How to Train Your Dragon

Ok, Dreamworks is no Pixar, but this was a pretty cute movie. The storyline is a little cliché: Hiccup is expected to slay dragons to save his village from the sheep-stealing, house-burning pests. Oh, and did I mention his father is a dragon slayer beast! and the chief of the village. Hiccup's physique isn't quite right for swinging hammers around, so he relies on his engineering to capture dragons instead. Hiccup captures and befriends a Night Fury dragon and names it Toothless. He realizes that dragons aren't the vicious monsters that everyone thinks they are and uses all of the knowledge he learns about dragons to tame them during Dragon training. Actually, the dragons act very much like giant pet cats. Hiccup tells his father and saves the village, blah blah blah. Dragons and Vikings become best friends, but the ending isn't as happily-ever-after as Barbie and Kent. They really went for it, took a risk (I don't want to spoil it), and it paid off.

Love the voice acting (McLovin!), but America Ferrera's voice didn't quite fit Astrid's tough heroine character. Hiccup and Toothless stole the show with their chemistry (which seemed stronger than Astrid and Hiccups). I don't mean to be hating on Astrid, but her sudden change of heart towards dragons and Hiccup seemed unreal. How to Train Your Dragon wasn't as funny as the Shrek movies, but it got me chuckling a couple of times. It was filled with lots of video-game-type action and beautiful flying scenes that reminded me of Avatar--huge complement right there. It's a great family movie, but kids would probably complain about the ending (good luck trying to explain why happy sunshine endings just don't work sometimes).

Iron Man 2

Cue the heavy metal music! It's Iron Man! Two!! Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) returns with his identity as iron man revealed along with an ego bigger than his new muscles. He's having the time of his life because of his shortened life span due to palladium poisoning. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) becomes CEO of Stark Industries and Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) becomes Tony's new assistant. Tony also gets a new arch rival, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who copies Iron Man's arc reactor to make an electrical whip thing. Ivan joins forces with Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who owns a rival weapons company and gives Ivan materials in exchange for his innovation. Meanwhile, Tony Stark tries to find a substitute for palladium and ends up with a new armor. Tony and Lt. Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) become the Iron Men and battle Ivan's robot inventions.

"I want my bird."

Doesn't he look so much more menacing with that bird on his shoulder? He's like a pirate.

I was very excited for this movie. I watched Iron Man 1 not too long ago and that open ending just left me hanging. I was so disappointed with Iron Man 2. There wasn't much plot in it for Tony Stark or anyone, really. The whole movie felt like Scarlett Johansson's character: all glitz but no substance. I have no idea why she needed to be in the movie, to tell you the truth. I haven't read the comics, but I assume Natalie Rushman was more than just someone that looks pretty and flights people with her thighs. Ivan wasn't so terrible (haha). He wasn't much of a threat, especially with that new triangle arc reactor and Mr. Rhodes in Tony Stark's posse. Robert Downey Jr. did a great job portraying Tony Stark again. Iron Man 2 was just a pretty movie to look at. Cool fight scenes and good acting...with an occasional laugh. The first movie was better (it always is).

BFFs 4ever.

I found the distracting spinning thing that was on Pepper Pott's desk on Amazon.com! The comments are hilarious.