Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): 'How to Train Your Dragon' soars with charm

South China Morning Post

7 days ago

Content provided by British Council
[1] The DreamWorks animated film How to Train Your Dragon, based on Cressida Cowell's book, has already had two sequels. Fifteen years later, it is getting a remake.
[2] Set on the island of Berk, where Vikings see dragons as enemies, this new version is similar to the last one. Hiccup (Mason Thames) is a blacksmith's apprentice and the weak son of the island's chief (Gerard Butler, who voiced the character in the 2010 film).
[3] Desperate to please his father, he joins dragon training with his love interest Astrid (Nico Parker). They are tutored by the wily Gobber the Belch (Nick Frost) in an effort to become 'top slayer'.
[4] The real fun starts when Hiccup secretly becomes friends with a young black dragon named Toothless. He learns to fly on the dragon, leading to exciting scenes as they soar around the island. While his father and others search for the dragons to kill them, Hiccup tries to find a way to make peace.
[5] Back directing is Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the 2010 original with Chris Sanders and has since overseen the franchise. The latter served as an executive producer in the latest remake. To his credit, DeBlois fully understands what makes us tick, especially the rendering of Toothless – the dragon sways between cute and volatile. The blend of computer-generated animation and live-action is seamless, as we've come to expect.
[6] What does work well here is the cast. Thames has a likeable, cartoonish face and works well with the tough Butler, who adds a weary depth to his character. Hiccup's fellow trainees are also entertaining, especially Julian Dennison as Fishlegs, who shares quick dragon facts, and Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut with his unique appearance.
[7] With some scenes replicated shot for shot, there is every chance this will match the original's US$494 million (around HK$3.9 billion) global box office takings. However, it is let down by an indulgent running time. The film is needlessly 20 minutes longer than its predecessor. This leaves it feeling less sharp than the original DeBlois-Sanders production, especially in its bloated final third. One can only hope that the latest version of How to Train Your Dragon is not in line for a remake, for the novelty will have really worn off.
Source: South China Morning Post, June 9
Questions
1. Vikings … dragons, according to paragraph 1.
A. do not get along with
B. coexist peacefully
C. frequently hunt together with
D. generally ignore
2. In paragraph 2, where does the story of How to Train Your Dragon take place?
3. Based on paragraph 3, what does Hiccup do to make his father proud of him?
4. The phrase 'broker peace' in paragraph 4 refers to Hiccup …
A. learning how to fly a dragon by himself.
B. making friends with 'Toothless' and getting the dragon to trust him.
C. bringing about an end to the conflict between the Vikings and the dragons.
D. all of the above
5. What does the writer dislike about How to Train Your Dragon, according to paragraph 7?
6. Whom do the following words from paragraph 5 refer to?
(i) who
(ii) latter
(iii) we've
'How to Train Your Dragon' has a charming cast, but its lengthy runtime dulls the original's spark. Photo: Universal Pictures
Answers
1. A
2. on the island of Berk
3. He joins dragon training in an effort to become 'top slayer'.
4. C
5. It runs for too long. (accept all similar answers)
6. (i) Dean DeBlois; (ii) Chris Sanders; (iii) the audience