How to Train your Dragon

[Dacey]

Hate to say this, Lots, but that probably doesn't mean much.

In this business, it's really the weekend numbers that matter. So what if it made more than MVA did on its first Monday? At the end of the day, DreamWorks is still probably going to look at "Dragon" and feel like it's not pulling in as much cash because it wasn't loaded with pop culture jokes. I hate to say that, but it's probably going to be true.

[LotsoA113]

Your right Dacey. Weekend numbers are so flipping important to studios..god you have no idea. This thing could fall like a stone despite these good weekday numbers. You MIGHT be right...on the other hand...

What if this pulls an Up? As in...stays at the box office for a long time? Two cinema's around here (McKinney and Allen Cinemark) won't be showing Clash in 3D, so Dragon has at least 1 more week to those precious 3D screens. Who knows? Avatar has shown not to count out a 3D picture just because of low opening weekend numbers..

[Dacey]

Last I checked, $77 million didn't count as a "low" opening weekend. But that may just be me.

[eddievalient]

With Clash of the Titans coming out this week (and Kick Ass next week), HTTYD is going to have a tough time keeping its momentum going. If only they'd spent just a little less on it, this wouldn't be a problem. Hollywood spends way too much on movies in general and they really don't need to. For example, Battle For Terra had perfectly good animation and only cost $8 million to make. I'm sure if they tried, the big studios could do that, but they insist on spending obscene amounts of money so if a film fails, it fails BIG. When will they ever learn?

[Meg]

For example, Battle For Terra had perfectly good animation and only cost $8 million to make.

Er, no, it didn't. I never saw this film in its entirety but the clips and trailers I did watch looked pretty mediocre at best. Especially all those stiff, awful character designs...Yikes!

With that being said, there is indeed a lot of money spent on these kinds of films and I'll bet a hefty percentage of it is wasted - I think remember Floyd Norman mentioning something about that on Animation Nation. However, I do think HTTYD will definitely make its money back, especially with the addition of its foreign intake. While it didn't gross as much as Monsters Vs. Aliens did on its opening weekend, keep in mind that MVA had a $175 million budget -$10 million higher than Dragons'. I'm sure HTTYD will have an overall successful run, and though I am concerned about how Clash of the Titans and Kick Ass will affect its box office intake, I'm hoping it'll still be able to draw in kids and families since I'd hardly expect most parents to take their children to see either of the previously mentioned flicks.

Dragon also has an extremely strong word-of-mouth going for it, which I don't expect Titans to enjoy.

[Dacey]

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if one poor parent took their ten year old son to see "Kick-Ass." You know, just because it's a superhero movie, it must be family friendly, right?

[Meg]

According to Box Office Mojo, HTTYD made $11,050,000 on Friday - that's only about a million less than it made on its opening day, and it's actually a few million more than what Monsters Vs Aliens made the week after its release. Looks like this movie has some strong legs so far!

[Bill1978]

But you do have to keep in mind that it has the advantage of that Friday being a holiday for the kids, so it is a little bit harder to extrapolate and compare the 2 weekends with each other AND a different movie.Can't recall if MvA hadthe Good Friday slot as well. But I do hope it has legs, it looks like a good movie (plan to see it on Friday)

[Meg]

Bill - MVA was released the same weekend last year as Dragon was this year, so yes, it also had the Good Friday slot and spring breaks to its advantage.

[Bill1978]

Thanks for the clarification Meg, let the comparisons continue

[ELIOLI]

http://elioli.deviantart.com/
here is some of are "fanart" for the movie including other works..which some are old.

[Vernadyn]

I think this film is by leaps and bounds DreamWorks Animation's best. While the story is familiar, I didn't care for the most part because I was just so swept up into this world. Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois's direction was impeccable throughout, with by far the best and most well-directed action sequences in a CG film since The Incredibles. That said, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Lilo and Stitch or the similarly themed Iron Giant.

I really did think this was a great film, but there are several things that I found less than spectacular about it. First, and this may just be my taste, but I didn't care for Hiccup and Astrid's fellow dragon trainers--they still carried a hint of smugness and wannabe-hip/playing-to-the-camera humor found in lesser DWA films, qualities that I don't really care for. Maybe my biggest problem with them is that I didn't find them appealing in the way that I found all the characters in Lilo and Stitch to be.

I also didn't find that I got to really know Toothless or his relationship to Hiccup on the deep level that exists between the Iron Giant and Hogarth or Lilo and Stitch. I though Hiccup was appealing and complex, but I wanted to see more of Toothless. The animation of Toothless was spectacular and subtle when it needed to be in portraying his thoughts and character, but I felt there should have been more sequences of it. It probably had to do with pacing--the film takes a while for Hiccup and Toothless to get friendly, intercut with lengthy scenes developing Hiccup's character, but the growth of their friendship is shown mostly through a quick montage. On a positive note, this means that I'll probably go see the film again to catch more of Toothless and his stellar animation!

In his review, James mentioned that John Powell's score is good, when you can hear it among all the thunderous sound effects. I was actually a wee bit disappointed that the magnificent score was nearly inaudible in certain points, especially in the opening attack. But it did shine through in the flight sequences. The CD is really the best way to appreciate Powell's music.

But like I said, I think it's a fine movie, especially when you consider the incredible time constraints Sanders and DeBlois had in taking a troubled film and retooling it into something great.

[Ben]

I was hoping to catch this last week, but my other half insisted on Clash Of The Titans instead.

I was kind of wanting to see that anyway, so we went to that instead. Well, there's two hours of my life I won't get back!

[Jake]

I saw "How to Train your Dragon" for the third time yesterday. I think it's one of the best animated films of the past ten years. Definitely a favorite of mine.

[ELIOLI]

WOWWEEE!! HTTYD wins box office for 4th weekend... OR so I think it does. Well, I don't really know until more of the actual numers roll in, but even if its in second place, that's still pretty impressive I must say. What do you guys think? That goes to show you that good word of mouth sure travels fast!