Who Dat

Now with video: We know why you really tune in - CultureMap covers the SuperBowl commercials

I love a good underdog story, but I'll be tuning in to the Super Bowl tonight for the same reason I do every year: The commercials. So keep your computer nearby, trained on CultureMap and your finger at the refresh-button ready to read along with me as I watch and rate the ads here.

Several spots are already generating buzz (the ad geniuses at Budweiser have managed to find a fresh take on office nudity, and Tim Tebow is stealing some more time in the spotlight as a crusader for Focus on the Family). Come back at kickoff and let's see what nearly $3 million will get you. (Hint: 30 seconds to make your brand go viral).

You can find all the ads and commentary here tonight in real time.

Here are my favorites, in no particular order: The rest can be found here.

And a heartfelt congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for their first-ever Super Bowl trip and win. Wish I were on Bourbon!

8:28 p.m. - If I see one more advertisement for a CBS show... I'll probably keep blogging. But I'll be ticked!

8:22 p.m. - Mr. Barkley does not have a future in the music bizz.

8:14 p.m. - I know we're not at commercial, but I must say... WHO DAT.

8:10 p.m. - Hmm, not how I remembered Dante. And Budweiser Clydesdales are some of the most beautiful animals I've ever seen.

8:01 p.m. - Found the Vizio ad utterly terrifying. The Emerald nuts spot? Makes me want to lose weight — I think it's probably the Shamu association.

7:45 p.m. - Okay, screenshots of Google searches are only funny when they're inappropriate.

7:38 p.m. - Am I the only one totally creeped out by the talking e-trade babies?? I don't care if they're hilarious, they're freaky! Milka-what?

7:34 p.m. - Anyone else heard the rumor they're making another movie about the Griswolds?

7:24 p.m. - Loved the VW punch buggie commercial. Brings back fond childhood memories and fonder memories of my junior-year roadtrip to Panama City for Spring Break. Ah, what a way to pass the time.

7:14 p.m. - I know my parents don't agree, but I'm ready for some more current half-time entertainment. Also, CBS bought all of its own ad space, evidently. A final note... J.Lo is giving movies another go? Le sigh.

6:46 p.m. - I want to watch FloTV with my iPad. Can't help myself.

6:41 p.m. - Alert PETA, Polamalu abuse.

6:37 p.m - I was expecting the Dodge Charger commercial to be another installment of the Dove for men campaign. Great ad, although a questionable ultimate vehicle.

6:26 p.m. - As one who never made it onto the LOST bandwagon, I think I might've tuned in it were more like that Bud Light commercial. Logan says of the Dove for men commercial, "Wow. I think I just saw most of my friends' lives flash before my eyes."

6:22 p.m. - Whoever decided to follow up CareerBuilder's pants-less commercial with another no-pants bit should've reconsidered. So much pasty skin, so fast.

6:20 p.m. - Conan didn't get an invite to the Leno, Letterman and Winfrey shindig?

6:10 p.m. - Hi, I'm Joe Montana, and I've never worn these shoes in my life.

6:06 p.m. - Budweiser, I can always count on you. Currently playing with my host's autotune iPhone app. I'm feeling inspired. Also, kudos to Doritos for taking calling in sick to a new level.

6:03 p.m. - GoDaddy? Go away.

5:50 p.m. - And so it begins. Nothing has left a lasting impression so far, but I will say this: I love Betty White. She can do no wrong in my eyes and always such a good sport (no pun intended). Doritos? This is physical humor fail. Perhaps look to Budweiser for inspiration; they always manage to play it well.

We also saw the first of Tim Tebow's Focus on the Family ad, and I get the feeling we'll be seeing more. How many spots did they buy, I wonder?

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Movie Review

How to Train Your Dragon remake puts a fresh twist on the original

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Toothless and Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon.

Let’s get it out of the way right at the top: The new live-action How to Train Your Dragon, coming a mere 15 years after the original animated film, serves no real purpose other than to make more money for Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures. However, unlike Disney’s approach toward remaking their animated movies, this attempt manages to succeed on its own merits instead of being a half-baked vessel for nostalgia.

As fans will remember, Hiccup (Mason Thames) lives in Berk, a town on a remote island populated by Vikings who constantly have to defend themselves against rampaging dragons. Hiccup’s dad, Stoick (Gerard Butler), is the community’s vaunted leader, with a legacy that seems impossible for Hiccup to measure up to, especially since he’s stuck in the armory alongside Gobber (Nick Frost).

But Hiccup has a knack for inventions, and his use of one new weapon during a dragon attack takes down a feared Night Fury. Finding the wounded dragon deep in the forest, Hiccup decides against killing it, leading to an unexpected bond between the two of them. Most of the film shows Hiccup trying to prove himself to his townspeople, including the fierce Astrid (Nico Parker), while also nursing the dragon he dubs Toothless back to health with the help of another one of his ingenious creations.

Written and directed by Dean DeBlois (who’s had the same roles on all four HTTYD films), the film is most notable for how engaging it is despite it retelling a story many already know and love. The biggest reason for this is a pivot away from telling a story mainly for kids toward one that feels like an extremely light version of Game of Thrones. Almost right away, there are real stakes for the people in the film, and the way DeBlois and his team stage the scenes, the danger can be felt by the audience.

This sense of “realness” comes through especially well in the scenes between Hiccup and Toothless. The design of Toothless is faithful to the original, but the CGI makes the dragon feel amazingly believable. And when they start flying, the film literally and metaphorically takes off. At multiple points, the camera seems to have trouble keeping them in frame, a smart move toward verisimilitude when the filmmakers clearly could have made it an overly smooth watching experience.

Even though it’s more serious than the original, the film still has plenty of fun to offer. Characters like Gobber (who replaces his two missing limbs with odd contraptions) and the ragtag group of teenagers who come to be in awe of Hiccup’s skills at taming dragons provide more than a few laughs. Hiccup isn’t quite as goofy as he was when voiced by Jay Baruchel, which turns out to be a good thing as his sense of purpose amps up the drama of the story.

Thames’ performance gets better and better as the film goes along, as Hiccup goes from town whipping boy toward hero. He really shines in the last act when he’s given a few scenes that show off his acting range. Parker is equally good, demonstrating the girl power needed for the role, but also the softness of a potential love interest. Butler, the only actor reprising their voice role, is a great presence who sells the outsized personality of Stoick.

Against the odds, this new version of How to Train Your Dragon is equal to the success of the first film, accomplishing the goal of making it feel like you’re watching the story for the first time. If live-action remakes are going to continue to come out, future filmmakers should study this film for how to respect both the history of the franchise and the audience paying good money to be entertained.

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How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters on June 13.

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