![]() ![]() Perfectly flawless, this is one of the highest detailed animated videos in my collection - possibly even better than that of 'How to Train Your Dragon.' Each strand of hair, each beard whisker and each freckle on every character is always 100 percent visible. 'Gift of the Night Fury' is a 5-star demo-worthy animated short film. Just like the quality of the two short films themselves, the video quality of the two is night and day. 'DreamWorks Dragons' is presented with a scattered 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encoding in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Upon inserting the disc, a forced DreamWorks vanity reel and copyright warning play, followed by a skippable trailer for 'Puss in Boots' and a short ad for the 'Kung Fu Panda 2' Blu-ray release. Housing the entire Blu-ray case is a carboard slip cover. A DVD copy of both short films is included, as well as a limited time card that includes codes that unlock the online video game for free. 'DreamWorks Dragons' arrives on a Region A BD-25 in a standard two-disc blue keepcase. Although my four-year-old intently watched 'Gift of the Night Fury,' she wouldn't have anything to with 'Book of Dragons.' Frankly, I didn't want to be watching it either.Īlthough I loved 'Gift of the Night Fury,' the $15 or more price for this disc is hardly worth it - especially when you consider how lame 'Book of Dragons' and the special features are. In all reality, 'Book of Dragons' is so lazy and emotionless - it simply goes through the motions - that it won't even keep the kids entertained. Any new CG animation resembles that of a 1996 PC game. Once class begins, we flip through the Book of Dragons to see lame new 2D animation or re-edited clips from the previous features. You, the viewer, are supposed to be a new student studying the different species of dragons. The only new high quality computer animated bits in it are the bookends, showing the gang enter the Great Hall for Dragon Training class. With a 17-minute runtime, 'Book of Dragons' is a lazy filler episode. While 'Gift of the Night Fury' is legit, 'Book of Dragons' is a sham. Without spoiling the rest, I'll tell you that it's just as fun, funny, entertaining and heartfelt as you'd expect from the 'Dragon' franchise. ![]() ![]() As Hiccup releases the beast, he hops about to see where all the others have flown off to. The fun begins when Hiccup discovers that a friend has chained his dragon to the ground to keep it from leaving. The moment that Toothless realizes he's no longer earthbound without Hiccup as navigator, he too splits and leaves Hiccup way behind. Feeling bad for him, Hiccup makes Toothless a gift for the non-denominational holiday - a new tail fin that allows him to take flight on his own. Since Toothless, the dragon of our hero Hiccup, needs his human-controlled doohickey on his tail for flight, he cannot join the others on this mystery shrouded journey. ![]() It's winter time in our viking village and the townsfolk are noticing odd behavior from their newfound pets - all of the dragons are taking flight and heading off into the snowy gray clouds. The two short features on 'DreamWorks Dragons' are 'Gift of the Night Fury' and 'Book of Dragons.' Easily the best of the two, running 22 minutes, 'Gift of the Night Fury' is a fun little holiday-esque tale that furthers the mythos of the 'Dragon' series. Considering the original Blu-ray release carried another short feature of its own ('The Legend of the Boneknapper'), how have these guys had the time to make three 17+ minute short movies while also making a second theatrical feature-length film? Knowing that a sequel is in the works, it's interesting to see this Blu-ray released with two new animated short features. With humor, adventure, laughs, fantastic animation, and great big heart, it gave Pixar a run for their money. I didn't expect ' How to Train Your Dragon' to be as good as it was. Hopefully he'll be able to keep a smooth track record while holding this position because the 'Dragon' franchise is one of their very best, completely entertaining for both children and the adults who bring them to see it. That first two under his watch were 'Kung Fu Panda 2' and 'Puss in Boots,' both of which showed DreamWorks' decision to bring him aboard was a smart one. One problem they've had in the past is keeping their cash cow franchises on track - yes, I'm referring to their first big hit, ' Shrek.' Recently, Guillermo Del Toro has stepped in as the "godfather" of DreamWorks Animation to oversee all features. Over time, it's established itself as the second-best company next to the one that started it all and raised the bar so high - Disney/Pixar. DreamWorks Animation has become a major player in the world of computer animated family flicks. ![]()
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