Monday, June 16, 2014

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Review, Wonder Woman, Random Alex, Ninja News, and More Movie Reviews

Movie Review – How to Train Your Dragon 2

Hiccup, Toothless, and the gang are back for another great adventure!

The characters have grown and now face new challenges. This tale takes them far beyond the boundaries of home and really expands the world in which they live.

There’s a good balance of funny and serious. Be warned though that the serious is often dark, dealing with death, abandonment, and intense situations. This film is not for really young children.

Animation is stunning and awesome in 3D.

And no, Hiccup does not lose any more body parts!

Recommended

If I Wasn’t a Writer, I’d be Wonder Woman

From the awesome Annalisa Crawford!

Thanks for inviting me to your blog today, Alex, it’s an honour to be here, and I’m very excited. I always wondered what it looked like from this side. It’s nice, especially the glitter ball!

When I was little, one of my favourite shows was Wonder Woman.

I’m just a rookie-geek when it comes to comic books and superheroes, and I wouldn’t dare hold a conversation with a real aficionado – I have never read a comic book, they’d probably spot that!

Everything I know about Woman Woman is what I knew when I was four – she’s got indestructible bracelets, a tiara that works as a weapon and a lasso (along with cool lasso skills).

And, really, what more does a girl need?

She was strong enough to lift cars, bend metal, and throw men across a room. I loved the way she spun around to get changed, and – as with all superheroes with secret identities – how she could disguise herself with just a pair of glasses!

There weren’t many women in my childhood that I could look up to. The boys tied their jackets around their neck to be Superman, they climbed up the slide to be Spiderman, and they growled to be the Hulk. The girls just got saved, a lot…

Until we discovered Wonder Woman, and span ourselves into a dizzy heap. But we looked cool while we did it, honest.

I am pretty ecstatic that she’s going to be making an appearance in the Batman vs Superman film – just a year or so to wait!

Annalisa’s new mirror

Find Annalisa and Our Beautiful Child at Blog, Website, Amazon and Smashwords


Ninja News

The talented Ella has had her artwork featured in many magazines. To gain more exposure, she needs your help – can you LIKE her work on the magazine’s Facebook page? Thanks!

River Fairchild has released another tantalizing morsel of creepiness - Darkest Days, Blackest Nights: Tales of Lust, Greed, Vengeance, Death.

Juliana Haygert’s latest book is out – Breaking Fences.

Rachel Morgan’s book, The Faerie Guardian, is now part of this amazing boxed set, Girls on Fire.

Decadent Kane’s Steele Your Soul came out last month and you find it at Breathless Press




And a cool blog if you haven’t found it yet is Sleepy Bison’s MEKANIKAL, which features futuristic stuff like Bitcoin, emerging cryptocurrencies, science/tech projects, and sometimes silly stuff.

Random Alex Stuff

The issues with Feedly last week meant I was relying on my sidebar to catch new blog posts. (My apologies to everyone I missed. Using the sidebar is time consuming and not always effective.) Since some of you were not listed in my sidebar, I made some adjustments. If you are a regular visitor here and you don’t see your blog listed, please let me know!

For the release of Annalisa’s A Beautiful Child, Rachel Schieffelbein asked about what she’d want named after her. Since both Annalisa and Rachel selected a food item, Iwent with the flow and picked a breakfast cereal:
Ninja Captain Choco-Bits!
What would pick?

All three of my books are on the Best Space Opera list at Goodreads. If you enjoyed them, please jump over and vote. CassaStar is still in the top five, but CassaFire and CassaStorm could use some love.

Quick Movie Reviews

Some DVD reviews since this was the weekend for movie sequels…

Red 2

I’m not sure why the critics were so harsh on this film. It’s another fun instalment, full of action, wit, and humor. It’s a bit too long, but other than that, a really good film.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2

The storyline is very simple but it works. This film is as fun as the first one, with many laugh out loud moments. It’s definitely aimed at kids but will keep adults amused.




Anyone else see Dragon 2 this weekend? Have you seen the other two films? Picking up some new books? Annoyed with Feedly last week? What food item do you want named after you? Can you help on Goodreads? And if not Wonder Woman, how would you decorate your mirror…?

191 comments:

Unknown said...

Woot, am I really the first one to comment?? Is there a prize?? ;-) LOL, I just wanted to say that I absolutely loved how to train your dragon 1 and can't wait see the sequel !!! :-) Unfortunately, I have to wait :-(

Annalisa Crawford said...

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Alex. And I think Ninja Captain Choco-bits would be a worldwide hit! Lots of kids stalking their breakfast - what could go wrong!!

#2 son is very excited about How to Train Your Dragon 2, and I still haven't seen the first one!

Patsy said...

I'd like a flower to be named after me - a big purple one.

Patsy said...

Oh, food item ... an edible flower? Covered in chocolate? Violet creams would do it. They can be renamed Patsy's purple preserved petals or something.

Old Kitty said...

Totally can't wait for How to train your dragon 2!!!!! I loved the first one!! Can't wait!!!

Oh I bow to the goddess that is Wonder Woman!! Love her always and forever!

I'd love anything chocolatey named after me!! :-)

Take care
x

kaykuala said...

Nice to know about Dragon 2 and Wonder Woman. Though of the two had heard of Wonder Woman before. Perhaps the youngsters might decide to do something about them and take a look-see later. Thanks Alex!

Hank

Huntress said...

Feedley went to the bottom of my preferred list of resources.

Can't wait to see HTTYD!

Congrats to all!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I love Annalisa's mirror!!! That's totes awesome :-)

And I want to see How to Train Your Dragon 2, but I still need to see the first one!

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I doubt I'll see Dragon2 in the theaters (when my kids go to see movies, they now go with their friends and leave me behind), but I'll be up for it when it hits streaming!

Lynda Dietz said...

If I were to have a food named after me, it would certainly include chocolate. All the best foods include chocolate in some form.

All those movies sound great, and I'm bummed to note I've only seen a couple of the movies whose "2" versions are now out. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Sounds like a good family film for my somewhat older kids, then. No problems with a dark theme for my younger, almost-13 year old.

I'd like to be Wonder Woman, too. I loved her invisible jet! (Well, she had one in the cartoon on Sat. mornings, anyway).

Rhonda Albom said...

I think Annalisa and I have equal knowledge of Wonder Women, although I would have added a bit about her costume. I am not sure Dragon 2 is out here yet, but I will see it eventually, maybe while I am eating a pizza named after me.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Wonder Woman should get her own movie!

Cathrina Constantine said...

Looking forward to seeing Dragon 2 since I Liked the first one, and now after your review. My mom nicknamed me after a doll, Chatty Cathy. That's an old one, don't know if people will remember that toy.

Brian Miller said...

did not see dragons 2...and might not...my boys dont want to see it...which is weird, but...oh well...smiles...

did see they announced aquaman the other day for dawn of justice...

Liza said...

I was a fan of Wonder Woman. What girl wasn't? I liked Bat Girl when she showed up too.

Jemi Fraser said...

I wish they wouldn't make the sequels too dark - little ones will watch them anyway! Love those dragons :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

EE, you are first! You have bragging rights.

Annalisa, thanks for joining us.

Patsy, that made me chuckle.

Huntress, at least it's working now. Darn those hijackers.

Dianne, that's sad.

Elizabeth, yes she did.

Cathrina, I have heard of it.

Brian, that's surprising they don't want to see it.

Al Diaz said...

I really cant wait for Friday to see How to Train your Dragon. This one I cant miss.
Cereal name, why chocolate? Dragon cant stand chocolate, sorry. Dragon wouldnt it that cereal. But dwarves might, behind my back.
I will drop by Goodreads later.

Gossip_Grl said...

Annalisa The only comic book I ever read was The Archies and that was a lot of years ago!

Congrats Alex for making it to the top of Best Space Opera on Goodreads!
It was a busy weekend. No movies at the theater but I did watch a very old b/w movie on TV that it has been years since I last watched The Blue Gardenia- A 1940ish movie- Starring Ann Southard and Raymond Burr in probably one of his first movies. :)Will definitely go and check out the Goodreads in a bit!

Donna K. Weaver said...

Fun guest post. Hubby's not in a hurry to see Dragon 2, but I am. Loved the first one.

We saw Edge of Tomorrow. Wow.

Creepy Query Girl said...

The kids liked both How to train your dragon and Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. Had no idea they had sequels out! And wonderwoman is an inspiration to us all, Annalisa! lol

J.L. Campbell said...

Congrats to everybody with a new book out also to you Alex for your Goodreads listings.

Didn't do the superwoman thing as a child. Boring, I know, but kids need to dream, right? I hope the sales for Annalisa’s book are going well.

Mason Canyon said...

Annalisa, glad to meet another Wonder Woman wanna-be.

Alex, popped over and voted. Wishing you much luck. I finally got around to watching the first How to Train Your Dragon. Now I'm read for 2.

Congrats to all those with books and I'm off to check out Ella's work.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

How to Train Your Dragon II was a little dark.

I didn't follow superhero comics. I loved animals and my hero was Elsa the lion. Yes, I was an odd child.

Gail said...

Wanted you to know I'm in the shadows reading.

Chemist Ken said...

We'll probably see How to Train Your Dragon 2 this coming weekend. Too many things were happening to see it this weekend, even though our daughter was constantly dropping hints about how much she was looking forward to it. Glad to hear it's going to be good.

Juliana Haygert said...

Thanks for the shout-out! :)

This past weekend I took the kid to see Maleficent. It was awesome. She loved it. I'll take her to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 next Saturday.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Alex. I'm sure I missed out on some great blog posts because of the problems with Feedly. I'm so glad it didn't last too long.

CONGRATS to all those with new book releases!

Kim Van Sickler said...

My daughter was watching the first "How to Train Your Dragon" movie on TV yesterday morning. It reminds us of our mother-daughter trip to Chicago four years ago for her spring break. We saw the movie in an IMAX theater at Navy Pier. It was a great day and that movie is forever linked to it.

Karen Lange said...

It's nice to hear from Annalisa today! Wishing her all the best.

Didn't catch any films at the theater this weekend, but did watch a few on TV, like The Blind Side. Caught a few episodes of the NCIS marathon too. Have a great week!

Jay Noel said...

For some strange reason, my kids never latched onto the first Dragon movie, so I doubt we'll see 2.

Red 2 was actually pretty fun. Just good fun with some great action and sharp humor.

And to Annalisa's point, I think it's interesting that her lasso MAKES you tell the truth. There's a moral there I can't quite put my finger on...

ELAdams said...

I can't wait to watch How to Train Your Dragon 2 - I loved the first one.

Congrats to all the new releases!

Jennifer Hawes said...

I loved Wonder Woman as a kid! Red 2 was a great movie. I look forward to seeing How to Train Your Dragon 2. Hopefully soon:)

Unknown said...

Congrats Alex.
I want to see How to Train Your Dragon 2. Haven't had the chance yet, but I did see Maleficent, which I enjoyed.

Thank you so much for the shout out!

Luanne G. Smith said...

I really do need to catch up with these Dragon movies. Everyone tells me how great they are. :)

And weird about Feedly. I hope they get it figured out (aka don't pay the ransom). I sometimes use my sidebar for blog hopping too, but I don't have nearly as many blogs to follow as you do. Don't know how you do it.

Jeff Chapman said...

How about Jeff's Magnificent Morning Mocha, something to wake you up and put a smile on your face. Congrats on the release, Annalisa. Love the cover. Added it to my Goodreads list.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks Al and Gossip Girl!

Donna, wasn't it great?

Thanks, Mason!!

Gail - sneaky!

Ken, I'm sure they weren't subtle hints...

Juliana, you're welcome!

Susanne, I know I missed a few.

Kim, that's the way to see a movie.

Jay, it was a fun movie.

Kane, you're welcome, and sorry so late.

LG, it seems to be fine now. And it's a challenge trying to keep up.

Jeff, that's good!

Leovi said...

Thanks for the review of Red 2!

Charles Gramlich said...

I liked How to train your dragon. I'm sure I'll see the 2nd one once it's on DVD

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Haven't seen How to Train your Dragon, but hope to soon.
Congratulations to everyone on all the new books.
Voted on Good Reads.
Have a great week.

Pat Hatt said...

can't go wrong with being wonder woman haha good to know the sequel was just as good. Still have yet to watch Red 2.

I still use my blogroll reading list, easy peasy no need for feedly.

A Beer for the Shower said...

Man, I'm still catching up on movies. The wife and I are seeing Edge of Tomorrow later today. Would like to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 soon. The first one was actually pretty enjoyable.

I was happy to give you some more votes on Goodreads. Yayuh!

M.J. Fifield said...

I'd really love to see Dragon 2. I loved the first one so much.

I'm a Wonder Woman fan, too!

Off to Goodreads...

Bob/Sally said...

"not for really young children"

Thanks for the Dragon warning, Alex. I was thinking about taking my little guy to see it (he loves the cartoon series), but I think we may hold off if that's the case.

River Fairchild said...

Thank you so much for the mention, Alex!
Congrats to Annalisa and everyone else with their releases.
Of course I will drop by Goodreads and give the Cassa series some love. :)

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I remember watching Wonder Woman, too - both the "live" version with Lynda Carter and the Super Friends cartoon version.

Haven't seen any movies lately. Still trying to get caught up on Game of Thrones - finished Season 3 this weekend and will have to get to Season 4 over the next few days. Maybe marathon is needed….

Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption

Shell Flower said...

Annalisa's new book looks awesome. Wonderwoman was always cool--I liked her invisible jet. I'll hop over to Goodreads, too. Still reading the books. I wish I had an e-reader as I end up getting way too distracted trying to read e-books on my laptop.

Natalie Aguirre said...

I need to see the first How to Train your Dragon movie first. But I definitely want to see them.

Unknown said...

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 looks adorable.
I see Juliana getting round the blogosphere! Her book sounds great.

Sarah Ahiers said...

LOOOOOVED How to train your dragon 2! I knew it would be good, but man, it was so soooo good. I think it was better than the first one

Loni Townsend said...

I voted! Since I don't read Sci-fi often, it was an easy choice. :)

I've already picked up River's book of creepy tales, but I need to check out the other ones.

ilima said...

Everyone's been saying prepare for tears with HTTYD2. It sounds awesome. And I really liked Red 2. I had no idea critics didn't like it...not that I really care what critics think, honestly.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - so pleased Annalisa's featured here and good to her and her new book .. "Our Beautiful Child" ...

It's great to read and see the blog-authors who are releasing books .. and Feedly was a pain, I agree ...

Having a mirror is a problem! I steer clear ofthem ... Cheers Hilary

jaybird said...

I have to agree with Annalisa. Wonder Woman was one of my childhood heroes as well. She had the one thing all ladies wished they had, a golden lasso that makes men tell the truth!! What an awesome accessory, LOL

Congrats with all the continued success your books are having Alex!! So happy for you.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the review of Train Your Dragon 2. I am going to take my son, but my daughter wants to go. I might have her wait, and taker her to see something else later.

Kyra Lennon said...

Haha, I really never thought of Wonderwoman as being so cool! Annalisa's right, she's pretty kickass!

Anonymous said...

Voted for all 3 of your books! Good luck, buddy :-) And the fam & I saw Dragon 2 yesterday--what a fantastic movie for Father's Day! I cried and LOL, and had so many fav moments. But I agree, not for really young children. Probably 8 and up depending on the kid.

Jo said...

So glad hiccup doesn't lose any more body parts. I am looking forward to seeing that movie.

I will definitely go give your books some TLC.

Good luck with all the new books.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Some great news rolling out on a Monday, frown is upside down. so many films coming out this summer, what to see and you see a lot... thank you for sharing your choices, this weekend we went old school "Snatch and "Lock, Stock and Two Barrels"... wife hated them both, but has a thing for Jason Statham...

Been finally getting caught up on the things I needed to do in February, so been ghost posting and falling behind.

Suzanne Furness said...

I'm hearing good things about How to Train your Dragon, although I haven't seen it myself. Massive Yay for Wonder Woman - wish I could have worn hot pants like her!

Andrew Leon said...

I forgot all about the dragon movie but, then, I've been a bit busy. I'll probably just wait for DVD for it. My kids don't seem interested in it, and I haven't seen anything about it that makes me think it's different enough to bother with.

D.G. Hudson said...

Wonder Woman did give women a heroine to cheer for, but she had to do it in a briefer costume than Superman or Batman. . .Hmmm, is that just to distract the men, so she could win the fight?

Congrats to all those with releases!

btw - hubs liked Cloudy with Meatballs, I couldn't stand it.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I haven't seen any of those movies. Will hop over to Goodreads.
Wonderwoman inspired a generation of girls to be tough and still have beautiful hair.

Stephanie Faris said...

Wonder Woman...why not?! I love that answer!

Ava Quinn said...

Annalisa, I loved being Wonder Woman too when I was a girl. I still think she rocks and own some WW trinkets to prove my fealty. lol!

Ales, I saw Dragon2 last night at the drive in with the Urchins and The Man. It was pretty good, though I enjoyed the first one a little better.

Ava Quinn said...

Oops, hit the s instead of the x on your name. Sorry bout that!

Carrie-Anne said...

I'd probably want a chocolate peanut butter pie named after myself.

Laura Clipson said...

I might have to invest in that box set, I love Rachel Morgan's Faerie Guardian series, so I'm sure I'd enjoy the rest.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Beverly, thanks!

Pat, too many blogs I follow...

Bryan and Brandon, thanks!

Bob, I thought it was too intense for anyone under six.

River, you're welcome, and thanks!

Shell, you need one.

Loni, thanks!

Ilima, if you're sensitive, take Kleenex.

David, good idea. After you've seen it, you can decide if she's ready for it.

Jamie, agreed, and thanks!

Jeremy, that made me chuckle.

DG, it would distract me.

Ava, no worries, and I liked the first one a little better as well.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Too many great things to comment on. I know that Livia really liked Dragon 2 also. It sounds great.

For breakfast, you gotta have bacon, right? I'd be a dark chocolate bacon bar.

Off to give Cassa some Goodreads love, Alex.

Susan Kane said...

So many diverse questions, Alex!

Cannot answer many with much success. I like watermelon is all I can give you today.

Rusty Carl said...

1) Ella's art is awesome
2) I can't decide if I should see Hiw to Train Your Dragon 2 or not. You aren't the first person to say its awesome.
3) All your blog commenter regulars are listed in your sidebar? That's insane!

Hart Johnson said...

I wish the How to Train Your Dragons had come out when my kids still liked shows like that. I think I would have gotten into them, but I see so few movies anymore, and really only the ones they want to see with me...

And I loved the first RED. I will have to catch this one--I'll probably watch for it on HBO or wait for Netflix, but good to hear it is worth the time.
(went to like Ella and lots of great books coming!)

cleemckenzie said...

Have to corral the kids and see HTTYD2. We loved the first movie.

Wonder Woman is a great choice for Annalisa.

I didn't know River had a knew book out! Of course it would have an element of "creepiness." Lovely.

Pop Tart? Or is that too racy for YA/MG writer?

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Oh Annalise! Have you read "Suck it, Wonder Woman!" by Olivia Munn? It's hilarious, but I've always loved Olivia Munn. Her memoir told from the perspective of a Japanese American living in Japan is really interesting (and how she kind of embraces Wonder Woman as her hero).

Alex: Dragon 2 is probably a movie I'll go and see multiple times. I really liked it. Great review.

Melissa said...

Wow! Tons of news.
Congrats all around!

I about choked on my coffee when Feedly didn't load. Funny how we take these things for granted until they don't work. LOL

Robin said...

I loved the TV show Wonder Woman (with Lynda Carter... like you are in doubt). I remember so much time spinning around in my living room. Even though I didn't grow up an island full of women I was SURE that with enough spinning the *magic* would happen and I would Change. Hahaha. All that happened was that I got dizzy and fell down.

Elephant's Child said...

Congratulations to all of the talented people featured here today (and every day). I have read River's latest excursion into horror - and can recommend it. Highly. If you can be comfortable with feelings of emotional discomfort.

Ellie Garratt said...

I'd like to be Ironman's new sidekick, Ironwoman ;)

Li said...

New laptop and learning Windows 8 - sorry I haven't been by in a while! Checked out Mekanikal, great recommendation! And I'm hoping to see Dragon next weekend for my friend's birthday. :-)

mooderino said...

Dragon 2 looks pretty good. Glad Hiccup doesn't lose any more body bits.

mood

Misha Gerrick said...

My mirrors all come with wooden wardrobes attached. So I prefer to leave them as is and pretend Narnia is on the other side. Yeah. That's the way I roll. ;-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Robyn, always chocolate for you!

Rusty, I think they all are now...

Hart, you'll enjoy the second one.

Lee, that's good!

Melissa, I know!

Elephant, I can handle that...

Misha, don't blame you.

Carol Kilgore said...

Congrats to everyone with new books this week!

And congrats to Alex for having all three Cassa books on the Goodreads list!

Lan said...

I'm really excited to see How to Train Your Dragon but I can't possibly see how it would live up to the first one!!

Bevimus said...

Dragon 2 is definitely on my list since I loved the first one.

Annalisa- the idea of you spinning yourself dizzy made me laugh out loud and still has a huge smile on my face- thanks for a glimpse into your childhood!

Congrats to Ell, River, Juliana, Rachel and Decadent!

And I will head to Goodreads now!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Annalisa's piece on Wonder Woman was lots of fun. I still kind of think if I spin around real fast....

Anonymous said...

I looked up to Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman as a kid. They were amazing in my young eyes.

Ninja Captain Choco-Bits sounds delicious.

J E Oneil said...

It was awful to have Feedly down, wasn't it? I can't believe what jerks those people were to hold the site hostage like that. They need to go find something useful to do with their skills.

Arlee Bird said...

Haven't seen either Dragon movie and probably won't. In fact I probably won't seeing many films over the next several weeks--period. I just hope I'm able to get on the internet now and then.

Lee
Tossing It Out

John Wiswell said...

I also liked Red 2! Quite a bit. Anthony Hopkins and Byung-hun Lee were splendid additions. I'd watch a whole film about Han Cho Bai's pursuit of the perfect plane.

Unknown said...

I want to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Dragon 2. I'm glad you gave them a good review.

S. L. Hennessy said...

I'm hoping to get to see it this week. I cannot wait! I love Hiccup and especially Toothless. A dynamic duo.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'm looking forward to seeing Dragon 2. That's my kind of movie. :)

lol, Ninja Captain Choco-bits...just like a chocolate milkshake only crunchy! ;)

DiscConnected said...

Is there ever a weekend where a movie sequel isn't released?

I loved Red 2 and like you, wonder why the critics panned it.

I actually try to find something positive whenever I review music-it's rare that something is all bad.

And when they pan it, there's usually nothing constructive.

In my life, I have only walked out of two movies (Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Rock Of Ages).

I'd be hard pressed to say something good about them.

But for everything else, it was obviously good enough for me to stay to see how it turned out.

LC

Birgit said...

I have not seen these films-big surprise:) I always think I will get out to see a movie and then don't. Birgie's Burger buns sounds like a good name:)My mirror would have fantasy, art, film stars and a Far side cartoon or 3 around it:) I might be wrong but I didn't see my blog there but I could be wrong:)

Botanist said...

My son went with a friend to see How to Train Your Dragon 2. He said it was awesome. We all enjoyed the first movie, it was a lovely storyline.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Carol!

Beverly, thanks!

Medeia, they would be tasty, wouldn't they?

John, I hope they do another film.

Lynda, a bit like Rocky Road...

Larry, I walked out on the movie Toys with Robin Williams. A couple others I wished I walked out of. Bur like you, I can usually find something good in just about anything.

Birgit, I like your mirror!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I saw HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 and you are right -- it was a grand sequel -- much like THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. The young children cried during the sad section. Beautiful animation and music. :-)

Kirsten said...

Oh wow, I just noticed my blog under the Awesome Ninja Army Part Two! *grins* But don't worry, you didn't miss anything over there. I'm on a bit of a posting hiatus, I guess.

I did see you listed at Anne R. Allen's blog last Sunday as an example of a great blog though! Congrats on the great job. :)

Truedessa said...

Hi Alex,

Your blog is def the place to go to for movie reviews and updates. You always offer the readers interesting books to read as well. I am currently into reading books about dreaming and some historical based novels.

Enjoy your week Ninja...

Leandra Wallace said...

I can't wait to see HTTYD 2! I'm actually going to see TFIOS this week, and it's killing me to know that Dragon 2 will be playing at the same time. *sigh*

Leandra Wallace said...

I can't wait to see HTTYD 2! I'm actually going to see TFIOS this week, and it's killing me to know that Dragon 2 will be playing at the same time. *sigh*

Leandra Wallace said...

I can't wait to see HTTYD 2! I'm actually going to see TFIOS this week, and it's killing me to know that Dragon 2 will be playing at the same time. *sigh*

Nicole said...

So excited to see How to Train Your Dragon 2!!! Congrats to Annalisa. Her book has been everywhere in recent weeks! Glad to see that.

Helena said...

Hey Annalisa -- I'm glad you like Wonder Woman! Me, I kind of grew up without her since I usually couldn't buy comic books, but now in my advanced age I'm hooked on the novels and graphic books of Modesty Blaise. (She's human, but supercool.)

I agree with you, Alex, about Reds 2--like the first installment, it was fun and witty and wonderfully cast. Hope there's a third one.

And congrats on making the Goodreads list as a triple threat! That is awesome and well deserved.

dolorah said...

I'll probably see Dragon 2 the same way I saw 1; it'll come on a Disney or Family channel. Cute movie, but I don't understand why the world is so excited about a cartoon movie. Well, Disney originally appealed to adults, so . .

I loved Wonder Woman as a child too. Really need a grown up version of her now.

Congrats Alex, for staying up there with your releases.

Ella said...

Thank you Captain! Yum I want a bowl of that...but it would have to be the Cinnamon variety~ ;D
You rock!

I loved the first Dragon cartoon-so this is a must!

I was Wonder Woman for Freshman Reception-I wonder if my mom still has the photo-lol.

I want to shop-so many great books! Thank you again, Captain!

Congrats to Jennifer-how fab!

Jack said...

I didn't make it to How to Train your Dragon 2 yet, but I hope to soon. I've been looking forward to it for a while now.

Empty Nest Insider said...

Cute guest post Annalisa! Congrats to all of the authors! I also liked the first REDS, and just recently taped the sequel. Great news about Goodreads, Alex! I'm heading over to vote now.

Julie

Leigh Covington said...

Would love to go see the new Dragons movie. Thanks for the heads up about the appropriateness for young children though! And I'm really excited about Annalisa's book. :)

Jenni said...

I'm really looking forward to the Dragon 2 movie. I really enjoyed the first--and my kids did too. I really enjoyed Annalisa's post as well--yay for Wonder Woman!

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Thanks for the comment love! Thanks for the warning, I'll keep it in mind as I watch How to Train Your Dragon 2! River Fairchild's title is super long! Now I don't feel so bad with a title I have chosen for one of my stories!
Ella is rocking it! She's at 40k LIKES! Wooot!

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥

Annalisa Crawford said...

I didn't get back here yesterday, I had to go out, walk the dog, go to work, watch Iran v Nigeria (not a great game!) But I thought, how many replies would I have to make...

Old Kitty - Wonder Woman definitely needs more mainstream recognition!

Keith - my mirror was a great find in the Highlands of Scotland.

Elizabeth - I'm sure she had her invisible jet in the TV show too. I never saw the cartoons.

Rhonda - I should have mentioned the costume - it was definitely designed by a man, wasn't it?!

Sandra - hopefully, by appearing in Batman vs Superman, they're paving the way for a movie. Fingers crossed!

Brian - the only thing I know about Aquaman is what they talk about on Big Bang Theory :-)

Liza - Bat Girl passed me by.

Annalisa Crawford said...

Gossip_Grl - that's one more comic book than I've ever read!

Creepy Query Girl - it was great to have a strong role model.

J.L - thank you :-)

Mason - we need a badge (or tiara) so we can recognise fellow wannabes.

Karen - thank you :-)

Jay - you're right. I didn't considered the moral implications - although I'd be too busy focusing on catching my target!

Jennifer - I wonder why she fell away, while all the other superheroes have been getting their own films for years?

Jeff - thank you :-)

Annalisa Crawford said...

I'm still going...

M.J - who-hoo!

River - thank you :-)

Madeline - I never saw the cartoon, but I'm interested now. You're the second person to mention it.

Shell - thank you :-)

Hilary - thank you :-)

Jaybird - lol, as a dating aid, that lasso would have been awesome!

Kyra - oh, she's definitely cool!

Suzanne - Wonder Woman rocked those hot pants!

D.G - lol, Wonder Woman's costume was definitely designed by a man, wasn't it? Running in a bustier!!

Susan - she never had a hair out of place, you're right... I never realised that!

Stephanie - it might be a bluff... I might actually be Wonder Woman...

Ava - I am determined to obtain some trinkets on my own. I want that tiara!



Annalisa Crawford said...

C. Lee - thank you!

Michael - I've not heard of that book, but now I really want to read it - thanks for telling me about it.

Robin - I used to spin too, despite my vertigo. Perhaps you just needed to concentrate harder?

Ellie - Ironwoman would be quite cool.

Misha - ooh, Narnia. I love that!

Beverly - it's best to do it in a large area, and not during the show, because you miss the next couple of scenes lying on the ground :-)

Patricia - go on, have a spin and let us know what happens ;-)

Nicole - thank you!

Helena - it was more the TV show I liked. I didn't have much access to comic books either.

Donna - a new version of WW has definitely been a long time coming. It would be interesting to see what they could do with her story.

Ella - some photos should always be kept and referred to regularly :-)

Empty Nest Insider - thank you :-)

Leigh - thanks :-)

Jenni - thank you!

RaveAir said...

Thank you for the How to train your dragon 2 review. I think I'll delay when I watch it with my kids. However they rewatched the first movie yesterday.

Red 2 wasn't bad, but the prequel was better. And I agree with you, it's a little bit long.

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2 is full of stupidity (in a good way), however amusing and entertaing too.

Feedly errors were very annoying. I hope it won't happen again.

Last week I finally finished CassaStorm, review it at Goodreads (and my blog in Hungarian). It was good, I really enjoyed it, so I'll help you to improve its ranking on Goodreads. :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

I have heard so much about HTTYD 2, that I have to force either my niece or my friend to go with me to see it.

Will definitely send some love CassaFire and CassaStorm's way.

Cathy Keaton said...

I'm looking forward to seeing HTTYD 2. I heard it was better than Frozen, which I thought was alright. The first HTTYD movie was awesome!

PK HREZO said...

Just voted! Good luck Alex!
We finally just saw Godzilla. It was def more reminiscent of the good old days. I liked it. My son loved it. The best part was that we got to snuggle up together in the theatre and enjoy something I enjoyed as a kid. *precious moments*

Unknown said...

Best wishes, Annalisa and Racheal! And to all the other authors with new releases.

Have just voted for the three Cassa books on Goodreads! Of course I enjoyed them! I still owe you a book review for CassaStorm. I promise it is on its way.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kristen, thanks - that was a great honor!

Helena, I also hope there's a third movie.

Donna, something about computer animated films is just cool.

Ella, you're welcome, and hope you got a lot of likes.

Zoltan, thank you!! Appreciate that. Yeah, Cloudy 2 was dumb, but it was fun.

Cathy, I think Frozen was better.

PK, thanks, and awesome!

Carolyn, thank you. And no worries.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Hi Alex!

It won't let me vote again on Goodreads. :(

I think we will go see Dragons 2 when school is over. Maybe bring the 8 yr old to the drive-in to see it. (We still have one in our town).
Even though Wonder Woman and Bionic Woman are cheesy shows to look back on this many years later, I get now how important they were to see women hold their own on a TV show.

Heather

Unknown said...

How to Train Your Dragon is my favorite movie. I'm excited to see the second one and very glad to know Hiccup doesn't loose anymore body parts. If that continued it would make it hard for any more sequels!

Cheers!
Jen

Unknown said...

I loved the first How to Train Your Dragon, because it didn't shy away from real issues, and it looks like the second one is just as good--thanks for the review, Alex. Food name after me; has to be some kind of cake. Don't ask me why. :)

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I haven't seen How to Train your Dragon, but wished I'd thought of that concept.

I did go see Maleficent last weekend and LOVED it.

Julie Dao said...

I just went to see Dragon 2, too! I think I liked the first one better, but this one was pretty fun and adorable. The graphics are amazing!

Leovi said...

It seems interesting that fine balance between fun and serious.

Angela Brown said...

I'd hoped to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 while on vacation but that didn't work out. Still had a great time though. I look forward to see it soon.

If I had to decorate my mirror with something, I would now do it with the recent illustration I have of my character Abby from Neverlove. The illustrator really captured Abby's vulnerability and strength.

Tyrean Martinson said...

I would probably decorate a mirror with Princess Leia - yes, she got rescued, but she also rescued herself, knew how to use blasters, and went into Jabba's lair to save Han.
Looking forward to seeing How to Train Your Dragon 2 . . . next week.
Congrats to all the authors!!!

klahanie said...

Hi human, Alex,

Delighted to note my adoring human friend, Annalisa, has been featured on your fun-filled, informative site. I wish Annalisa the very best with her book.

I get your blog notifications via email. Not the most efficient system, but it helps me keep track, when it's working.

Penny

L.G. Keltner said...

Haven't seen any of these movies yet. The last movie my husband and I saw was The Grand Budapest Hotel.

And Annalisa's right. Wonder Woman rocks!

Julie Flanders said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Julie Flanders said...

Great to see Annalisa here! I can't wait to read her newest, I love her writing.

I want to see Dragon mostly because I love Kit Harington so much on Game of Thrones. I sound like a silly fangirl, I know LOL.

Mark said...

Thanks for the in-depth movie review:) Also, so glad to be on your sidebar! The best literary list to be included on, ever! :)

Chrys Fey said...

Annalisa, you can be Wonder Woman and I'll be Super Woman we can fight crime and bad writing together. ;)

Alex, I sadly haven't even see the first How to Train Your Dragon movie. Obviously I am behind on my movies. I'm not sure If I'll ever catch up.

msmariah said...

You know I love Wonder Woman! I agree with her whole heartedly!

I'm with you about "Red 2" Alex. I thought it was a lot of fun to watch. Not as good as the first one, but sequels never are.

Cherie Reich said...

I've been wanting to see HTTYD2. I loved the first one.

Congrats to Annalisa!

Lisa said...

I'm staring down at the face of Steve Jobs on the cover of his autobiography

Anonymous said...

I think this weekend hubby and I are going to see How to Train your Dragon 2. I don't have to work so plenty of time to catch a movie. =)

Dean K Miller said...

Animated films have come a long way since "Tugboat Willie" and are grabbing a lot of attention. Enjoying "Fixing Destiny" by S. E. Reichert while on vacation

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jen, soon he's be nothing but a head...

Angela, that's great inspiration.

Tyrean, and she looked hot in that bikini outfit! Oh wait...

Gary, two thousand emails with blog updates... that scares me.

Mark, thanks!!

MsMariah, seems everyone enjoyed it!

Lisa, good luck!

Tonja said...

I loved Wonder Woman's invisible airplane. :) I didn't see Dragons 2, but today is Taco Tuesday, and the Lego Movie is out on DVD (just ignore that thing about the tacos if you didn't see it). Everything is awesome!

Crystal Collier said...

Yay for Annalisa, and high five to kick-trash super women. Rogue is my favorite. (The cartoon/comic book version.)

Alex, I'm right with you on How to Train Your Dragon 2. We laughed through the whole film and the kids were begging us to buy it at the end.

Crystal Collier said...

Yay for Annalisa, and high five to kick-trash super women. Rogue is my favorite. (The cartoon/comic book version.)

Alex, I'm right with you on How to Train Your Dragon 2. We laughed through the whole film and the kids were begging us to buy it at the end.

Cate Masters said...

Can't wait to see the second Dragon movie. I think I liked it more than the grandboys. :)

David P. King said...

Dragon was awesome, but you know my opinion on that. And Wonder Woman is super cool. Too bad WB doesn't have the confidence to give her her own movie. It takes Superman AND Batman to introduce her, apparently... :)

Johanna Garth said...

Thanks for that review of Dragon. Now I know what I'm going to do with three 9 year old boys this Saturday night!!

Kristin Smith said...

I had to laugh when Annalisa talked about the glitter ball...too funny!

My kids are begging to see HTTYD which means I think we'll be going to the movies this weekend!

Okay, here is where I'm going to show my ignorance...is Feedly the sidebar that shows all the different blogs that are part of your Ninja Army? If so, I don't think I'm on there. :( Did I miss it?

Connie Keller said...

Annalisa, I'd almost forgotten about Wonder Woman. I remember watching the show on Saturdays. She was pretty cool.

Alex, I'm glad to see that my husband and I weren't the only ones who really enjoyed RED 2.

M Pax said...

Yeah, there wasn't a lot for girls once upon a time, Annalisa. Bet you looked wicked spinning about.

I had to rely on other people's blogs and clicking on their commenters. I'm glad Feedly is back.

Liz Blocker said...

Congratulations, everyone! I'm a huge Wonder Woman fan, too :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tonja, enjoy the movie and tacos!

David, maybe we'll see a move after that.

Kristin, Feedly is a reader, like the old Google reader. But if you're not in the sidebar, I will fix that!

Connie, it was a fun film!

Mary, so am I!

Tina said...

Random Alex stuff! Yeah! If I were a breakfast cereal I'd be Frosted Flakes right now. Frosted, as in upset at my current situation health wise and the flake part goes without sayin'.... or honey bunches of oats, where everything is all mixed up...

Need to see Meatballs 2, and am def looking forward to Hiccup and company in Dragon 2.

Will head to Goodreads as soon as possible. Got all distracted on fb liking your friend's art and don't want to get stuck somewhere again ;-)

Tina @ Life is Good
On the Open Road! @ Join us for the 4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Keep those books coming. Congratulations to everyone and their new covers. Excellent. My son took his 2 and 1/2 year old to see Dragons 2 and they both loved it.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Annalisa Crawford said...

Carolyn - thank you :-)

Penny - thank you xx

L.G - she really does!

Julie - I hope you like it, and thank you :-)

Chrys - that sounds like an awesome duo, keeping grammar safe for the next generation!

Msmariah - I'm definitely not in the minority I thought I was!

Cherie - thank you :-)

Tonja - I can't remember how she always knew where it was, though...

Crystal - Rogue... from X Men, yes? I'll ask my kids!

David - I'm hoping Superman vs Batman is the start of a franchise, like the Avengers - some films together, some alone.

Kristin - Alex's place is truly wondrous ;-)

Connie - there are a lot of old shows I've forgotten about.

M Pax - until I fell over, I was brilliant at spinning!!

Liz - yeah, you get to join the club :-)





Intangible Hearts said...

I remember being called Wonder Woman when I worked as a part time playground-proctor while in college. Could have been worse! Thanks for keeping me in the side-bar!

Trisha said...

I actually mostly rely on my side-bar (blog roll) to check out new posts. I also try to visit those who leave me a comment, though lately I have struggled to do this consistently.

Anyway, I hope your feedly problems are sorted?? It's so annoying when technology lets us down. :)

I haven't seen the first Dragon movie ... but sounds like I should check the series out.

Nigel G Mitchell said...

I love Wonder Woman as well, excited to see her in the movie

Leovi said...

Yes, I would also be Wonder Woman!

Donna Volkenannt said...

Haven't seen How to Train Your Dragon, but I have seen Red 2 and agree with you it's fun to watch.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tina, I'd say Honey Bunches of Oats. Now, don't get stuck.

Eve, of course you're there!

Trisha, it seems to be fine now.

Donna, it was!

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

I always loved Wonder Woman! Liked Ella's art FB page.

Mary Montague Sikes

Tara Tyler said...

yay for annalisa!!
i will wait for dragons 2, sequels of awesome movies scare me... especially with a great build up!
not to mention - batman v superman? ugh.

all these sequels influenced one of my blog tour posts (at Heather's next week) get original, hollywood money-grubbers!

thats all =) have a great weekend!!

Unknown said...

I'm quite excited to see Dragon 2 - it's going to be awesome (I've the Artbook and from what I can see, it looks gorgeous)

Nicki Elson said...

Wonder Woman! Oh man, I loved her too when I was a kid.

Congrats to all the Ninjas! I was able to add a vote for Storm. Keep climing those charts!

Michelle Wallace said...

Great interview with Annalisa!
...and the new books keep rolling in - congrats to all the authors!
And congrats on your Goodreads triple threat status, Alex!

Morgan said...

I still want to see Dragon 2! I usually am not a fan of animated shows, but I loved the first one. Really cute. And is it too late to vote on Goodreads? I'll go pop over and check! :)

Annalisa Crawford said...

Nigel - I have high hopes for the film!

Mary - every time I read the name now, I want to sing it... It's stuck in my head :-)

Tara - thank you!

Nicki - welcome to the club :-)

Michelle - thank you :-)

Unknown said...

I loved the first How to Train you Dragon. I can't wait to see the second!

Greg Pattridge said...

I was on the fence about How to Train Your Dragon, but might give it a try. Thanks for the great links to authors and books. Your recommendations on RED2 and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs2 has also been noted.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tara, can't wait to read it!

Jamie, it was a great looking film.

Nicki, thanks!

Morgan, not too late - thanks!

Unknown said...

I'm looking forward to the new dragon movie.

Congrats to Annalisa! I thought I was the only one old enough to remember Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter was such a beauty in her day.

Congrats to River, Juliana, Rachel, and Decadent!

Have a lovely weekend, Alex! :)

Christine Rains said...

Thanks for the reviews. I'm behind on my movie and TV show watching, but hopefully with the summer here, I'll catch up. I would love to have an ice cream flavor named after me! Have a great weekend. :)

Unknown said...

I really want to watch How to Train Your Dragon 2, but it hasn't come out yet in New Zealand. What I do like is how the characters have aged.

Nick Wilford said...

I enjoyed How to Train your Dragon and also one of the books which I read to my stepson. Summer cinema trip coming up!

Suze said...

Batman v. Superman? Why are they pitting them against each other? Me no understand ...

The Armchair Squid said...

Well, let's see. Technically, part of my pseudonym IS food. How about Armchair Squid pops, popsicles shaped like squid? Perfect for a hot summer day.

Danette said...

I am the world's worst with movies. I don't go to many- Godzilla being the first in some months. I depend on them the new releases at the library. So long story short, haven't seen it, can't comment.

I loved Wonderwoman when I was a kid but I am not sure about a remake...

H. R. Sinclair said...

Annalisa! We need to get you a comic book.

No movies for me. I've never thought about a food-naming before. Hum.

Fundy Blue said...

Hi Annalisa and Alex!
I enjoyed your piece, Annalisa. The women I looked up to when I was young (and still do) were my mother, my maternal grandmother, her sisters/my great aunts, and my maternal great-grandmother. That bloodline produced women who could survive anything! I certainly would rather have been Wonder Woman than Lois Lane.

What am I reading, Alex? I raced through my books on vacation and had to go looking for something to read in Reykjavik. The bookstore was loaded with books in Icelandic. But I found a translation of "Independent People" by Halldór Laxness, Iceland's Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1955. Not mind candy for sure ~ but a wonderful read. I can't wait to see how it ends!

Have a good weekend!

Shah Wharton said...

My mums name was once Linda Carter! :) My other claim to Wonder Woman fae was that my first love used to think I looked like her (Minues the hot figure) - Love it blind. :)

Not seen any of those movies, but I enjoy Red so the second might be worth a shot.

As for food named after me ? I'm going to choose Green Tea. Not strictly a food, but it's close enough. :)

shahwharton.com

Anonymous said...

We went to see Jersey Boys for Mrs. Fowler's birthday, but there were a bunch of kids in line to see the dragon movie.

DMS said...

I need to see Dragon 2. I am glad to hear you liked it and I know I will too. Now- I just need to get to the movies this week. :)

I wanted to be Wonder Woman when I was growing up. I agree with Annalisa. Plus, she had an invisible plane. :)
~Jess

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lexa, oh no - I'm also old enough.

Sarah, they are on the edge of adults now.

Squid, you need to market those!

Fundy, you found something new though.

Shah, wow!

Annalisa Crawford said...

Lexa - thank you. Yes, Linda Carter was very pretty - lovely eyes. I was 4, BTW ;-)

Suze - I researched this. In comic books, they're often on opposing sides.

Danette - I think a reboot could be just what Wonder Woman needs.

Southpaw - I think that would be a great idea, I might be missing out :-)

Fundy Blue - it sounds as though you were surrounded by amazing role models.

Shah - if someone thinks you looked like Winder Woman, you did!

DMS - I'm not good with heights, I'm not sure an invisible plane would be a good thing for me!

Deniz Bevan said...

Congratulations on the Goodreads list!
Hmm, I wonder what I'd want named after me? I like your cereal idea!

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

I would totally buy Ninja Captain Choco-Bits! :)
I took my kids to How to Train Your Dragon 2 last weekend. Definitely intense! We did not see it in 3D, thank goodness, as it was plenty scary as it was.