Best DreamWorks Animation Movie Since 2004's "Shrek 2."

Rating: Null/10 (24 March 2010)

A few years ago, Christopher Sanders (Lilo and Stitch) left Disney over a creative dispute with John Lasseter on a film that would eventually become Bolt. He crossed the street and visited Jeffrey Katzenberg, a former chairman at Disney, and together, with their middle fingers high in the air, made the best DreamWorks Animation movie since 2004's Shrek 2.
How to Train Your Dragon tells the tale of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), a teenage viking whose good at everything except being a viking. That disappoints his father, Stoick (Gerard Butler), the leader of the tribe. Stoick knows that he's not going to be around forever and fears that his son could not survive the constant attacks by dragons at their village. So, he enlists the help of Gobber (Craig Ferguson), his right-hand man, to teach the boy how to be a viking. Hiccup, however, has other plans. In secret he befriended a dragon and discovers that the animals are misunderstood and that they attack the village because someone (or something) is forcing them to.
The film is heartwarming, funny, and exciting. The action scenes rival those of Pixar's The Incredibles. And a flight through the clouds with Hiccup trying to impress Astrid (America Ferrera), his crush, will remind audiences of Aladdin, a movie made during Katzenberg's reign at Disney. But a success similar to that film is unlikely. Warner Bros' decision to release Clash of the Titans in 3D only a week after this movie is going to cause a mess. Alice in Wonderland had three weeks to itself, so it was able to enjoy big success in the post-Avatar world but Dragons and Titans will remind Hollywood that most theaters aren't ready to make the transition. Hopefully, strong word-of-mouth will keep this film alive - even if it's only in 2D.