Exceeded all expectations.

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2010)

I came to this movie expecting a child's movie; a typical animation with your typical goofy lines and slapstick humor. Man, was I wrong.
How to Train Your Dragon is the story of a viking boy, named hiccup, who wants to become a great dragon hunter. The problem is that he doesn't have the skill or brawn to do so. But, one night he manages to shoot out a dragon from the sky, and when he goes to where the dragon crash landed, he's faced with a tough decision. He frees the dragon from its entanglement, and from there his opinion on the creatures are changed.
What made this movie so much better than most other animated films out there now-a-days is that it captures the heart-warming relationship between the boy and the dragon excellently and beautifully. It gives itself time to build up the characters, setting, and so on. It is not rushed, and you are able to soak up every touching, mesmerizing, and gorgeous moment at the perfect pace.
It has a simple, but very effective story. There is no real mystery- drama twist, or some who-done-it tone, but a wonderfully charming and simple tale that, with its simplicity, can capture the hearts of young and old.
The visuals are stunning. In fact, that is perhaps an understatement. I highly recommend this in 3D; the flying scenes felt so natural and engaging that the extra $3 per ticket is very much worth it. The battle scenes were wonderful; with a wide array of bright colors and some incredibly directed camera work (animated camera work), its hard not to grab the edge of your seat!
The music, to say the least, is excellent. I'm not to great in describing music, but it fit the movie perfectly. It made the action scenes heart-pumping, the slow scenes compelling, and the flying scenes just perfect.
Overall, with its beautiful story, vivid characters, excellent music, etc., I highly recommend this movie to anybody and everybody. It's a movie that does what a movie is supposed to do - enthrall, fascinate, and stir the emotions of its viewers, and not to mention, tell a really good story.