Missed the whole point...

Rating: 6/10 (16 January 2013)

I am a huge fan of the book series, and I admit, I wouldn't have known about it if not for the movie. But that doesn't excuse it from being as horrible of an adaptation as you can get. The movie itself fairs pretty well. The animation is amazing, definitely Dreamwork's best work. The characters are well developed, though not all of them. The story is pretty okay, and the lesson is the best part (seeing as it is the only thing it kept from the book). I'd easily give it an 8. But as an adaptation this fails on so many levels. The whole point of the book series is that Hiccup is becoming a hero the hard way. The society he lives in values brawn, while Hiccup is only good at brains (well, until he learns he is awesome with swords, but that's besides the point). It is not until they learn that brains is valuable that Hiccup becomes a hero. I don't know this because that's how the book ends, this is merely hinted at. You know why? Because he never actually becomes a hero in the books. He saves Berk, but they still consider him useless for being good only in something not valued. His action doesn't change his person, they still think of him as the same. 10 books of near-death experiences and him saving everybody and he still doesn't become a hero. This is a great lesson: things are hard, and people are douches. You can't just instantly be great. It keeps it real. Hiccup wasn't born a hero, he learned how to be one. He isn't the "dragon enchanter"; he can barely keep his own dragon from starting a riot. The movie throws this out the window: one good deed and a leg and poof, you're the greatest person ever. The movie is saying that Hiccup is awesome, it's just that no one else can see that. That's not the point. As for the other things, the movie doesn't even try to keep the story, the characters are completely different (even Hiccup), and oh my god, you didn't need to add a love interest! Why? It's not necessary! It's not even the first time you did this (HHGTG)! Anyways, dragonese doesn't even exist, and there's so many missed potentials for great parts from the books to be turned into great scenes in a movie. Anyway, I think this movie is overpraised for taking a good book with a great moral and making it generic.