 Slightly belated: Movie Recommendation
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May. 4th, 2010 @ 04:12 pm 
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Because I'm gradually trying to reconnect with the world, and that includes online journal communities, and so on. My people, you're still out there, right?
Anyway, a movie rec.
A few weeks ago Chas, Dean and I went and saw How to Train Your Dragon (in 3D). I knew very little about it before we went. I was pleasantly astonished at how unremittingly awesome it was, not least because - at least as far as I could tell - while on the one hand it's a highly enjoyable story, on the other hand, it's also not offensive on any level I could think of.
Check it (as spoiler-free as I can make it):
- Is it sexist?
I would say no. Seriously. Because the major female character is awesome - when she's hostile, she has good reason to be from her perspective, and when presented with reasons to change her mind, she... does. She didn't have all the information, she got new information, she adapted. She's cool without being any kind of a stereotype. (The movie doesn't, for the most part, really trade in stereotypes, except maaaybe the geek - except he still gets to be awesome, too.)
- Is it racist?
Well, it's set on an island populated by Vikings, so all the characters are... Vikings. It's not exactly ethnically diverse, but given the parameters of the story, having anyone who isn't a Viking be in it at all would have required a lot of shoehorning and pure tokenism, since it's hard to conceive of why anyone else would have ended up at the remote, extremely inhospitable island inhabited by one Viking colony. They didn't do that; it's an island of Vikings. They all look Scandinavian, because they're Vikings - though the casting isn't all-white. For example, one of the lead characters is voiced by America Ferrera.
- Is it ablist?
No! The blacksmith has lost a hand and a leg. Disability such as this is not treated as the end of the world - he works around it. He's not even in a tragic retirement - as a battle rages around the village, he works in the smithy, getting everyone armed and armoured, until the battle seems to be going badly - and then he joins the fray, because he's needed. He still has vital roles to play in the village. Acquiring disability is, in this movie, treated as being unfortunate, but not something that reduces anyone's value as a person or member of the community.
It was really nice to see a movie and just enjoy it, without having to feel twitchy about blatantly skeevy Issues. I felt like it had Good Messages For The Kids. I'd go into more detail, but... spoilers.
Anyway, I recommend it.
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Definitely planning on seeing this, I have heard only good things and cool looking fanart keeps coming up on DA.
Not a major deal, but after watching the trailer Cam said "So...the protagonists have American accents but everyone else has Scottish ones, even though they're Vikings so if anything should have Scandinavian accents?"
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| From: | ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png) elaran |
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May 5th, 2010 05:47 am (UTC) |
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i think all the adults had scottish accents and the kids had american accents.
also the skinny dude gets with the only skinny girl in the village i think?
it's a very fun movie
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| From: | sami |
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May 6th, 2010 02:39 am (UTC) |
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Dude, no, the twins are skinny too...
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| From: | elaran |
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May 6th, 2010 02:47 am (UTC) |
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| From: | sami |
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May 6th, 2010 02:37 am (UTC) |
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I blame Lord of the Rings. ;)
is it safe to take a kid to, when said kid has with issues with separating the party?
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| From: | sami |
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May 6th, 2010 02:36 am (UTC) |
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Hmmm. Slight spoilers ahead, because this is not a question I would want to take too lightly:
The main character and his father fight at a couple of points, and the father goes away for a while in the middle. He does come back, but he leaves the main character in the care of the blacksmith. (The main character's mother died at some point long before the movie starts.) The father comes back, but he *does* leave for a while; on the other hand, the main character's relationship with the blacksmith is much more central.
So it depends partly on levels of identification, I guess? Also, towards the end SPOILERS SERIOUSLY the father takes the main village and, crucially for your question, takes the boy's beloved dragon friend (against his will, chained up) off to do something very silly.
Everything ends well but I suspect that section risks significant distress for a small child with party-separation issues.
thank you for the details - I'd much rather go in with warning than get blindsided. Eldest is now 12, and I haven't taken zer to a movie for a while (needed an adult per child, and kids outnumber adults in the household) because ze tends to be quite vocal in response (very loud laughter, squawks of outrage, tears and distress, depending on what is happening) as well as the separation anxiety issue
Sounds like the dragonnapping is something to be ready for. I might still take them, I'll just have to line up a spare adult or two.
As to the level of identification - at age 4?, eldest would only willingly watch "Singing in the Rain", and wouldn't watch the party scene because two of the main characters have a fight and one of them drives off (and this was after more than a score of watchings, so eldest *knew* it would be fine). Ze has improved since then, but has been known to get quite distressed.
I've heard so many good things about that movie! How awesome about the blacksmith, omg.
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| From: | sami |
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May 6th, 2010 02:53 am (UTC) |
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I know, right?
There's more awesomeness I didn't want to reveal due to spoilers, too. It's so awesome I'm perpetually tempted, but spoilers suck, you know?
It's so unbelievably cool to see a movie - a family movie, no less - where you actually have disabled characters, and their disability is noted, even discussed (at one point the blacksmith talks about how he lost his bits) and the general treatment of it is positive. It's unfortunate, but hey, you're still alive, and you're still awesome.
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