"How To Train Your Dragon 2" review

A superlative sequel in every way!

I regret missing the first “How To Train Your Dragon” film in theaters.  While watching the DVD was still an exhilarating experience, I knew that certain scenes would have had a much more memorable impact on the big screen.  The sweeping majesty of the flying sequences rocked me to the core, and the story and character development was equally excellent.  These elements combined to give the initial film a visual and emotional resonance that hit me right in the feels.

Sequels are a potential minefield.  How to balance audience expectations against moving the franchise forward in new directions?  Having a literary source is a big plus.  Having such talented artists and writers who are willing to take chances is also an advantage, for it is a rare skill to know when to execute the unexpected in a way that makes sense.  Finally, understanding the characters and how the story needs to evolve is necessary to achieve an ending that is resounding in its victory yet bittersweet because of the cost.  “How To Train Your Dragon 2” accomplishes all these things and more. 

 

The variety of landscapes and environments is a feast for the eyes, and the sumptuous visual design is jaw-dropping on the big screen.   The characters have grown from children into young adults.  Hiccup has become a steampunk inventor of Jedi-like talents, and his new contraptions are a delight to behold.  Astrid continues to be a leading lady of strength, skill and wit that makes the feminist in me pump my fist for girl power!  Hiccup’s relationship with his father faces a new test, and the outcome is yet another heartbreaking example of why this series continues to be so engrossing: risks.

As in the original film, there is a price to be paid for growth.  Hiccup survived his first battle, but lost a foot.  Like his dragon Toothless, Hiccup is now missing part of his original self.  Yet Hiccup is still expected to become chief of his village, and when the peaceful harmony of the dragon riders of Berk is threatened by a ghost from the past, Hiccup has to confront a much greater loss.  One story thread is snapped, and another returns to be rewoven.  I wept with joy and sorrow, and cannot wait for the next chapter in Hiccup’s journey towards adulthood!

"Cold in July" review

A slow burn Neo-noir, Texas-style!

When I saw “Drive” with Ryan Gosling, I was initially entranced by its mood, music and volcanic violence.  Soon afterward, questions began to burble up in my mind, and I realized that although I enjoyed the film, its flaws outweighed its cool factor.  “Cold in July” is similar in many ways:  it also has hastily sketched characters, a great soundtrack and gushing geysers of blood.  Thankfully, this film's brooding tone is lightened by a liberal layer of ham and wry.  "Cold in July" is a southern-fried popcorn flick, but consarn it, it’s a good ‘un!

Michael C. Hall plays Richard Dane, a frame shop owner who fatally shoots a burglar in his home to protect his wife and young son.  This incident lights a fuse leading to multiple boxes of shit, the only question being when each one will explode.  I admire Hall’s attempt shed his serpentine "Dexter" skin by choosing to play a much more wholesome and ethical character, but Hall's emotive range still feels very limited and the one-note performance threatened to flat-line my interest.

Then Sam Shepard appears, and things perk up immediately.  All Shepard needs to do is level his stare and I am petrified.  As ex-con Russell, Shepard is not a father figure to fuck with, especially when he has vengeance in mind.  The economy of Shepard’s acting is astonishing, and his presence casts an aura of inescapable doom.  Don Johnson round outs the roguish trio with puckish amiability as Jim Bob, the pig farmer and PI for hire.  In defiance of the advancing darkness, Jim Bob adds just the right dose of humor.  His quips are like sparks from a campfire, and the twinkle in Jim Bob's eye says; "Saddle up, hoss!  We’s a-gonna have us some fun!"

Richard Dane just wants to be left alone, but his earnest efforts to keep his family safe only arouse further assault by the rattlesnakes nest of criminal forces that Dane has unwittingly provoked.  However, Dane cannot ride this trail alone, and the local police merely make matters worse.  Therefore, Dane must ally himself with Russell and Jim Bob and together this unlikely posse sets out to expose corruption and execute justice.  Though the final act is awash in aortic explosions, the climax is an emotional killer because it confronts us with the most heartbreaking decision that any father could be compelled to make.