Kevin has seen a chunk of How to Train Your Dragon and has this reaction:
... I just saw a couple of sequences [of How to Train Your Dragon], and what I saw was simply the best CG feature animation I’ve ever seen. And by that I don’t mean just the animation, but everything about the film.
... [T]here isn’t anything out there that remotely shows what the film really looks like. Dean De Blois and Chris Saunders writing and directing. Roger Deakins consulting on cinematography. Nico Marlet’s designs. Simon Otto obsessively supervising the animation. An experienced, talented crew hitting on all cylinders ...
What Kevin says tracks what DWA employees have told me:
"This is the best thing we've done since Kung Fu Panda. Everybody thinks it's good ..."
Which would meqn that DreamWorks Animation is looking at a minimum of two big hits in 2010, because after Dragons on March 26th comes a Major Tentpole starring a green ogre.
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17 comments:
I saw a few minutes of this a couple of weeks ago. I don't know about the best CG feature ever, but the footage I saw was very, very good. Very much looking forward to the film.
I've seen quite a bit of it, and it's hardly the best cg animated film ever. It's cute, but disjointed. It's very cliched in terms of animation, and the designs are mostly unappealing and pretty bland. I loved most of Kung Fu Panda, and this cannot compare. I'll be glad to change my mind, but so far, it's standard fare.
It's cute, but disjointed
Sounds like Chris Sanders. Thats not a put-down, that's just what he typically makes.
Seen the whole film. Disjointed is not an adjective I would use to describe it. Best DWA film to date!
Here is the Official Trailer for the movie: http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/11/02/must-watch-first-official-how-to-train-your-dragon-trailer/
Looks really good...only complaint: mcan't stand the kid's voice...maybe when it's not constantly narrating like it is in the trailer it won't be so offensive.
THAT'S a DRAGON??? It looks like a horned toad with wings. Meh.
And yeah, the kid's voice is REALLY annoying.
After the splendors of Astro Boy, this looks like a third-rank video game. Several steps below Spyro.
More whining, complaining little poops.
I didn't work on the movie, but I can clearly see how this will be a big hit. The kid's voice isn't annoying at all.
The dragon certainly screams 'Sanders design', which is a little jarring from the rest of the characters. But I think it looks great. Looking forward to it.
Kudos to Dreamworks for using Jay Baruchel for the lead voice instead of a "currently hot" young actor who's name would draw in people but doesn't have the talent to back it up. Jay has starred in a Oscar Winning Best Picture (Million Dollar Baby), a favorite TV series (Undeclared), and his voice fits this character well. I can't wait to see this film!
Hmm. I was excited until I saw the trailer.
I didn't see the trailer until after I'd seen two sequences from the beginning of the film. All I can say is, the trailer doesn't do what I saw justice.
And it gives away way too much. I wish I hadn't seen it.
Good trailers are a bit of alchemy. I think this film could benefit from treatment similar to what was done for the original Ice Age, where the little Scrat teasers sold the film. I've seen some little vignettes that were done for How to Train Your Dragon (which I don't think are even part of the film) that would do a great job of selling the concept.
Is that Christian Bale doing the voice of the kid? Sounds like gravel voiced Batman.
Looks like an Asterix cartoon, with an un-original looking and very unappealing dragon design.
I've seen the trailer; Iron Giant meets Reluctant Dragon. The quality of the craftsmanship was obvious. It was great to see that kind of rich, traditional storybook illustrator development in a CG feature. Most of them, with a few notable exceptions, have stuck to a contemporary setting.
The problem I had, even in this short script was with the script. How did Disney create all those classics without writing them like twiddling tweener hyper-hip sitcoms?
Let's all go through Grimm and Anderson and look for some smart-assed German or Danish teenager spouting a line like, "You are so busted!" (wink-wink, nudge-nudge).
Isn't it time we parked the pandering? It almost killed Horton.
It's a trailer. Trailers pander.
Judging the 'script' of a promo trailer is, well, not a very logical thing to do. Marketing departments make trailers. Filmmakers make films.
What I've seen of the actual film makes me want to see the whole thing, without having anything else given away in future trailers. But without those trailers, a lot of the general public won't have any idea what the film is, and won't go otherwise. That's the nature of the biz.
"You are so busted!
Yep, lines like that are really obnoxious and dated from the get go.
I hope there are no "Excellent!" , "Awesome!", and the worst : "YES!" (re: Culkin 'Home Alone') lines .
--> Rule: If it sounds like it could be a line of dialogue from a Disney Channel "tweeny" show , leave it out.
Two thumbs down....for the trailer anyway.
rufus.
Two thumbs down....for the trailer anyway.
rufus.
That's the best recomendation a film could get! It's sure to be a hit now!
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