No matter how familiar it might seem, this is such a charming and thoughtful film

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2010)

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is a young, skinny boy who lives in a Viking village by the seashore. He wants to be a Viking like his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) so that he can slay dragons too. The village is regularly plagued by the beasts that steal the livestock. His father does not believe that he has the qualities and the strength to become one though and fears that it is too dangerous for him. To prove his worth, Hiccup decides to attack a dragon himself and much to his own surprise he actually manages to hit something. Travelling through the woods, he discovers what he has wounded: a Night Fury, one of the most dangerous dragon kinds. He prepares to slay the beast but is unable to bring himself to finish the task. Instead, he helps to mend the dragon's wings and brings it food. He gradually develops a cautious relationship with the creature. Hiccup's life becomes even more complicated though when his father returns from an adventure and decides that it is time to enrol Hiccup in a dragon slaying class with a number of other mean students too, including Astrid (America Ferrera) a beautiful young Viking girl that Hiccup has a crush on.
Aside from the annual Pixar films, animated pictures that are engaging for both adults and children are scarce. How to Train Your Dragon though, from Dreamworks and directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, is familiar but extremely lively and likable entertainment that almost anyone can enjoy. As with Dreamworks' very best film Shrek this is essentially about seeing the beauty in the most seemingly alien and dangerous things, while also learning to view the world in a new perspective by overcoming one's fears. This is certainly not in the same league as the first Shrek film nor does not obtain the emotional power of Pixar's Up either. This is because the narrative is largely safe, avoiding taking the audience anywhere they have not been before in regards to the plot and the character relationships. Yet this is less concerning here because the script has still been so smartly written, not only because it retains this familiar subtext about understanding one's enemies, but also because it provides consistently witty and funny dialogue for all the characters. It is because of this that even with a less familiar cast, the actors are still able to inhabit their characters with such fun and energy. No matter how familiar it might seem, this is such a charming and thoughtful film.
Adding to much of the film's appeal are the visuals and the art direction. How to Train Your Dragon is showing in both 2D and 3D but viewing it in the standard format does not compromise the quality of the picture at all. This is a strikingly beautiful and cinematic experience, which bursts life and colour into the environments. The attention to detail on the textures, like the woodwork on the Viking ships and the individual character models, is splendid, displaying the amount of care that went into designing the very look and style of this film. The aesthetics also aid the excitement of the action sequences as well. There are a number of flying sequences on the back of the dragon and the way that it dips and glides over the top of the sea and then soars through a series of tinted red clouds is awe-inspiring. Almost every action sequence here is not only exciting but relatively harmless for smaller children to enjoy as well. Only the climactic battle feels slightly overwrought but it is doubtful as to whether younger viewers will be particularly concerned. Interestingly, while watching the film in 2D one can almost pinpoint where the 3D technology could make a monster or a sequence more immediate, suggesting that it may not be a complete gimmick to see the film in 3D, unlike some other recent films.
The familiarity of How to Train Your Dragon is forgivable because it covers common ground with an abundance of charm, humour and visual flair that makes it largely irresistible. This is a beautiful film to see on the big screen, with a level of detail that develops one's belief in this rich setting. It would almost certainly be more immediate in 3D, but regardless of the format the quality of the script remains, with mature messages and clever dialogue that the cast relishes admirably.