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Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Movie Reviews, Movies, Sci Fi, Sword & Sorcery, teen, Teen Adventure

REVIEW: “HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON” (2025) Universal/Dreamworks

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Honestly… going into “HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON”, I didn’t expect to feel the same way I did back in 2010, but this film brought it all back and I mean ALL back. Well, I should say, Director Dean DeBlois, Writers Cressida Cowell & William Davies have brought it back here in this great animated film done in live-action remake. I mean you know the story, and if you don’t, a brief summary follows. But, you probably know the original one as it is the story of a friendship between a timid young Viking and a mysterious dragon. And not much has changed story-wide, or at least if it is, very little is to be spotted. And that’s what makes this wonderful live-action version so excellent, because it retains what made the original so charming and popular, while also standing on it’s own as possibly one of the best live action remakes we’ve ever had the pleasure to view.

For those who don’t know yet, ‘HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON’ is the story of Hiccup, the unpopular son of the Viking chieftain Stoick from he Viking village of Berk, which is home to dragon slayers only. Hiccup not only finds himself unable, but essientially also doesn’t want to slay dragons. Nevertheless, he submits himself to the ritual of dragon-slaying lessons in order to finally be accepted into the community and, above all, by his father. Hiccup has a little secret, though, and that’s Toothless, a Night Fury. Night Furies are the most feared dragons, but this one becomes friends with Hiccup.

Mason Thames (right) as Hiccup with his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, in Universal Pictures’ live-action How to Train Your Dragon, written and directed by Dean DeBlois.

The film is set what we can assume is the early medieval times. The village of Berk, inhabited by Vikings and a few other tribes, is constantly attacked by dragons. These dragons cause destruction and take away livestock. Hiccup (Mason Thames), the son of the village chieftain Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), wants to fight the dragons just like other warriors in his village. However, he’s deemed not suitable to do this and is instead asked to intern with Gobber (Nick Frost), the village blacksmith. The experience helps Hiccup to learn other facets of life and start to understand and create different machines. He invents and makes his very own ‘bolas launcher’, something completely created by his own mind & knowledge he has obtained from this internship, and he takes it out when the dragons attack one night. He also takes daytime jouneys on his own away from the village, and realizes one day that he is able to spot a Night Fury. It’s a dragon no one has ever seen and is considered to be the most dangerous of all. Hiccup launches a well, sort of attack in the way of mostly trying to trap the Night Fury, and ends up shooting it down. He cautiously informs his father and villagers about it but they don’t take him all too seriously. The next day, he goes back to the outskirts of the villlage to kinda tell himself he didn’t imagine all this and this is all real. He realizes that he is right and that he indeed attacked the creature, but again, not wanting to be a dragon slayer, instead of killing him, he sets the Night Fury free and furthermore names him Toothless. The dragon also doesn’t kill him but escapes. Toothless is now able to fly but only if Hiccup will ride him in another invention made of his own, a dragon-riding saddle. Meanwhile, Stoick and the rest of the warriors have ventured into the sea to find the nest of the dragons. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

With up-and-comer Mason Thames, they’ve found a really good Hicks, who bears a striking physical resemblance to his animated alter ego. Thames has a great sense of timing and finds subtle perfect nuances between comedy and drama. And his interactions with a non-existent dragon are simply flawless. The same can be said for newcomer Nico Parker’s performance as Astrid, as we see a little crush form over time of the film between the two of them, which was just sweetness personified.

The impressive images of many of the flying shots with Hiccup and Toothless are particularly breathtaking here. Virtually all of the dragons inserted with CGI are impressive in their realism. The visual effects and live-action footage are flawless, and both seem to be from the same world, the same place. Even the actual lead character, Nightshade Toothless, gains an unexpectedly realistic presence in realistic texture and movement – ​​and in cuteness factor. John Powell’s music is exemplary. Bill Pope’s cinematography is breathtaking. The locales of Ireland are well captured by the lensman. The VFX is top-class and the team especially did a great job with the dragon. It looks cute yet has the ability to terrify in its own sweet way of more tensenees vs. scary. The action is without any gore, but done to where you understand it, but it’s not mean, as say a machine gun battle form of violence. Lindsay Pugh’s costumes and Dominic Watkins’ production design are appropriate for the era depicted. Wyatt Smith’s editing is satisfactory, despite it being nearly 20 minutes longer than the 2010 animated film.

Stoick (Gerard Butler) in Universal Pictures’ live- action How to Train Your Dragon, written and directed by Dean DeBlois.

“How to Train Your Dragon” hasn’t refocused, really updated, or even expanded in any way here over the animated version. But it is still very much so it’s own film. Real images are fundamentally more appealing, even more so when a fantasy world becomes an almost visual, tangible reality. The images of the Viking village of Berk, or the Great Hall of the Council. The rocky landscapes and forests are impressive. Populated by real people of all kinds (again, great casting), and realistic dragons. It’s a beautiful and vibrant world, mystical yet inviting. DeBlois has increased the running time from the original 98 minutes to 125 titillating, pefectly done minutes. But the new “How to Train Your Dragon” justifies itself in every way possible. This isn’t just a children’s film, this is a film for all ages and I myself, was completely and thoroughly enthralled with it throughout the entire film. I lost myself in this world and I loved it.

This remake went far beyond my expectations. The casting was spot on all the way down the line from the entire young group of Dragon Slayers: Snotlout (Gabriel Howell), Fishlegs (Julian Denison), Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn), to Flatula (Kate Kennedy) & Snorti (Marcus Onilude), all the way down and again, to the main cast who are just impecable. Too many to mention all, but they ALL mattered and added to the film. The performances as well, all felt genuine and convincing. Especially Hiccup and Astrid. I found myself reconnecting with them like it was the first time all over again. This film isn’t just a copy of its animated family-it’s a heartfelt experience that stands on its own and was nothing short of breathtaking. “How to Train Your Dragon” for me personally, completely exceeded my expectations – and then some. From the very first scene, I was drawn into its world, and I didn’t want to leave.

(from left) Astrid (Nico Parker), Ruffnut (Bronwyn James), Gobber (Nick Frost), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison) and Snotlout (Gabriel Howell) in Universal Pictures’ live-action How to Train Your Dragon, written and directed by Dean DeBlois.

What else can you ask for in a film except to escape for a short time. I think audiences will do just that this weekend and more.

Grade: A+

“HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON” IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025

Review Screening: Monday June 9, 2025 ~ Courtesey of Universal Pictures & Dreamworks

Fun HTTYD T-shirt given to us by Universal/Dreamworks Thank you!!

Drama, Fantasy, Independent Feature, Movie Reviews, Movies, Sci Fi

REVIEW: “THE LIFE OF CHUCK” (2025) NEON

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Remembering only vaguely of the book that I probably read ages ago, Director Mike Flanagan and Writer extraordinaire’ Stephen King make a deep, beautifally layered film about the value of life here with “THE LIFE OF CHUCK”. It’s the kind of film that must be seen, not so much to be told about because it expresses so much in its 1 hour and 50 minutes of run time. It’s also really hard to explain, but Flanagan does not waste a single shot in this story told essentially backwards to forwards in different Acts.

The Third Act starts us off with Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a school teacher, and starts with chronicling the crumbling world from the perspective of a small American town he lives in. The internet has been down for months and is about to go dark, along with the television and cell phone service. Meanwhile, climate change has devastated almost every country with California practically submerged itself in the Pacific, the mid-west is on fire, the rest of the World, I have no words, and the local doctor Felicia (Karen Gillan), also Marty’s ex-girlfriend, try to stay afloat. 

With all this going on around them, oddly the most frequent topic of conversation besides the latest catastrophic news, is everyone wondering about the curious billboards they’ve seen thanking a nerdy, but professionally dressed man, named Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), congratulating him for his “39 ​​magnificent years.” But no one knows what he did for said 39 years. Is he a doctor? A radio host? A local TV personality? No one seems to know, but this is just one of the many questions that affect the film’s characters and, by now, undoubtable us, the audience, who are wondering how this apocalypse came about. However, “The Life of Chuck” doesn’t rush to provide linear answers, at least not at first. Instead, it features deep conversations between Felicia and Marty, who reflect not only on the state of the world, but on humanity’s very existence, now that society may be taking its last breath.

There is a narration, unfallably provided throughout the movie by the wonderful Nick Offerman, yet right from Act Three, everything seen and experienced unfolds perfectly all the way till the end, which is yes, Act One. But first, we have Act Two, where we finally meet “Chuck” and the focus immediately goes on Hiddleston and his character, but truly it’s a full team effort here and we watch as Janice (Annalise Basso), Hiddleston’s dance partner in this act, and Taylor Franck (The Pocket Queen), who is a drum busker, all combine their magnificent talent with moves from the amazing choreography of Mandy Moore & Stephanie Powell really make the dance scene sing. The Pocket Queen aka Franck, is a truly a magnificent talent in herself in her brief, but excellent role is a full standout of this Act Two and the movie as a whole. Hiddleston, while getting top billing, is really very much a smaller supporting role here in every sense of the word.

And then there is “Act One” and what an act it is. Pay attention here everyone as there is a young ‘Chuck Krantz’ here played by Benjamin Pajak that will blow you away. In fact, ALL the kids performances were just as brilliant as the adults, if not more so. Act One is beautifully done when young Chuck (Pajak), receives a very haunting monologue from his grandfather Albie Krantz (Mark Hamill), about certain choices in life. Act One really helps put the puzzle together that was Act Three, where the cosmic elements are more defined to you and it all comes together with a beautiful synergy. Act Two is the filler we needed to understand who older Chuck is and then as well, we have teenage Chuck (Jacob Tremblay), in a smaller, but poignent step in this story of ‘The Life of Chuck’.

The supporting cast brings warmth, depth, and surprise. Mia Sara, in a heartfelt return to the screen, shines as Chuck’s mother Sarah Krantz. Matthew Lillard’s brief appearance in Act One as Marty’s friend Gus, is both deeply touching. Mark Hamill lends weight and tenderness in his role as Chuck’s grandfather and is one of my three huge standouts here along with Pajak and The Pocket Queen. And again, Nick Offerman serves as the narrator, and his voice, calm, grounded, and thoughtful, beautifully anchors the film’s reflective tone.

Stephen King is right when he says The Life of Chuck is one of the good ones. The spirit and energy is felt from beginning to end, and with all on board performances giving their best, Flanagan is further establishing himself as a fine present-time director with this one as there is so much here to appreciate. As well, from the cosmic elements in ‘Act Three’ to the dancing scenes in ‘Acts Two & One,’ Flanagan did an exceptional job incorporating the sound throughout. The choreography is stunning and this film speaks to you. It just does. One thing I will say is The Life of Chuck is dedicated In Memory to Scott Wampler. And there are a few cameos in The Life of Chuck including Flanagan himself, but Scott’s inclusion just tugged me right at the heart.

As one does, I too have pondered in my life why certain moments are impactful and have helped form me into the individual I am today. It feels like utter randomness, but that’s the point isn’t it. What matters to us..what gives us substance…is what makes me well, me and us the unique people wer are. It’s the good, the bad, the meager, and the reality all of it that comes together to form our universe and reality as we know it.

So I’ll leave you with this: In a world where things are changing by the minute, not always in the positive, try to remember to still be kind to yourself and others. Hug your loved ones, forgive those you can forgive, and when or if, things don’t go as planned, accept and trust that your life was exactly as it was meant to be.That’s what my mom used to tell me, keep doing what makes you happy no matter what others say. She told me that as she was passing. I’ve never forgotten it.

“The Life of Chuck” is more than just a film, it’s a love letter to life, memory, connection, and the meaning we create in our short time here. Flanagan’s masterful direction, paired with a stellar cast and emotionally intelligent storytelling, makes this one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking films of the year.

I do highly recommend “The Life of Chuck” as it’s the film we all need right now.

Grade: A

“THE LIFE OF CHUCK” IS OUT FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025 IN LIMITED RELEASE. WORLDWIDE RELEASE – FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025

Review Screening: Thursday, May 29, 2025 ~ Courtesey of Ginsberg/Libby PR

Comedy, Dark Comedy, Horror, Independent Feature, Movie Reviews, Movies

REVIEW: “I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU” (2025) Vertical Entertainment

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Going into “I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU”, my initial thoughts were ‘comedy’. So I wasn’t prepared for a bit of emotion in the opening third of film.

The film opens with Writer/Directors Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig’s twisted comedy about two gay dad trying to make a video to be qualified as adopters for a child. The is the process, and it’s rather grueling to be honest. What do you say to have the mother, in this case – Amanda Seyfried (Candace), pick you to be her baby’s parents. It’s an emotional watch. It’s made more emotional by the fact that we find out, they have done this process before and been scammed.

But here is also where the movie just took a ball and pitched it into left field. We are in this completely poignent moment in time with these two men and what is clearly a big emotional moment in their lives – and then, we suddenly find outselves wandering through Italy with our wealthy gay couple Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells), as somewhere in all this, they have decided the world is against them. Remember, as of right now, and as Americans, they live in a time and in a country where they can legally marry, adopt, and do virtually everything straight people do; but this isn’t the case everywhere and Italy is a country that does not allow this. They’re also old enough to remember when all these freedoms weren’t available to them as well, so they anticipate rejection and homophobia at every turn. They’re prepared for the worst, and somehow they attract it.

But it’s also during this trip to Italy, which by the way was foreplanned as they are celebrating their anniversary, that they receives the news that the baby they’ve tried so hard to be elgible for, is going to be their’s and is about to be born. An old family friend of Dom’s Father organizes an exclusive dinner for them at a secluded restaurant. And so on.

And then it goes even wilder and weirder as the holidays unfold, what began as a simple anniverary vacation story takes weird, grim turns. Dom and Cole are immediately captivated by rustic restaurateur Francesca (Eleonora Romandini), though their imaginations begin to get the better of them, they misconstrue their knife-holding hostess (she’s a cook after all), and her macho son Massimo (Morgan Spector), as potential threats. Suddenly, the bodies are piling up, and the couple doesn’t know if they’ve dodged a hate crime or if they’ve perpetrated one against their hosts, who could hardly be kinder. And yet, they stab the air with knives and say things like, “You’re going to be a dey-ud.” If you’ve been watched your whole life (as Dom and Cole feel), it’s easy to misinterpret those signals. And because they’re unfamiliar with the local culture and language, (everything Italian is in sub-titles btw), things often escalate at breakneck speed.

I know this might seem strange, but there comes a point in this film where, objectively speaking, we begin to realize that Dom and Cole aren’t really great people (revealing the why/how here would ruin the film). In any case, “I Don’t Understand You” isn’t concerned with how these two might fare in a court of law in any world that I know of. Kroll and Rannells play the couple with a kind of “us against the world” conviction that draws the audience to their side, even when it’s not always clear whether their panic attacks and small displays of public affection are meant to seem cute or embarrassing, as it’s a hard read between the two here on them. It’s clear they like attention though.

Like their characters in “I Don’t Understand You”, the writer and director are also married in real life, which means that some of the tone of this film are presumably autobiographical, and probably exaggerated in an over-the-top manner. That’s what makes this kinda confusing to me, as this seems like it’s two totally different films shoved into one film. The first film is about the two men trying to adopt a child, the second film is about the same two men having all sorts of crazy happen on an anniversary trip to Italy together. Separately, these would’ve been two probably really good films, together, it just didn’t make sense. It ended sweetly though, with a throw-back to “film one” and happily ever after.

Grade: D+

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU” IS OUT FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025

Review Screener: Courtesy of Ginsberg/Libby PR