Uplifting, fun, one of the best animated films ever!

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2010)

REVIEW:
This entry into 3D cinema is a wonderful adventure which has both elements of a traditional fairy tale and of a modern teen nerd story. It tells a updated version of befriending dragons, similar to The Neverending Story and Dragonheart. The animation is Dreamworks' best and sets very high standards with its complexities with dragon flight, fire-breathing, and nature (clouds, water, etc). My friends and I found it uplifting, funny and off-beat, not unlike Shrek. The voices especially those of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, and Christopher Mintz- Plasse were terrific. Hiccup and Fishlegs are refreshing, unheroic nerds much like Po in Kung Fu Panda.
I heard the reviews which were generally very good but this movie exceeded my expectations in the first ten minutes with its dramatic opener. Aside from that, the soaring flight into the sky with Hiccup and Astrid was animation at its most majestic. The relationship between Hiccup and his father Stoick was the most endearing family relationship I've seen portrayed in animation. The lines for Hiccup, Fishlegs, and most of the other Viking teens was colorful, sarcastic and insightful. The lighting, color and cinematography push the boundaries and are unmatched in animation.
If any shortcoming this film has, I thought initially the dragons should have been bigger and more scary, but that would have defeated the plot. Some people criticized the dragons but when you realize what the filmmakers were attempting, it made perfect sense. In fact, the variety of dragons was very creative as we are introduced to many of them. Toothless, although plain-looking was made to resemble a big black cat or panther. The idea of dragons as pests to dragons as pets defined the roles of dragons in this movie.
CRITICS?
Most interesting was Roger Ebert's criticism of the film. I don't think he actually watched it since quite a few of his comments were factually incorrect. For example, suggesting Hiccup used a cannon, that the adult Vikings rode the dragons or there was a final battle scene between good and tons of bad dragons. Those things never happened...uh, Roger.
In addition, some people wrote in on IMDb. First, there's comparison with Pixar which many believe sets the standards. Second, there's complaints that the story is unoriginal and too familiar. I would challenge both. First, if you check the success of both companies, Pixar has 9 movies grossing over $400 million worldwide and Dreamworks has 8 movies grossing over $400 million. Second, the average Pixar rates slightly higher but I feel some of Pixar films are slightly overrated in particular Wally-E or The Incredibles (I know, sacrilegious to some). (On the other hand, I think Ratatouille is far superior to Wally-E or The Incredibles.) Some people find HHTYD theme of a son trying to please or fulfill his father's expectations as too familiar and unoriginal...but really, can you name a film that has the same theme? The most common movie plots and genres are: action thrillers, sexy murders, horror, superheros (why the Incredibles is less original), romantic comedies, fairy tale endings, sci-fi thrillers, vampire movies (as of late), westerns, musicals, sports movies, period romances and period actions (e.g., Gladiator)...well, I made my point. I think people think this theme has been often done, but it is only our own story at home (we all have families, right?) that makes it familiar. Besides considering films like The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast...are those great animated films original? Clearly Dragons is refreshing and more original.
THE BEST ANIMATED FILMS
Dragon ranks as Dreamworks best along with Shrek. Right behind are Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Kung Fu Panda. It's in the class with Pixar's Up, Toy Story 3 and maybe Ratatouille. They rank along with the more classic greats as Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King or Snow White...or less traditional animated films like Spirited Away, The Iron Giant, or South Park. In short, How To Train Your Dragon ranks as one of the top 10-15 animated films of all-time.