses make the dragons so much less mythical than we think.

There are 3 things that I really appreciate from the movie:-

1. When Hiccup first met the Night Fury and attempted to kill him. The look between each other's eyes with fear and the Night Fury shut his eyes and dropped his head. The resignation to fate by Night Fury is so heart-wrenching! Although I had no idea how Hiccup was going to kill Night Fury with that small blade of his.

2. When Stoick, who is Hiccup's father, apologised to Hiccup right before he set off with Night Fury (Toothless!) to fight the giant dragon (I don't even bother to capitalised! =P). It takes a lot for a father, especially Stoick, a chieftan to have swallowed his pride and admit he had greatly misunderstood his son.

3. The final aerial combat between Night Fury and giant dragon. I find that the choreography was just facinating. Who have really seen dragons fight before? Although it will never make sense that thin pair of wings could have pulled the giant dragon in the air, but it's animation afterall! Anything could happened! Back to the battle, I was keep thinking how Night Fury was going to win the giant dragon as the giant dragon was just way too much bigger in size and damaging power! I like the way how the battle went, in the same time, keeping the audience intensed and also thinking how it would turned out.

What really broke my heart was that Hiccup lost part of his left leg. It was never explained why that happened. You see, I really love nice endings. Yet it will seem way too impossible for Hiccup not to have lost anything after fighing such a gigantic monster. Even Night Fury lost part of his tail after getting shot down by Hiccup. Losing part of his leg making the story a bit more realistic.

As much as digital effects are getting better and more sophisticated nowadays, a good story and a good storytelling technique are still vital in ensuring a good movie. The motions and effects are just the form, the story is the soul and the storytelling technique is how the soul moves the form. I look forward to many more nice, simple, touching and with happy ending animations coming along.

yamizi's layman review - movie - Clash of the Titans

This is the remake of the 1981's version. I have not watched that but from a friend who had watched it shared with me that this remake omit quite a bit of storyline from the original.

I'm not quite sure why is there such a fancination over having the movie to be watched in 3D format. I'm quite okay with it less that the Chinese subtitles really stood out. Up (I just realise I didn't write a review for it!?) did not have this problem. Some of my friends commented that they feel giddy and sore in the eyes after watching 3D. Ain't no idea why.

On the whole, appreciate the tempo of the drama as a whole. There are 2 things I don't appreciate:-

1. The number of soldiers who followed Perseus flunctuates greatly. Some scenes a lot of people while some other scenes very little. Never really put a note how many of them were killed in each battle too.

2. Perseus claimed that he mend nets and not weilding sword but somehow, he becomes a master in swords and sure know how to slash some demons! He even knew that by raising up his sword and having it thrown at Hades, the lightning would have struck the sword to make it even more powerful and damaging! No idea how he got that idea but it just worked!

There are 2 other things that I do appreciate:-

1. The visual effect that took place whenever Hades appear or disappear from a scene.

2. The lagging effect that took place when the Kraken looked at Medusa's eyes.

It's quite a good action and adventure entertaining piece of movie, ain't sure is there any morale of the story to take note though.