How to Train Your Dragon 2- Review

The Dragons ride once more! 

Sequels almost always seem to present a unique challenge to both the audience and the creators. Can the new installment feel just as fresh as it does familiar? Does the story raise the stakes? Will it manage to stand on its own merits instead of riding the coattails of the previous work? Expectations for the performance is higher on both ends of the spectrum to say the least, and a lot can ride on the success of said sequel.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 manages to not only live up to the lofty expectations everyone has surrounding it, but (in more ways than one) actually surpasses many of them with flying colors. Fans of the franchise all around the world are rejoicing over this picture, and with rightful cause. This is quite frankly one of the best movies of the year so far, and one of the best sequels to come along in quite some time in my eyes.

Honestly, it doesn't even feel like four years have gone by since the first film. I can still easily recall my feelings quite vividly from that debut tale, and I still think that How to Train Your Dragon is one of Dreamworks Studios most impressive pieces to date. No movie has been more deserving of a sequel from Dreamworks (save for Kung-Fu Panda) and even though it has taken the studio a good deal of time to get this highly anticipated sequel to us, it totally feels worth the wait. 

While I don't think that this is absolute perfection given form on the silver screen, I will say that this flick gets pretty damn close to it. Even after an almost entire two weeks of pondering and mulling over this movie, I can only think of literally two actual problems I have with How to Train Your Dragon 2, but we'll get to those in a little bit.

It has been five years years since the viking island village of Berk has made peace with the local dragon flock, and life has never been better. Dragons are now a fully integrated part of the island's every day life as both working animals and loyal companions. Even sports such as dragon racing are now a major pastime among the population. Unbeknownst to Berk however, a madman called Drago Bludvist has been amassing an enormous dragon army, and he is setting his sights on the small island homeland. Can the young inventive viking Hiccup (son of chieftain Stoic the Vast) and his Night Fury dragon Toothless save Berk from the terrible war that lurks on the horizon?

On the surface the How to Train Your Dragon franchise may not seem like much. Ask anyone who is a fan though and they'll certainly tell you different. This is a story that goes far deeper than just the cartoony and kid friendly exterior. Heavy topics most family films shy away from take center stage in the series that still (through some clever storytelling methods) feel easy to understand to even the most young mind. Issues such as racism, cultural loyalty/legacy, and even physical handicaps are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the material at large. The narrative without a doubt takes its audience seriously and doesn't dumb down the plot, conflict, or characters at any point. If anything else it seems like the writers are creating a very dramatic and weighty story that feels like it has real consequences. 

Dean DeBlois returns as director for this latest en devour and I have to say he pretty much knocks it out of the park. This sequel brings everything up a notch. The scope of the world feels more grand, the action is more intense, and the stakes within the narrative feel much higher. The characters have more agency now than they ever have before and I couldn't be happier for it. For those who thought that the first movie brought the heat, you haven't seen anything yet. What The Empire Strikes Back is to Star Wars is how How to Train Your Dragon 2 feels to its respective series. At no point does it feel like there is a wasted moment. Every scene builds upon the last one, pulling the audience further into the world and deeper into the conflict. By the time the end credits roll this bad boy is clearly demanding a followup.

All of the original voice cast returns, and along with the newcomers to the story, bring their absolute A-game to the table. The decision to age the characters by five years obviously allows the actors to come at their roles with a little bit more of an adult mind. Although there is still a good deal of comedy to be had from everyone's performances to some extent, there is an underlying maturity to most of the proceedings. For example, Jay Baruchel does a splendid job at conveying Hiccup as a more confident and outright badass young adult this time around. Yet at no point does he not come off as the same nasally voiced sarcastic kid from the previous flick. This is more like the logical progression of that same character. The standout portrayal though goes to none other than Gerard Butler's Stoic and Cate Blanchett's Valka. These two have such an amazing chemistry that it makes me want to see them in their own prequel story.

I think Hiccup said it best in the trailer: "This is amazing!"

To be completely honest, I'm a sucker for dragons, let alone sequences that involve the notion of riding them. How to Train Your Dragon 2 does not disappoint when it comes to its stellar dragon riding. In fact they deliver in more than spades if there is such a thing. Every scene where a dragon takes to the sky is truly a sight to behold, and seldom is it that a movie manages to invoke the sensation of flying so vividly. If you couldn't tell from the promotional material, visually this movie is immaculate. While the overall look still falls into the cartoonish realm, that underlying feeling of maturity is still reflective. Textures on character models and backgrounds alike have such an incredible attention to detail that you'll notice tiny things like the stubble forming on Hiccup's chin, or the scales wriggling on Toothless' back as he flies through the air. The folks at Dreamworks have clearly gone out of their way to make one of the most beautiful CGI cartoons to date.

John Powell returns as the music composer and (much like the rest of this film) just kills it. One of the most memorable parts to the first installment was its audible feast of a Celtic themed score. A lot of the old compositions from that film are here, albeit with substantially more power to them. The up-scaling to a one hundred twenty piece orchestra and a one hundred voice choir now brings How to Train Your Dragon 2 into the realm of truly epic sound from the moment the movie starts to the time the credits finish. Its distinctive Celtic flavor blissfully permeates every moment to a practically flawless degree. This is easily one of the best film scores of the year.

Sadly there are at least two flaws with How to Train Your Dragon 2. One, there is a bit of a continuity flub at the film's climax. It really isn't noticeable unless you think about it, but once it's brought to your attention you can't un-see it, and you'll wonder how it managed to evade the creators. Two, the villain isn't quite as great as he could be. While neither of these issues are deal breakers, it is a tad disappointing to see such a great work lack a great antagonist. Drago Bludvist could work, but just doesn't get enough screen time throughout the story. When he finally does get some time to shine he unfortunately comes off as little more than a screaming barbarian with a big stick. The potential for him to be a dark reflection of what Hiccup could one day become is shown to be there, but tragically goes unexplored.

Overall you can't really go wrong with How to Train Your Dragon 2. It is a solid movie through and through, and even with the two flaws I just mentioned, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a movie that takes its audience very seriously. I highly recommend seeing this gorgeous piece on the biggest screen possible. This is a family film I can see many people heralding as one of the all-time greats for years to come. In my honest opinion, all the praise that this picture has been getting is completely earned, and I can't wait to see how Dreamworks intends to follow through on this. Another installment is already confirmed, and much like all good things, it will be here in time.

Positive Factors

• More than worthy successor to the amazing first film.
• Stellar direction brings the world, story, and characters up a notch. This narrative has real consequences. 
• Voice cast brings their A-game. Everyone just feels right, with Gerard Butler and Cate Blanchett stealing the show.
• Immaculate Visuals. Easily one of the best looking CGI films to date.
• Killer score. John Powell returns to bring the Celtic thunder.

Negative Factors

• Continuity flub during the climax.
• Drago Bludvist is a bit on the weak side as far as antagonists go.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!

Edge of Tomorrow- Review

This is not the end.

I'm going to be honest and put my cards on the table here, I don't consider myself to be that big of a Tom Cruise fan. Don't get me wrong, it's not for the reasons you would think. I don't really care about his religious preferences or the media fiasco that surrounded him in the early 2000's. I actually have the utmost respect for him as an artist, and feel that he's good at what he does. He has plenty of notable roles to his name, his passion for acting is commendable, and I will even state that sometimes he is the best part of certain movies.

To be frank, it's that he fundamentally plays the exact same character in essentially the exact same story over and over. While I do understand why the type-cast for him exists, his movies leave little to my imagination. I personally feel that once you've seen any of his pictures you've pretty much seen them all. I won't be so bold to say that they're outright bad experiences, but they're certainly not engaging to me, especially after so much exposure.

As a fairly genre-savvy guy when it generally comes to fiction, I sincerely felt that I had Edge of Tomorrow pegged. Nothing about this movie in the promotional material came off as fresh, innovative, or even remotely impressive for Tom Cruise. It looked like nothing more than a standard run-of-the-mill Tom Cruise flick that just so happened to have a heavy sci-fi leaning. If anything else, the only thing that I took notice of was how goofy Tom Cruise looked in the exo-suit from the early images, as well as the prospect of seeing him die repeatedly.

It's nice when something knocks me for a loop or surpasses my expectations. I've gotta say, Edge of Tomorrow is a surprisingly good movie. While it isn't a perfect science fiction tale (or even that great of an adaptation) it certainly gets far more right than it gets wrong.

In the not too distant future mankind is at war with deadly alien invaders christened as "Mimics." Due to their ability to seemingly anticipate and copy our actions, they are a near unstoppable force that have been easily winning almost every battle since their arrival. Emboldened by a recent (and decisive) victory at Verdun, the standing armies of the world combine their ranks to form the U.D.F. (United Defense Force) and organize a massive D-Day style counter strike against the Mimic threat on the beaches of France.

Major William Cage, a P.R. member of the NATO-led U.D.F. is summoned to London on the eve of the coming battle. Cage has express orders to cover the attack (known as Operation Downfall) from the same beach that the soldiers will launch. Lacking any real combat training, Cage attempts to blackmail his way out of attending, but is instead stripped of his rank and sent to the front lines of the assault. Within minutes of landing on the beach Cage encounters a massive "Alpha" Mimic. He manages to kill the Alpha with a nearby mine, and as it bleeds on him, they both die. Suddenly Cage finds himself waking up on the eve of Operation Downfall getting ready to be dropped into combat once more. It doesn't take long for Cage to realize that through his contact with the Mimic he is now stuck in a time-loop.

The concept of reliving the same day over and over is nothing new in storytelling. Many narratives have utilized the idea to varying degrees for years now, but Edge of Tomorrow manages to shine above the rest thanks in part to its enthusiastic approach on the subject. In so many ways Edge of Tomorrow feels like one of those classic run-and-gun videogames (like Metal Slug) brought to life. The main character Cage almost feels like a player character that has to figure out the enemy patterns in order to make it further so that he can confront the big bad boss at the end. This sensation isn't domineering throughout the plot, but it certainly feels noticeable in a refreshingly good way.

While there is a strong comedic element that plays up the more silly videogame-esque qualities of the story it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. By the mid-point of the film a lot of the time-loop proceedings eventually take on a more serious edge. As Cage experiences dying hundreds (if not thousands of times) we see the emotional scars that carrying that knowledge can bring. He witnesses people that he's come to know and care for die over and over, and the movie does a great job of conveying how much it weighs down on Cage.

Doug Liman's brisk direction of the script keeps the film feeling clever even with the repetition of events. Impressively enough, each time Cage undergoes another time-loop he (and by extension the audience) learns/understands a little bit more about his predicament and how it ties into the fate of the world. There is also a good deal of suspense going into quite a few scenes because there is a blatant delay on revealing whether or not Cage has already experienced certain events by certain points. This creates plenty of occasions throughout the plot where the characters can still manage to surprise us even if our familiarity of their circumstances don't.

The Angel descends. 

Even though I made it known earlier that I'm not a Tom Cruise fan by any means, I will always give credit where credit is due. This is easily one of his best performances to date without question. Cruise's portrayal of Cage as a cowardly, wimpy, military sleazeball works to incredible effect and is worlds different from what we're all used to seeing him do in the past. In the beginning of the movie Cruise makes Cage so deliciously unlikable as a human being that you pretty much can't wait to see him to die, let alone in an extremely painful fashion.

Our prayers are answered too, because within the first ten minutes of the movie we amusingly get to see him melt from being doused in the Alpha Mimic's blood. It was particularly that moment in the movie that I knew I was partaking in something special. Seeing Cruise's character eventually develop into the super badass that Cruise typically plays feels so much more earned this time around. With his extra lives working as a justification for his increase in skill and knowledge, we also see him begin to improve as a person overall. Cage becomes more compassionate to his fellow soldiers and even begins to harbor romantic feelings for the only other person in the story who understands what he's experiencing.

Emily Blunt plays counter to Cruise as Sergeant Rita Vrataski. With nicknames like "The Full-metal Bitch" and "The Angel of Verdun" Emily Blunt makes her character live up to those names and totally brings the heat. Her character alone is easily one of the coolest parts of the movie as she jumps about the battlefield wielding a gigantic sword (that is essentially a large/sharp piece of metal on a handle) in her heavily armed (and kickass looking) exo-suit. Rita stands as the most decorated soldier in the U.D.F. and I have to say it's pretty awesome seeing a female character take that position for once in a story. Seeing as she is the only other person alive who knows what Cage is going through she also assumes a mentor role throughout all of Cage's resets, training him each day to become a more proficient warrior.

Sadly there isn't much in the way of a notable cast. Brendan Gleeson goes woefully underused as Cage's commanding officer, and the actors who make up Cage's compatriot soldiers just don't have any real dimension to them. If you were to ask me their names I couldn't list a single one to you, they were that memorable. Bill Paxton does bear some special mention though as Master Sergeant Farell. This guy makes some of the best jingoistic speeches this side of Patton, and you can clearly tell that Paxton is having the time of his life playing such an oorah character. Every time the guy comes on screen he is immediately spouting something quotable. Thankfully I can say that Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise receive a lot of focus in the story and have a lot of chemistry together to help make up for the lacking secondary roles.

As far as special effects and cinematography goes, this is a fairly solid package. The Mimics look appropriately alien in their design, and are even a step up from their manga counterparts in my opinion. Even though they are fully CGI, their models are well rendered and integrated with the live action. I particularly want to salute the animators for how the Mimics move as they have very unique motions that create a simultaneously freaky and intimidating visage. Every time one of these things shows up you know it's about to get real. Their methods of attack come off as downright vicious. A great deal of practical effects show up too, with the exo-suits (known as Jackets) actually looking pretty cool the more you look at them. Their designs look and feel believable, and even though Cruise does look silly in his suit at first, the movie quickly displays how badass the jackets can really be. At times though the somewhat shaky camera work makes it hard to appreciate the craftsmanship of it all. While it's never too egregious it is slightly distracting during the more intense action sequences.

Christopher Beck's score for Edge of Tomorrow is also a refreshing bit. There is a notable use of the pizzicato technique on the electric guitar parts, with an accompaniment of darker synth keyboard sounds. It's hard to truly describe the music and the feeling it creates, but it has a very non-traditional almost purely percussion based vibe to it. A lot of the themes just feel like they have some sort of distortion going on, but in a very good way. The only real theme that feels somewhat traditional is Rita's, but even then it still feels different.

One of my only major gripes with Edge of Tomorrow is the ending. When it comes to storytelling the ending is paramount, and sadly I do feel that the conclusion here is just a cop-out. I won't go into detail, but I will say that it simply reeks of a studio rewrite and essentially robs the film of any real impact or consequence. As for my feelings of how it stands as an adaptation, I think it does its job decent enough. Some of the characters got to retain their names and origins, except for the main character being changed to fit Tom Cruise playing him. I can deal with the alterations seeing how the end result is solid, but I'm not fond of the choice to change the title from the incredibly cool sounding All You Need Is Kill to Edge of Tomorrow. It just doesn't have the same je ne sais quoi if you know what I mean.

Overall I can happily proclaim that Edge of Tomorrow is definitely worth your time. This bad boy certainly caught me off guard and even though I didn't exactly care for the shallow ending it wasn't bad enough to make me dislike the movie. The good far outweighs the bad here, with a strong couple of main characters and some really gratifying action. If anything else just watch this movie for the high amount of energy it lovingly brings to the table. You can't go wrong with a movie that isn't afraid to melt its main character in the first ten minutes!

Positive Factors

• Fun story that manages to feel clever and inject a fresh videogame vibe in spite of using old tropes.
• One of Tom Cruise's best performances in a long time.
• Emily Blunt. She's beautiful, she's hardcore, and totally kickass!
• Solid action and SFX. The Mimics look freaky and the Jackets look cool.
• Interestingly subversive score. Almost like an eerie videogame.
• At one point you get to see Tom Cruise melt. How can you hate that?

Negative Factors

• No real supporting cast to speak of, save for Bill Paxton.
• Shaky camera work is enough to distract from the more heavier action scenes.
• Changes from the original light-novel make the story lose some of its charm such as the altered title.
• The ending reeks of Hollywood rewrite, robbing the film of any significant impact.

Final Rating: Splenderiffic!