A good story that packs an emotional punch

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 2011)

In the beginning, Dreamworks Animation had excellent 2-D films such as The Prince of Egypt and Road to El Dorado. I thoroughly enjoyed these films, and they were just as good as what Disney was putting out at the time. These films, while they had good comedic scenes, seemed to have a more serious overall tone to them, and they packed a good emotional punch. Then came 2001, with the release of Shrek. Everything changed for Dreamworks at this point: mostly CG animation, broader comedy, a greater focus on celebrity voices and topical humor. Shrek itself, and its first sequel, were very funny and enjoyable uses of this formula. However, Dreamworks soon pigeonholed itself into that sort of movie, becoming known as second-rate to Pixar in the process.
Then came How to Train Your Dragon. This movie is about Hiccup, the son of a Viking leader whose village slays the dragons that steal their food. Hiccup longs to be seen as a man, but he has not shown the skills or strength that a dragon-slayer normally would. One day, he does manage to catch a dragon, whom he eventually names Toothless. Toothless proceeds to change his life, and the life of Hiccup's village, in the process.
How to Train Your Dragon felt like a return to the Dreamworks movies from the '90s/early '00s. There were certainly comedic scenes, but the story was focused on the relationships between the characters in a very meaningful way. Through the course of the movie, we see how Hiccup's relationships with Toothless, with his father, and with the other youths in his village grow and develop. Seeing how these characters relate to each other gives this film a certain power that has been missing from many of the more recent Dreamworks films, and it was so much the better for that.
In addition to the story, the visuals in this film were remarkable. A good deal of attention was paid to the details in each character, especially in the different types of dragons that were created for the film. And the scenes in which the characters flew were absolutely breathtaking. It helps that I saw this film on a big screen outdoors; the visual and aural spectacle is certainly compounded in that format.
If you, too, have felt burned by Dreamworks Animation in recent years, don't hesitate to come see How to Train Your Dragon. It is absolutely a pleasant surprise.