DreamWorks Animation has had much more success in recent years with original films (such as “Kung Fu Panda”) than with sequels to previous hits (like “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”). “How to Train Your Dragon” continues that trend.
“How to Train Your Dragon” is based on the children’s book of the same name, and this adventure about a boy and his unusual friendship with a dragon really comes on screen.
Hiccup is a teenager and the son of the leader of the Vikings. Hiccup has always wanted to be like his dad and everyone else, who fight and kill dragons to protect their land. But after he injures the rarest of all the dragons, a Night Fury, Hiccup realizes that he isn’t like everyone else. So, instead of killing the dragon, which he names “Toothless”, the two become friends, and Hiccup learns that the dragons aren’t the evil creatures everyone thinks they are.
The rest of the Vikings are still afraid of the dragons and so Toothless, Hiccup and his girlfriend Astrid have to find a way to save both the dragons and the village.
Let’s start with the look of “Dragons”: It’s spectacular! The 3D may have been the best I’d ever seen in an animated film when I first saw it back in March, and it still looks grerat on DVD. There are a few scenes that are simply incredible. The flying sequences put you right on the dragons and the battle scenes are amazing.
The plot of the movie is simple, and we’ve seen the relationship between father and son (Hiccup’s mother is dead, something else that’s popular in animated films these days), and boyfriend-girlfriend in plenty of other films, but they work here because the writing is go good. And there are some dramatic elements that set the film apart from most, typical family films, including a twist at the end I never saw coming.
“Dragons” is funny, but also very serious at times, and it teaches several important lessons, but in an entertaining way. The characters are all very likeable and the voices are well done. Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup and America Ferrera plays Astrid. Others in the impressive voice cast include Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill and talk show host Craig Ferguson.
“How to Train Your Dragon” is rated PG for some action violence. It’s appropriate for everyone: little kids will enjoy the cute dragons and all the action, older kids and adults will like all of that too, plus they’ll appreciate the wonderful story and amazing animation.
On “The Official Kid Critic Report Card”, “How to Train Your Dragon” gets a B+. It’s clearly onew of the best family films of 2010 and deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film.
DreamWorks followed-up “Dragons” with “Shrek Forever After” (out on DVD in December) and the studio still has “Mega Mind” coming-out in November. That one’s going to have to be pretty great to top “Dragons” as the studio’s best film of the year.