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film criticism by maryann johanson | celebrating 25 years: 1997–2022

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How to Train Your Dragon

The Call of the Wild movie review: a very good boi (mostly)

Wed, Feb 19, 2020
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An old-fashioned kiddie adventure, sweetly earnest, equal parts scary, funny, exciting, sad, and happy, with only a bit of uncanny valley in its CGI doggo star. Definitely had something in my eye.

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How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World movie review: dragon its feet to a blah finale

Fri, Feb 15, 2019
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The gorgeous and once glorious fantasy series comes to a flat conclusion, one in which the stakes feel way lower than they should and the spark that once animated and elevated the story is missing.

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curated: long-lost Kit Harington/Toothless audition tapes surface

Fri, Dec 14, 2018
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Advice for actors: Never work with children or dragons.

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Monster Trucks movie review: what a car-tastrophe

Wed, Jan 04, 2017
24 comments

What if “monster trucks” actually meant — wait for it — that there were monsters in the trucks? From an idea by a four-year-old (really), and it shows.

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How to Train Your Dragon 2 movie review: flying higher

Thu, Jun 26, 2014
33 comments

An absolute delight, even better than the first film; a gorgeously animated ode to sticking to your principles in the face of ultimate adversity.

| 33 Comments

How to Train Your Dragon 2 trailer: not the spoilery one

Fri, Dec 20, 2013
8 comments

I want a dragon for Christmas.

| 8 Comments

The Croods (review)

Wed, Mar 20, 2013
30 comments

Was this secretly produced by the Institute for Creation Research?

| 30 Comments

best and worst movie quotes of 2010

Tue, Apr 05, 2011
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Oh yeah, I’m late with this. I carefully gather them all year long and then I never get around to posting them. So here they are at long last. And for 2011, I’m just gonna post ’em as they come in. So there.

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Colin Firth and Natalie Portman are Oscar shoo-ins; everything else up for grabs: Oscar predictions

Sat, Feb 26, 2011
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Here’s an at-a-glance look at my picks for Sunday night’s Academy Awards — projected winners are Xed. Keep in mind: this isn’t a list of whom I think should win Oscars but whom I think will win…

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Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2010 EDA Award winners

Mon, Jan 10, 2011
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Lots of love for The Social Network, Black Swan, and The Kids Are All Right…

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