Tag: DreamWorks Animation

A New Penguins of Madagascar Poster and Trailer Has Arrived! with Medusans in the Act

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

 

penguinsofmadagascar1More plot details are unveiled in a new trailer for the coming DreamWorks Animation Penguins of Madagascar film due in theatres November 2014. There’s a mysterious serum codenamed Medusa that’s labelled as doomsday level dangerous. Just what it does is unknown, but if the name is any indication, perhaps it will turn everyone to stone.

Fortunately Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private are not dumb enough to toss the sample around. It’s safely stored in Rico’s stomach, and when it reemerges, the team think that’s a mission done. Not so. The trailer speaks for itself in the hilarity that ensues in a movie that no doubt parodies the entire spy film genre. It gets sillier than any Austin Powers film.

That also includes questioning why some master villains, namely Dr. Octavius Brine (aka Dave, voiced by John Malkovich), must go into huge soliloquies into explaining why his plans are so grandiose. Quite simply, he’s in it for revenge against the penguins. No detail is offered as to exactly why, but as the new promotional poster implies, maybe there is some history that will unfold in this “untold story.”

But fans will have to wait for Turkey Day in the USA to find out.

 

How to Transition from TV to Theatres with Dragons! Analysis & Movie Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Dragons

Avid How to Train Your Dragon fans following the animated television series Dragons: Riders / Defenders of Berk will find lots to love in its big-screen sequel to the first film.

This movie takes a few cues from the original film and television series to give a worthy product that exceeds the expectations of what a “next chapter” should entail. Instead of rehashing ideas, this movie continues forward with an all new narrative where Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) wants a better purpose in life. He wishes to expand what he knows of the archipelago frontier while everyone else seems happy at home in Berk. Both its citizens — humans and dragons — are content with living together. The dragons are now living in their forever home.

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The Penguins are Back! Madagascar Look Out! Trailer Released Today (and Thoughts)

Penguins

Freshly released from their New York Zoo, the Penguins of Madagascar are going international. Or rather, headed North and perhaps East to front a mission to save fellow animals, if not themselves, from an octopus named Dave (John Malkovich). Actually, according to the plot summary, this multi-limbed menace is after the Penguins and an international task force, North Wind, led by a timber wolf (Benedict Cumberbatch), is going to be protecting them, much to the chagrin of the organization, if this trailer is any indication.

As for whether or not Dr. Blowhole (the dolphin) will also make a comeback, that can make for an interesting film when all of the Penguin’s aquatic enemies gather together. From the television series, they have faced adversaries like The Red Squirrel and Hans the Puffin have managed to come out on top. But they did little in terms of putting them away. With very little of this film’s whole story revealed so far, maybe the inclusion of North Wind will help expand the mythos just enough so that when there are new threats, the bad guys have a prison to go to. Continue reading “The Penguins are Back! Madagascar Look Out! Trailer Released Today (and Thoughts)”

Not Pleased with Dreamworks: Dragons move to Netflix

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

dreamworks_dragons_by_scourge_the_wolf_f-d5loc6b

An all new broadcast direction will be in store for Hiccup and gang in DreamWorks’ Dragons. New seasons will be “exclusively” broadcast on Netflix when the series returns in Spring 2015. No explanation was given for the change and not everyone subscribes to Netflix. Mixed feelings will no doubt spread when children are tuning in find their dragons are not offered on regular channels anymore. Hopefully the executives at Cartoon Network are smart enough to hold on to what they can broadcast: Series One: Riders of Berk and Series Two: Defenders of Berk.

People who are not interested in buying into the Netflix model will be left waiting for the DVDs (if that’s still going to happen) to release months after the end of season to get their Toothless fix. Just what kind of hold Netflix has with DreamWork’s best franchise is no doubt being kept secret much like in how Drago Bludvist, the villain in the upcoming movie, plots to use the dragons he captures against the free city of Berk. He also aspires to take over the world.

Fans will at least have Cressida Cowell’s original booksDragons to read and the comic books by Titan Publishing to keep their appetite sated. Toothless will most likely approve.

However, tasteless is the better word for a ‘global’ decision to limit who can continue watching this series. Thankfully, no country is being prevented from subscribing into Netflix.

Thoughts on the Third New Trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2!

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Poster

If the third new trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2 is any indication, Hiccup is going to have his hands full with one big reunion taking place. Not only will he find his mother, Valka, who somehow became missing over the years (instead of going on a quest, that the novels by Cressida Cowell said), but also an old enemy may also return if it is to tie-in with the television series.

Alvin the Treacherous made peace with Berk and if he makes a brief appearance in the film, that would be wonderful. It’s unlikely Hiccup’s immediate and adopted family will be enough to thwart the coming invasion. Not even his mom’s dragon army may prove enough.

Also, Dagur the Deranged must return somehow, perhaps as an associate of Drago, who leads an army of Dragon Hunters. Dagur was last seen in the television series humiliating defeat and heard vowing he will come back. Could the two be related? The names are similar enough to make this hypothesis.

And as the trailer indicates, Drago has an army and in order for Hiccup to defeat them, he will no doubt need to have his entire family — not just dragons — united to keep the peace in Berk. That will no doubt pave way for him to become king next, whether he likes it or not.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman: A Tale of a Dog and his Boy

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest) and James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Peabody1E: I’ve seen nearly every Jay Ward product reimagined for the big screen, and from the best to worst, I’d say Mr. Peabody and Sherman ranks second on my list. It’s tough to outdo Dudley Do-Right when I think Brendan Fraser is perfect for the bumbling Mountie.

J: Although the original has a definite charm to it, this updated product isn’t far off the mark. In the original you get a sense Sherman and Mr. Peabody are family. The relationship is played more for laughs but in this updated product the message is more blatant.

E: And that makes this film perfect for a family outing. The kids can be charmed by the colourful visuals and adults can laugh at the puns that Mr. Peabody is often fond of cracking. A bit of the ha-ha’s feel a bit misplaced, like having people falling out of the rear of many a beast, so I had to wonder just who the target audience is.

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