Two days ago our whole family went out to watch Dreamworks’ latest animated masterpiece — How to Train Your Dragon. The movie tells the story of Hiccup, a young blacksmith’s apprentice who dreams of becoming one of their village’s Viking warriors. To compensate for his scrawny physique, he designs a machine that launches bolas, which help him capture one of the most elusive dragon species in Viking lore — a Night Fury. He sets out to kill the creature but what happened next is something that he never thought would happen.

    I have been fascinated with dragons and dragon lore for as long as I can remember, so imagine my excitement when I first saw this movie’s trailer during Avatar’s showing. I thought that it would be so cool of my kids would see this movie and have them be fascinated about dragons like me. In Paramount’s latest offering, their portrayal of dragons are pretty much like what I imagines the creature to be: large winged, fire-breathing reptiles with the temperament of a very large feral cat. Well, that minus the telepathic conversations and older-than-thou wisdom. It is quite a refreshing concept really, having to see these majestic beasts removed from their supernatural stereotypes and cast them in roles that resemble reality a bit. I think it is more appealing to see dragons as wild intelligent beasts that are more or less like airborne dolphins. It is not that I am degrading dragons of old lore, but seeing these beings like this makes them much more fun to have around, without the usual risk of dying or going crazy should one of you die after “pairing” (this is the case in stories like Eragon and Anne MacCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern series). Besides, with children as main audiences, I think they would appreciate the idea tamable dragons and caring for them like large pets. My oldest daughter for example. She actually told her father and I that she would like to have a dragon for a pet, one that is exactly like Toothless the Night Fury.

    Another thing I unwittingly realized upon watching this film is this: once you go IMAX, you can never go back. Somehow, watching the HTTYD in an ordinary 3D screen makes everything seem a little flat. The graphics doesn’t seem to “pop out” as much and it really is a bummer. Though I am not sure if it is just me or if there really is such a huge difference between regular 3D and IMAX 3D. Maybe I have to research on that more.

    Lastly, it’s Lent next week and the most Pinoys will be observing the Lenten season. For some it would be a time to reflect on their lives and medidate on their spirituality; others will take this time to enjoy some well-earned R&R; a few might use this time to catch up on backlogs accumulated from last year and the first quarter; and the rest will probably just sit back, relax and enjoy quality time with their families. Regardless how you spend your time next week, I just want you to have a peaceful Lenten week and greet you an early Happy Easter! By the way, can anyone tell me about Easter Egg Hunt events in the malls? I was thinking of bringing my kids for Easter Egg huntings. XD