This is one of the most inspiring and breathtaking remakes I have seen. I felt like I was flying with the CGI dragons in How to Train Your Dragon. This film is a fairytale adventure that really soars. Written and directed by Dean DeBlois whose style is magnificent and exhilarating as the story explores a portrait of wonders. Since I worked in cinemas during the first releases of many animated films, this remake made me feel like the storyline had evolved with a true sense of understanding. The story connects to audiences of all ages with messages beyond the love portrayed in the human/dragon relationship. DeBlois keeps the hope and positive vibes alive in How to Train Your Dragon.

The film is set on the Isle of Berk, a place for Vikings where their enemies and primary threat are dragons. The Chief is Stoick (Gerard Butler). His son is Hiccup (Mason Themes). Stoick depends on his people to kill dragons because they often find themselves in battles with them over research and lands. Hiccup, however, does not want to kill dragons, but insteadwants to learn how to fly and train them. With his father against this idea, the opportunity for new connections begins. Hiccup takes up mentorship from Gobber (Nick Frost). Gobber tries to get Hiccup in the mindset of a dragon killer. Instead, Hiccup learns his own techniques. Soon, he forms a friendship with a dragon he names Toothless. Moving forward, he trains Toothless and realizes that dragons can do good deeds. Hiccup ends up having a gift in his ability to tame dragons. Once he figures this out, he soars with Toothless on many adventures, one of which involves falling in love with Astrid (Nico Parker). The other adventure is trying to convince his father that he can train dragons and that they should not always be labeled the enemy. While featuring many obstacles Hiccup faces, How to Train Your Dragon is a two-sided adventure that keeps buildingmomentum as it encounters enchanting light.

The war between Vikings and dragons is the point of conflict that boils in the film and keeps igniting new beginnings. The story told in this version is still quite amazing. Although I love the animated versions, this remake blew me out of the water, especially in the scene where Hiccup flies with Toothless. The bonding moments in unexpected territory makes for a magical connection. The sense of continuity is uniquely brilliant. This film is a dazzling work-of-art which demonstrates that fairytales have realistic value. Will Hiccup and Toothless prove their point to Hiccup’s father? Will Hiccup get his wish? Are there more dangerous dragons? The possibilities and wonders will open the doors to exciting answers. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for How to Train Your Dragon.

The title describes the action I would take with this film. The setup is predictable, and the entire movie is filled with flaws. Directed by Christopher Landon, this thriller had ample chances for improvement, however the sloppiness kept the film from establishing any form of suspense for its audience. Drop is one of the most poorly written thrillers I have seen this year. Given the various puzzles and moving parts in the fight for someone’s life, there are far too many hats in the air to allow this film to succeed.

The film is set in Chicago, and is focused on a widowed mother, Violet (played by Meghann Fahy).  She is going on a date with a man named Henry (played by Brandon Sklenar). They are in a fancy high-rise restaurant where the ambience would be the perfect setting for an unforgettable date night. All that changes though when Violet receives anonymous texts and finds herself in a situation involving blackmail. Her date, Henry, and her youngest son are at risk. Many threatening messages continue to come through her phone, and she draws unwanted attention to herself. The writing tries to build anxiety, but the execution fails to produce the desired result. 

Throughout the film, the on-screen chemistry seems silly. The characterizations are a joke because their minds are not on par with the detrimental elements set up in Drop. One bad move leads to another bad move and one bad message sends another bad message. It is a cat-and-mouse game via text with no hope of achieving something more intense. The film is probably supposed to frighten audiences with all the eerie text messages, but that is an epic fail when it comes to Fahy’s performance. Overall, the time spent watching this movie created a mental roadblock that I could never get past. 

Now if there was any redeeming quality in this flawed film, it the dynamic that Violet and Henry have occasionally in some limited scenes. While their chemistry is humorous in the moments where Violet keeps freaking out at her phone, it is not really believable. The direction is simply messy and never improves during the entire film. 

The whole experience was a massive blur which started with the lack of context for why these threats are happening on a date night. There is some evidence of Violet’s harsh past and loss of her husband, but her history is not set up to correlate to other outcomes. The whole film does not have any big revelations. It just continues down a path that starts with a date, some eerie issues, an unlikely surprise, but all forgettable. It is such a poorly written thriller that I felt my eyes were sore as Ianxiously waited for the whole thing to be over. The credits rolling made me feel sorry for the long list of film and production workers who could have devoted their time to a suspenseful adventure that delivered more than what Drop has to offer. One out of four stars for Drop.