How to Train Your Dragon is based on the book of the same name by Cressida Cowell and directed by Ex Disney Writer and Directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois the same people who directed and wrote Lilo and Stitch. The franchise is considered by many fans to be the top tier in storytelling from Dreamworks Animation and the first movie alone sits with an impressive high score on rotten tomatoes. Even after a decade later, it’s not super difficult to find what made the adventure of Hiccup and his dragon pet Toothless one of DreamWorks’s most cherished characters.
In the age of Vikings, there lives the small island of Berk which is being attacked by ferocious dragons. A scrawny inventive teenager named Hiccup is looking to becoming a dragon slayer himself but is constantly put down by everyone around him especially his father and leader of the Vikings, Stoik. One night he manages to shoot down a rare dragon called the night fury but finds out that he can’t bring himself to kill hit so he sets him free but soon discovers he can’t fly away because of his damaged tail. Hiccup decides to keep the dragon, names him toothless, and starts to learn that the Viking’s outlook on dragons may not what they seem.
At the same time, Hiccup attends dragon training with a couple of other teens including a tough tomboy girl named Astrid who is not at all pleased with Hiccup’s involvement of being in the training course. Hiccup’s experience with Toothless helps him to succeed in taming the dragons without killing them which only aggravates Astrid even more. How long can Hiccup keep his secret while still being on good terms with his father who is already trying to find and destroy the dragon’s nest?
The Story may seem familiar as it follows some of the same tropes that have been used in many other movies especially in ones that use the liar reveal narrative. It’s basically about someone keeping someone or something a secret while the main character assures everyone around him that everything is normal. Eventually, the secret is revealed and the characters have to start from scratch in order to be on good terms with one another. The overall plot is nothing new, but it’s the way the movie executes its story that makes everything work. The writers and directors Chis Sanders and Dean DeBlois are great at breathing new life into overused story ideas and making them fresh and new by adding great worldbuilding and interesting character relationships. The main stars are the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless as their relationship is well-rounded with a great deal of soft and gentle moments that cement the bond of how they come to trust each other. There is also a good deal of other great relationships with the characters like how the father interacts with a hiccup or the romance that naturally evolves from hiccup and Astrid. Every character has a purpose and each of them respectively uses their time on screen wisely.
The Animation is shot like a 3D IMAX film and no glasses are required to take in just how breathtaking a lot of it can be (Though it’s an added bonus if you do have 3D glasses) a lot of shots are really spectacular especially the flying shots which really make it feel that you’re up in the air with Hiccup as he is riding on Toothless. The human character designs are great but the real star of the show is the dragons and just how well-detailed these beasts are. A lot of the dragon designs have some of that signature Chris Sanders-style with very rounded off textures and each dragon has its own abilities and ways of attacks. I would say the CGI could use some polish in some areas but the film has all the right makings into being a spectacular piece of animation. The Music is composed by John Powell who also did the score for films like Happy Feet, Bolt, and Kung Fu Panda to name a few. His score is so epic and wondrous that it may as well transport you to a different era of time. Whenever the main theme music is played, it’s hard not to feel a rush of emotions as you may find yourself cheering on our main heroes and the quest that lies before them.
What could have been a redundant mess with how overused its plot points are, turned out to be one of the best movies Dreamworks Animation has ever made. Its story is epic with a great amount of heart, the characters are likable and even lovable at times, the animation, while maybe needing some polish still holds up and has great character designs both human and dragon, and the music is guaranteed to make you feel so many emotions that are hard not to feel in a movie as wondrous as this. This is a solid start for the franchise and a great entry from writers and directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois.
(Final Grade: A-)