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Plot summary: Fred tap-dances. Ginger gets angry. Fred tap-dances again. Ginger forgives him.
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They called it Karate Kid, but little bro moved to China and learnt kung fu.
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Mr. Miyagi saw one angry teen girl and said, "Yup. That's my next prodigy."
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How to Remake Your Dragon: Safely, Faithfully, Maybe Too Faithfully
Let's get straight to it: the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake feels like a near one-to-one recreation of the original animated film, just with real actors and CGI dragons instead of animated ones. That's not inherently a bad thing, especially when the original is as strong as it is. But it does leave me wondering: did the original need to be remade?
Technically, the team behind this did a great job. Visually, it's beautiful. The casting fits well. The world of Berk looks lived in, and Toothless still feels like the same cool, lovable creature we all . There's care and respect here, that much is clear. But it plays things very safe. Almost too safe. I found myself wishing they had taken a few more creative risks or tried to offer something new. As it stands, the film almost feels afraid to deviate from the blueprint.
And that leads to a larger question: what should a remake do? I'm actually a defender of Disney's live-action remakes. I like that they try to update older stories, sometimes fixing outdated or problematic elements, trimming racist stereotypes, or reshaping narratives that haven't aged well. Those movies needed an update to fit the vibe of the modern world we live in, and in many cases, their live-action versions feel like respectful reinterpretations for a new generation. I genuinely appreciate that.
But How to Train Your Dragon isn't an old, problematic classic. It's a modern film, already beloved, and already inclusive. Its story isn't controversial. It doesn't need any
"fixing." So instead of reimagining, the live-action remake just... copies. Scene for scene, beat for beat. It feels like it's trying to replace the original rather than complement it. And while they didn't mess it up (and that's a win we shouldn't take for granted), I don't know how the fanbase will take it. But I'm pretty sure it won't be met with the same level of backlash that some of the Disney remakes faced. This one plays it much safer (maybe too safe) but also avoids stepping on too many toes.
Still, here's why I gave it 5 stars and a heart: because the original was a 5-star movie with a heart for me. And this is essentially the same movie - just with real actors. The emotions still land. The key moments still work. It delivers exactly what I want from this story. So, for me, that's enough to consider it perfect.
And let's be honest, this could've easily gone the route so many video game adaptations go: they try to do something that is too different than the original, and, you know, I genuinely respect that impulse. I appreciate when creators want to reimagine a story rather than just recycle it. But too often, that "different" ends up being a watered-down version, one that lacks the heart, tone, or narrative strength of the original. That didn't happen here. They stuck with what worked, they didn't break it, and the result still soars. And sometimes, not falling short is just as impressive as flying somewhere new.
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Mr. Miyagi humiliating bullies like it's an Olympic sport: Part III
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It turns out the real Okinawan honour was the friends we made along the way.
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Mr. Miyagi gave him confidence, balance, inner peace… and a résumé that included auto detailing, carpentry, home renovation, and gardening. By the end of the movie, Daniel wasn't just a karate kid, he was a walking Home Depot.
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And so, the legend of Ballerina Cappuccina was born.
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Musicals give you an escape. Dancer in the Dark gives you a sentence.
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Imagine surviving 28 Days Later, only to be wiped out by some siblings playing detective.
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Marie Antoinette walked so Baroness Bomburst could replace "Let them eat cake" with "Let them meet the Child Catcher."
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This wasn't a love triangle. It was Kirsten Dunst trying to save a musical while the boys emotionally imploded around her.
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28 Days Later - when PETA goes, "No more cages!" and the apocalypse says, "Bet."
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This movie is just Wes Anderson asking, "What if Ocean's Eleven, but with woodland creatures and trauma?"
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It's all fun and games until your alien bestie starts having an existential crisis mid-luau.
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Imagine a military romance, but everyone's allergic to communication and addicted to rhythm.
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"Mother Knows Best" but make it terrifying, manipulative, and kind of iconic.
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God forbid a girl has a hobby.
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Natalie Portman showed up like: "I'm just here to observe."
Next scene: becomes the main character.
Apocalypse Now: the only film where surfing and war crimes share a scene.
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Ginger Rogers in a fake accent: "Darlink, zis is haute couture."
Fred Astaire: tap dances in disbelief.
Me: realizing I'd watch ten more hours of this nonsense.
Loving goes by haps;
Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.
I guess I am too European to fully understand this movie.
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Lilo: "I made a sandwich for my pet."
Stitch: devours the sandwich, then the plate, then the table, then the kitchen sink, then the entire island's coconut supply.
Lilo: "Awesome! Just don't eat my heart, Stitch… oh wait, you already stole it!"
The real unicorn was late capitalism all along.
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The real crime?
Not letting Renée Zellweger finish the song.
Cinema Paradiso: where even the film kisses hit harder than real ones.
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Retirement plan?
For Ethan, it's just falling off taller things.
Grace: "Maybe kindness can change people."
Dogville: "It did. We got worse."
You thought Top Gun had iconic aviation scenes? Try synchronized dancing chorus girls strapped to airplane wings midflight.
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Jim Carrey really said, "What if The Mask didn't come off?"
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Nothing like returning to your hometown just to get emotionally jump-scared by your past.
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Ginger: "This isn't how therapy works."
Fred: tap dancing while playing golf "It is now."
Music may heal, but not enough to fix whatever was going on in that employee lounge.
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The boat's sinking? No, that's just Reno Sweeney tap dancing through the hull.
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Bro went to interview ChatGPT and ended up in a Blade Runner prequel directed by Black Mirror.
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She wanted stability. Instead, she got Nicolas Cage screaming about his hand, making bread shirtless, and listening to opera while falling in love.
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She didn't just escape into movies.
One escaped into her.
She didn't follow her.
She followed her.
They fell for each other… and then straight onto a government kill list.
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This man really said, "What if I cared about people?" and corporate America crumbled.
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Bro thought he had commitment issues. Turns out, he had reality issues.
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This isn't A Simple Favor 2.
It's How to Lose a Mob Boss in 10 Murders.
They really gave the galaxy and the rebellion A New Hope… and didn't even ask for credit.
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First, they decided who gets to have children. Then they banned pets. Then they came for... the bras.
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Bro didn't just ghost his entire family; he also ghosted himself.
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Fred Astaire said "middle-aged crisis" and then pirouetted out of it.
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Poseidon: "You're my son."
Percy: "Cool."
Also Poseidon: forgets to pay child for 12 years.
Imagine getting ghosted, and then starting a witch trial about it.
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They invented the future.
Then forgot to update it.
I mainly collect movies on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray. I also have separate lists for other formats: HD DVD (Blu-ray's failed competitor), LaserDisc (the first optical disc format with high-quality video and audio), standard DVD, UMD (the format readable by the PlayStation Portable), VHS and Betamax. I also own two movie trailers on 35mm film (Easy A & The Help) and one 70mm IMAX frame (The Dark Knight).
4K: boxd.it/G8ZBM
HD-DVD: boxd.it/G90i2
LD: boxd.it/G90KU
DVD: boxd.it/G91tq
UMD: boxd.it/G91wE
Betamax: boxd.it/G92kO
VHS: boxd.it/G92ne
- Wicked
- La La Land
- Cruella
- Room
- The Virgin Suicides
- Dogville
- Bridget Jones's Diary
- Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
- Bridget Jones's Baby
- Easy A
...plus 77 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Broadway Melody of 1940
- Oklahoma!
- The King and I
- South Pacific
- Cars
- Cars 2
- Cars 3
- Paper Man
- La La Land
- Battle of the Sexes
...plus 13 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Every feature film directed by Sofia Coppola, showcasing her unique blend of quiet introspection and visual storytelling. From her debut with The Virgin Suicides to her most recent works like A24's Priscilla, this list includes all of Coppola's films, each one a testament to her ability to explore themes of identity, isolation, and the human experience. Sofia Coppola is my hero, and these films are the reason why.
]]>- La La Land
- Wicked
- Babylon
- Iron Man 2
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 3
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Captain America: Civil War
- Thor
...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>HD DVD (High Definition Digital Video Disc) was a high-definition optical disc format developed by Toshiba and introduced in 2006. It was designed to offer better video and audio quality than standard DVDs and was one of the two formats in the "high-definition disc format war," the other being Blu-ray.
HD DVD could store about 15 GB of data on a single-layer disc and up to 30 GB on a dual-layer disc. While it offered improved video quality compared to DVDs, it was eventually overtaken by Blu-ray, which offered higher capacity (25 GB for single-layer, 50 GB for dual-layer) and better for features like interactive content and internet connectivity.
The format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD ended in 2008 when Toshiba announced it would cease production of HD DVD players and discs, leaving Blu-ray as the dominant format for high-definition video. Despite its short-lived existence, HD DVD remains a part of home media history.
- Transformers
- Troy
- Disturbia
- Ocean's Thirteen
- Tremors
- Letters from Iwo Jima
- Corpse Bride
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Poseidon
- The Matrix Revolutions
...plus 17 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>LaserDisc was an optical disc format introduced in 1978, often considered the predecessor to DVDs and Blu-rays. It was the first format to offer high-quality video and audio playback, making it popular among early home theater enthusiasts. The discs were much larger than CDs or DVDs (about the size of a vinyl record), and they could store analog video and digital audio. However, LaserDisc never gained mainstream popularity due to its high price and the fact that it was a one-sided format, meaning people had to flip the disc for longer movies. It was eventually overshadowed by newer formats like DVD and Blu-ray.
- Jesus Christ Superstar
- Independence Day
- Evita
- Pretty Woman
- Schindler's List
- Braveheart
- The Sound of Music
- Mission: Impossible
- Toy Story
- GoodFellas
...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
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