Review: How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon

Directed by Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

Produced by Bonnie Arnold, Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Michael Connolly, Tim Johnson

Story by Cressida Cowell

Narrated by & Starring Jay Baruchel
Also Starring Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson

98 minutes rated pg released March 26, 2010

So why am I talking about, for all intents, a children's fantasy movie on a science fiction program? Well mainly I was fascinated by the early trailers showing the high level of sophisticated animation. And I mean that with all sincerity. Lighting, textures and the flight sequences are a treat for any aficionado. The milieu and the environment are so well done that you have no problem suspending belief in the world you are seeing on screen.

The premise of the film. Hiccup son of the Viking chief Stoick the Vast wants nothing more than to be a dragon killer like his father. However Hiccup is small and slight and no one takes his seriously. During a dragon attack, Hiccup manages to bring down a Night Fury, but no one is witness to the feat. Tracking down the beast to prove that he did indeed manage to down a dragon, Hiccup finds the animal alive and injured. What's more he can not bring himself to kill the dragon. Instead he heals and befriends it. Because of the dragon's injuries it can no longer fly and during an attempt to repair the damage, Hiccup learns by accident that he can fly the dragon and eventually help control the flight. Hiccup names the dragon Toothless. Hiccup is eventually found out by his father who takes Toothless to track down the dragon's lair. But the ending is a complete turnaround. Some is expected as it IS a pg children's movie, but the film creators hold back so fairly crucial information which finally leads Hiccup's father to reassess his relationship with his son.

And here is even more good news about How to Train Your Dragon

On April 27, 2010, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg told The Hollywood Reporter that they were planning a How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks is targeting a release date of the sequel sometime in the summer of 2013.

On October 11, 2010, it was announced the voice cast—Baruchel, Ferguson, Ferrera, Hill, Mintz-Plasse, Miller, and Wiig—would return for the sequel


So what did I think? Well if you are looking for hard hitting adult level entertainment, you are not going to get your wish here. But that is hardly the point. The kids will certainly love this film. If you are into top notch animation then you can't help but feel the same. The extras on disk go even further in describing how the film was made and the film commentary section is a true treat. It's clear that the extras were added as a nod to the adults watching. Everyone involved with the film obviously had a great time and it certainly comes through on the extras.

the movie itself is a good solid 9.5 I have seen better animated films as far as plot goes, but this is head and shoulders above anything to date in the quality of animation. As for extras? BRAVO This disk is one of the kid in me enjoys the animation but the adult in me appreciates all the extras! 10 all the way for a 9.75 out of 10 overall. Am I being generous? yes, but this IS an animated feature and one of the best out there. Good entertainment for the children or young at heart and a wealth of info for the enthusiast.

Wiki article