‘Superman’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ showed me how movie magic is so back

I don’t remember the last time I went to the movie theater two times in one week.

When I was little, going to the movies felt like a magical occasion. I would get my popcorn, go sit in a folding theater seat that threatened to swallow me whole and stare openmouthed at the massive screen while the vibrant colors and dynamic storytelling drew me into a fantastical world for an hour and a half.

The experience went beyond the movie, too. MJR Theaters used to feel like a second home, and hearing everybody clap along to their theme song made me think those strangers felt the same sense of community I did. It really was more than just a movie; it was a big night out.

But COVID-19 stopped everyone from being able to see movies on the big screen, and that magic disappeared.

Streaming never felt the same. I can never sit through an entire movie when it’s only on my TV screen.

I’ve been wanting to get back to theaters, so I’ve had my eye out for new or compelling films. However, all I’ve seen in mainstream cinemas is live action versions of classic animated movies or sequels to sequels. (Seriously, did we need “M3GAN 2.0“?)

What broke the stalemate was surprisingly not something new but the very thing I had been avoiding for months: reinterpretations of widely beloved source material.

I’ve fallen for this trend, but I don’t regret it.

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I saw the live action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ twice

The original animated “How to Train Your Dragon” came out in 2010, and when I was old enough to appreciate it – I was born in 2006 – I fell in love with the franchise and all of its lore. All of the dragons are so unique, and they have the most entertaining names like Gronckle and Hotburple. It left me with an ever-present urge to ride a dragon that has stuck with me to this day.

When I heard that there was going to be a live action remake, I was devastated. With the film industry’s track record of subpar, thinly veiled, cash-grab, live-action adaptations that are quickly amassing into a heap of garbage, I prepared to mourn another staple of my childhood.

However, when I went to see it with a friend who also shared my love for the original trilogy, we were both blown away.

Hiccup (Mason Thames) soars with Toothless in a flying sequence from “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Writer and director Dean DeBlois was involved in the original series, which explains why he stayed true to the material, while adding new elements that fit naturally into the existing story.

The computer-generated images were breathtaking; every time a dragon was on screen, my jaw dropped in appreciation for the level of detail, down to the individual scales. Having been involved in theater for years, I geeked out over the costumes and the tiny, distinct embellishments given to each character.

Speaking of the characters, their actors nailed their personalities and quirks, even if some moviegoers had complaints about casting. (Why are we arguing about “historical accuracy” when one of the main characters is a dragon with retractable teeth?)

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I was amazed that the movie didn’t treat me like I was stupid. Usually, I feel like I’m whacked over the head with the morally righteous message and the pure evil of the antagonist. But this movie is OK with not having one big bad; instead, it tackles the complex history between Vikings and dragons and the nuance that comes with it. Sure, there’s a huge, evil dragon at the end for our heroes to defeat, but the movie earned its conclusion.

This movie made the first crack in my belief that all remakes are terrible, so much so that I saw it a second time.

I don’t adore the DC universe, but ‘Superman’ won me over

I walked into “Superman” supported by the joy I had experienced days earlier watching Viking teens fight huge dragons, but I still wasn’t fully convinced that I would be lucky enough to have two hits in a row.

Fortunately, James Gunn pushed all those fears aside with his take on the widely adored superhero.

Sophia Valchine poses with a carboard cutout of Superman (David Corenswet).

I was immediately pulled into the story through the visuals alone. The world felt so bright and colorful, and Superman had the iconic red shorts he lost in “Man of Steel.”

I’m usually not one for action movies, but I was amazed at how the heroes and villains alike leveraged their powers to create some visually stunning scenes. And they all look cool doing it. (I’m looking at you, Mister Terrific.)

Even for people like me who aren’t caught up with the extensive lore of the DC universe and its characters, the movie felt accessible, while at the same time including nods to die-hard fans, like the one I went with, who was emotionally invested from the first moment to the last. He was able to explain the obscure references to me when I asked what made him so excited.

I loved that Superman was allowed to be sillier and less perfect than he was in “Man of Steel.” I may have cringed a bit at some of his goofy one-liners, but honestly, what’s a superhero movie without them?

And he isn’t perfect, either. He gets tossed around by the villains, argues with Lois Lane and needs the Justice Gang’s help to save the day. I’ve seen people complain about this, but I think they’re missing the point.

Superman isn’t supposed to be flawless. He’s just like everyone else – he feels the same emotions we do and makes the same mistakes that we make.

To the people who think this movie is too “woke,” I would say that I think they fell for the top-tier rage baiting of the antagonist, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor.

And Superman shows us that being a kind, goodhearted person is punk rock. Rock on, Kal-El.

What’s coming next?

I left the theater full of hope and joy, feeling the magic of movies coming back into my life.

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While I do wish there were more original movies in theaters, I understand that sometimes I have to ride the wave of popularity until a new hit appears out of the industry’s shallow, mediocre attempts at striking it rich.

The thing that matters most to me is if I’m able to escape into another world for a while and have a fun time. The movie doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or have an incredibly dense message; it just has to make me smile.

I hadn’t realized how much COVID-19 had taken away from me until I felt the spark of seeing something truly amazing on the big screen again. Turning to the person beside me in the theater with a reaction or a quiet laugh feels like sharing a special secret; it’s nothing like rotting on my couch and staring dead-eyed at my TV.

But now my love for movies has been reignited, and I am grateful to have friends and family to share them with.

Sophia Valchine is a Detroit Free Press opinion intern, where this column originally appeared. Contact: [email protected]

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New movies like ‘Superman’ showed me what I’d been missing | Opinion