HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (Theatrical Release USA 2010)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

How To Train Your Dragon—a truly well done animation feature—puts Dreamworks at the top of the 2010 animated film presentations’ list, outclassing Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Tangled. It’s an excellent choice for the adult/child share. It’s NOT predictable. The dragons are wonderfully done. It isn’t a message movie by any means and yet it teaches in a wonderful way. The voices have been very well chosen: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, and Craig Ferguson. There are several wonderful scenes where the main character discovers that the Night Fury, a particularly dangerous dragon, can be just as much a friend as a foe. This film has comedy worked into the script and turns into a ‘just plain fun to watch’ film.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Fifteen-year-old Hiccup (voice of Jay Baruchel), too small in stature to be a dragon warrior, spends his time fashioning inventions at the village blacksmith shop. He does, however, take down a dragon with his bolas and over time finds that this dragon can be tamed. This fact leads to a new relationship between humans and dragons.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders for his directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Kristine Belson and Tim Johnson for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Stoick (voice of Gerard Butler), Gobbler (voice of Craig Ferguson), Astrid (voice of America Ferrera), Snotlout (voice of Jonah Hill), Fishlegs (voice of Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Tuffnut (voice of T.J. Miller), Ruffnut (voice of Kristen Wiig), Ack (voice of Robin Atkin Downes), Starkard (voice of Philip McGrade), Hoark the Haggard (voice of Kieron Elliott), Phlegma the Fierce (voice of Ashley Jensen), and Spitelout (voice of David Tennant).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Dreamworks has consistently produced interesting animated features that can be re-watched again and again by a wide ranged age group—Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, The Prince of Egypt, and The Croods. This film is a definite re-watch film with entertainment for everyone built in.

Video Critique Available Here

Ben Meyers