Dragons: Race to the Edge on Netflix
Category: Television and Streaming
When “Dragons: Race to the Edge” premiers on Netflix, viewers are in for a treat. The new series is visually stunning and the stories are entertaining. The episodes look like they are short films, they are that well done.
“Dragons: Race to the Edge” is one of the new shows coming out of the partnership between DreamWorks Animation and Netflix. This series takes place between the first and second feature films, and fills in the gaps and explains how Hiccup created his flight suit which is part of the second film, and how the architecture of Berk changed as a result of the alliance/friendship between the dragons and the people.
Technical supervisor David Jones explained to the media, “We can now build vertically since the characters can fly on the dragons.” This allowed for newer architecture and in the series the kids build their own homes. For instance, Hiccup’s Hut has a Toothless motif, Astrid’s Hut is done with an armored, military style to match her personality, Fishlegs’ Hut is tranquil and Zen-like, and Snoutlout’s Hut has a crank to raise and lower it since he has a complex about being short.
In the first episodes the kids discover an item they name the Dragon Eye, which, as Executive Producer Art Brown describes, “is like the Internet for them.” It is a sophisticated device that is filled with information leading them on various excursions, and to many new dragons. And there will be plenty of new dragon characters emerging in this show.
Brown explained, “The show is designed for three audiences: fans of the franchise, older adults to enjoy with their families, and a new young audience.” That covers a wide range of viewers.
The series will be serialized in that the stories will continue through the episodes, however approximately every fourth episode is a stand-alone story, which, as Executive Producer Douglas Sloan said, “are fun, different, comedic and funny.” The stand-alone episodes allows the writers to explore fun aspects of the characters.
And, each character will have his or her own moment in the sun during the run of the series. The series is slated for a 2-year run bringing the stories up to the start of the second film. And, by the way, the third feature film is scheduled to hit theaters in 2018, so there might be more from this series later on.
In the meantime, viewers of all ages (and I do mean all ages) can enjoy the fun characters – both human and dragon – in this new series. With great visuals and engrossing storylines, this is truly a family show. And, as Sloan stated, “It’s great for binge watching.”
“Dragons: Race to the Edge” is filled with imagination and heart. The first season of 13 episodes premiers June 26, 2015 on Netflix.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for over 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 15 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.
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