How To Train Your Dragon

Released March 26^th 2010

Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

Starring (the voice talents of): Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson (yay!), America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

N.B. Animated, based on the books by Cressida Cowell

First Viewing March 27^th 2010

Roger – 4/5 stars

How to train your dragon, indeed! How to make a good movie! If you’re the type of person that has to see art-house movies every time you make the effort to go to the theatre, then you shouldn’t see this. You’ll stick up your nose at the “childishness” and the “animation.” So if you’re that type of person, don’t bother.

However, other movie fans rejoice, because here is a movie that is an old-fashioned good time! Hiccup, our protagonist, lives in the Viking village of Burke, which is prey to visits from the local pests, in this case, dragon-esque pests. Hiccup’s father, Stoic, is also Burke’s leader and the most ferocious dragon killer there is. In Burke, if you want to be Anybody, you have to be a Dragon Killer.

Hiccup has every intention of following his father’s footsteps, even though his physique and accident-prone ways make him a laughed-at outsider. He gets his chance to change his fortunes, though, when he manages to catch a “Night Fury,” the most dangerous and mysterious of dragons.

While the other Viking teens are completing dragon training, Hiccup is busy befriending and flying his Night Fury, whom he has named Toothless. The animators of Toothless are responsible for creating one of the most endearing animated creatures ever, by the way!

Of course, the inevitable clash of values happens, and it’s the kind of ending where the heart triumphs over cruelty, what’s inside is what counts, and thinking differently can lead to the betterment of all. But who wouldn’t want that?

While the themes of How to Train Your Dragon are nothing new, the movie is fresh, funny and touching. The 3-D is more than impressive, actually, and some of the sequences are downright stunning. I couldn’t find anything to dislike, actually, and recommend it. No go see it, and enjoy it as much as I did.