How to Train Your Dragon

[Bogatan]

You wouldn't believe it based on the god awful trailers for it, but this is a wonderful film. Selling it as from the makers of Shrek etc is about the biggest mistake they could make in trying to convey the tone of the story. A much more accurate statement would have been from the makers of Lilo and Stitch.

That probably wouldn't have gotten as many bums on seats sadly, but is a much better sign of quality. After Chris Sander and Dean Blois left Disney, having apparently screwed up Meet the Robinsons as was kind of sad, but it meant they made this so all is well again.

This is the first non Pixar cg animated film I've been truely amazed by. Theres a proper story thats not played for crude fart jokes and the animation is quite beautiful, not quite Pixar but closer than anything Dreamworks have managed before.

If you like Lilo and Stitch (and shame on you if you didn't ) you should really check this out.

Andy

[kayevcee]

I've yet to see a bad review of this film. I'll have to give it a go. I'll also have to see Lilo and Stitch at some point.

-Nick

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Non-photorealistic CG animation just doesn't work for me. I figure that if I couldn't enjoy Wall-E, I might as well give up trying.

(Goes back to watching Tex Avery DVD box set.)

Martin

[Deleted]

CGI in all its forms doesn't do anything for me either. I know that some of the films are quite well written but I think that too much emphasis is placed on CGI these days and that is what has put me off.

[Bogatan]

Generally I agree with you. Pixar is my usual exception for high end animation done CG. But the animation here is beautiful. Very nice styling with just a hint of Sanders own drooping limb drawing style that I love so much from L&O. Plus the dragon in this looks so much like Stitch that they could be brothers.

Possibly the models could have a slightly larger range of motion, just to offer the animators a bit more scope. Maybe.

Andy

[nick]

CG is just an artist's tool - same as pencil and paper - at the end of the day. If one can cartoon in one medium, then why not the other? This film was gorgeous, from its heart to its surface, and I've never felt that way about a Dreamworks effort. The stink of Lilo and Stitch is all over it, and that's one whiff no one should want to wash off. Loved it.

Nick

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Apr 9, 2010 20:15:47 GMT nick said:

CG is just an artist's tool - same as pencil and paper - at the end of the day. If one can cartoon in one medium, then why not the other?

In principle, I'd agree. I've just never seen a non-photorealistic CG character that conveys to me the same sense of life and soul as the best hand-drawn full animation or puppetry. The best CG animated characters that I've seen (and of course I'm not talking about characters like Gollum that have a live human performance behind them) strike me as soulless as hand-drawn limited animation. Dunno why that is - maybe it's how the computer is used to cut the same corners that were cut with hand-drawn limited animation, or maybe it's just that the artistic (as opposed to technological) geniuses of CG animation direction (equivalents of Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng) haven't arrived on the scene yet.

It's CG humans that bug me the most - I just can't see the point of them. Why not use real humans if you're making such a polished product? It was the appearance of CG rather than live humans half-way through Wall-E that turned me off that otherwise excellent film.

But just to ask a question: Does anyone here feel that CG Yoda came across as 'alive' as puppet Yoda? (Same voice actor.) I've never heard anyone say so, despite the former being far more fluid in his movements and the latter more limited in his expressions. I don't, and I put it down to Frank Oz's performance as a puppeteer as well as voice actor, which is something computers can't replicate - as I don't think they can replicate the sense of life conveyed by hand-drawn full animation done well.

Maybe one day I'll see the point (apart from being cheaper) of using CG for something besides photorealistic special effects in an otherwise live-action movie (perhaps when the voice actor can fully control the CG animation live with his or her hands like a puppeteer - which I suppose is kind of what they did with Gollum - or perhaps simply when they get someone as talented as Chuck Jones to do the facial expressions and timing), but I haven't to date.

Martin

[Bogatan]

I do think the humans in WallE looked exactly how they were meant to look and you couldn't have done it with live action humans.

I think the best two sets of CG animated humans I've yet seen have been in Up and How to Train Your Dragon. In fact I might just say the Vikings in HTTYD are my favourites. Theres a really nice cartoon quality to them. Again that might have something to do with the character design which has so many similarities to Lilo and Stitch.

To be clear I consider Lilo and Stitch probably the best animated film of all time (Laputa might have something to say about that) so any comparison to it is about as positive as I can be.

Andy

[bertie]

This was done by the Lilo and Stitch guys?? I'm so there. I loved Lilo and Stitch.

[grahamthomson]

Booked my tickets to see this at the IMAX in Manchester on Saturday. Fortunately the 3D glasses for IMAX fit comfortably over my normal glasses.

[Bogatan]

IMAX!!!!!

Must plan trip to London.

Andy

[grahamthomson]

There's an IMAX now at the Metrocentre in Gateshead if that's any closer for you.

[Bogatan]

I don't even know where Gateshead is. Geographical location is not my thing. Sheffield and Leeds (There an Imax around there somewhere, are closer than London but cost more to get to. Plus James has a Death Garry for me in London.

Andy

[grahamthomson]

Ah well, you didn't mention a Death Garry in all of this!!

[grahamthomson]

How To Train Your Dragon was brilliant. A lot of fun, with some great visuals. Toothless was so cute. Um, for a dragon!

Also: annoying twins who don't read, and racial stereotypes. Michael Bay would have been proud!