Okay, so I am very conflicted about this movie. I definitely did not love it the way I love the first movie. But I liked it a lot better than the second one (which I will probably like better the second time I watch it, whenever I manage to see it again, but overall, not as much my thing). Give me another viewing or two, and I'll probably love it. But not like the first one.
Like that first one, this is a movie I cry through. In fact, I cried more the second time than the first. Tears running down my face, me trying to sniffle quietly, and so on. Because... it's all about growing up and letting go of loved ones and moving on. The first viewing, I was like, nope, I don't like this at all, because I generally hate stories about growing up. But the second time through, I was more like, wow, this is one of the best movies about growing up and moving on that I've ever seen. So I kinda loved it, actually... but not in a "let's watch it over and over" way like I love the first one. More of a, "once in a while, when I'm feeling pensive, I'll rewatch this" way.
There's only one thing I don't like about it, actually, and that's that they spent all this time explaining that the bad guy is using dragon venom to control his evil dragons, and then they never went anywhere with that. Hiccup never smashed the vials and set those dragons free or anything. So that felt a little like a gun-on-the-mantel-that-didn't-get-used, to me. But it's a pretty minor quibble.
Also, tiny little boy Hiccup in the flashbacks? IS THE CUTEST THING EVER AND I WANT TO HUG HIM. This 45-second scene might be my favorite thing in the whole movie.
EDIT: Is this movie family friendly? There's a lot of explosions and fighting, the bad guy is creepy and has really evil dragons, there's a lot of peril for characters, etc. It's on par with the second film in those respects.
I went to see HTTYD3 a couple days ago and I completely agree with your review!! It did make me a little misty-eyed, though I managed to keep myself (mostly) under control. The scene when Hiccup finally takes his hand away from Toothless' nose hit me hard--it was just like the first movie in reverse, which I thought was really well done.
ReplyDeleteYes, the villain I felt was not exactly...a great character. It felt like they were trying too hard to make him scary/villainous, I guess.
OH MY GOODNESS tiny Hiccup was absolutely my favorite thing about the movie!!!! Sooooooo cute!!! :)
Anna, yes, that moment was just... so hard.
DeleteThe villain himself was pretty cool, but he got bogged down by the three sidekick villains. If he'd been on his own, he would've been much better, I think.
<3 Tiny Hiccup <3
Oooooooooooooooooh. A story about growing up, you say? ME LIKE.
ReplyDeleteJessica, yes, it is in a lot of ways. Though all three of them are, to be honest.
DeleteI need to see this. I didn't like the second one much either.
ReplyDeleteSkye, let me know what you think of it when you do!
DeleteOooohhh . . . *considers the movie pensively*
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I like the first movie a lot (though I don't love it in a "let's watch this every single month or year forever" kind of way), but if this one is Poignant and About Growing Up/Letting Go . . . I don't know. Might not be the thing I need right now . . . But on the other hand, I do love me some good Feels.
We'll see. ;) Thanks for the review!
Olivia, yeah... I'm at an okay stage for seeing it right now, in that I myself have done basically all the growing-up I'm going to do, but my kids are a long way from it yet. If I was on the cusp of any Major Life Changes, I'd probably be very nope, nope, nope about it.
DeleteIf that helps any ;-)
Ah!! My sister and I went to see this today!!! First I thought that I would like it, then watching in the middle I didn't think I would because it was sort of taking away what I loved from the first one, but by the end I was crying so hard and I loved it!!! Those scenes with tiny Hiccup were my favorite!!! Ah, it makes me so happy. <3
ReplyDeleteMC, that is EXACTLY the way I felt the first time through. "I like it! I hate it. I guess I do love it after all, sniffle sniffle." So glad you enjoyed it!
Delete