Amazing, the best Dreamworks film in a long time

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2010)

I love animation, always have done, always will do, and I was blown away by How to Train Your Dragon. Granted, not all Dreamworks movies are bad, Prince of Egypt is one of the most stirring and evocative films let alone animated films I have seen, Shrek was very original and funny and Spirit:Stallion of the Cimarron is their most underrated I feel. I will say too, How to Train Your Dragon along with Prince of Egypt is my absolute favourite of Dreamworks, and one of the best of 2010.
The story is very engaging; there is nothing too sophisticated for kids and nothing too childish for adults. It is instead an intelligent, moving story that moves along at a good pace, and I for one didn't find it that predictable, and I loved the bonding scenes between Toothless and Hiccup which were suitably poignant. The script is also very strong, it is thoughtful and touching at times but also amusing when it needs to be.
The characters are another strength. Hiccup is appealing as a protagonist, and Toothless is really quite cute for a dragon. Hiccup's father Stoick is a good character too, he is gruff and such but you can tell he cares for his son. The voice acting too I had no problem with, to me they did fit well with the characters, Jay Baruchal's excitement and enthusiasm contrasts wonderfully with Gerard Butler's restrained, gruff yet sensitive performance.
Where How to Train Your Dragon really excels though are in its visuals and music score. The animation is outstanding, while the characters are modelled convincingly the real revelations are in the stunning flying sequences and the beautiful lavish backgrounds. Oh and the fight sequences are equally spectacular, haunting but also very gripping and almost epic. John Powell's score is a revelation, and one of my favourite scores in a film of recent times. Sometimes soaring, sometimes dramatic, sometimes energetic, in fact no matter what mood is conveyed, the score compliments it to perfection.
So overall, there is very little else to say about this film, other than to say it is a must-see in my opinion. 10/10 Bethany Cox