A Must See in 3D!

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 2010)

Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, the film tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn't exactly fit in with his tribe's longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup's world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges he and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.
Right off the bat, I have to say HTTYD is the first great movie of 2010, and it deserves the title rightfully so, despite of having a horrible and terribly inaccurate marketing campaign. Even a Pixar comparison wouldn't be a wrong thing to say. HTTYD is what all storytelling is about and then some. It's one of very few movies, with AVATAR, to use the 3D in such an amazing fashion to enhance the overall movie experience. In fact, not seeing this in 3D would be like having a BLT sandwich without the bacon, lettuce, AND tomatoes! It's not one of those films where the film was converted to 3D in hopes of getting more revenue from the consumers (I'm looking at you, CLASH OF THE TITANS and countless others!).
Of all the Pixar films this can be compared to, WALL-E seems to be the most reasonable because of a character that does not say a single dialogue: Toothless. Toothless is one of those rare characters you see in films where you can understand his emotions and overall character just by his actions alone, and that's a pretty difficult thing to pull off, if I must say so myself. I also loved the father-son relationship explored in this film, which is very similar to that from CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS. The plot is pretty easy to understand but it's very complex underneath with the conflicting attitudes from the characters and the moral ambiguity, much like AVATAR.
The film also has a wondrously, appealing visual style. There are some moments in the film where the images placed on the screen are so emotionally resonate and brilliantly perfect that they teared me up. The directors, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, seem to know what they're doing. The characters are also fantastic because they are authentic and very real. Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, and Craig Ferguson impressed me the most. My favorite character is Toothless, who is cute and charming. Let's not forget about the action and comedic side of the film.
Unlike most Dreamworks Animation picture, HTTYD does not rely on pop culture reference and toilet humor, which automatically puts the film on the heap of the group, right? The action sequences are also well done and visually stunning. On top of every positive thing I have to say about the film, I must not forget the unforgettable soundtrack, composed by the great John Powell. The score is not used as a backdrop but as an enhancer to heighten almost every scene. In fact, there is on flight sequence where the 3D technology and Powell's score mixed so well that the hairs on my neck stood up.
If there is one flaw the film has, it's the predictability, but I really don't count that as a flaw if a film executes it really well. Overall, HTTYD is a surprising delight filled with whimsical action, authentic characters, and near-brilliant storytelling, not to mention rendering the 3D technology to bloody awesome use. It's going to be one of the best films of this year. That's how confident I am. Watch this movie NOW.