Inspiring.

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2014)

I watched 'How to Train Your Dragon' recently after the hype began to build for the second film of the series. Having not seen the first, I decided to give it a go.
'How to Train Your Dragon' starts off with us being introduced to Berk, a small Viking village that is constantly under attack by dragons. We're introduced to the protagonist Hiccup, as well as a few other key figures including Hiccup's father Stoic the Vast (the chief of the tribe) and Gobber, the one-legged one-handed Viking sidekick voiced by Craig Ferguson.
The first third of the story is fairly typical of many movies - Hiccup is not the strong dragon-fighting Viking like the rest of the village and he struggles to fit in. He is also looked down upon by his peers and his dream girl, Asterid. The characters are funny and interesting enough, however the movie really takes off when Hiccup meets Toothless, a dragon which no one has seen before (called a Night Fury) and which Hiccup shot down during the most recent battle.
Once Hiccup meets Toothless the dragon this movie literally takes off. Where you would normally expect comedy and light-heartedness from an animated movie, you are bombarded with themes of courage, loyalty and bravery. The middle of the film is particularly spectacular, with the animation and music being some of the best that you will see in an animated movie (and, if you enjoy movie scores, possibly ever).
The film's plot also has enough in it to keep you on the edge of your seat. While not totally unpredictable, the final third of the film delivers some excellent action adventure scenes, and right up until the very end of the film there are twists that will keep you entertained and emotionally attached to the characters.
Typically I am a Disney lover - I used to watch the magical 2D movies back in the 90's and loved some (though not all) of Pixar's work in more recent times. However, after watching this movie I can confidently say that there are very few Disney efforts that can match this movie for sheer emotional beauty, something that has gone missing from many films in recent times, and has been replaced with formulaic comedy efforts. 'How to Train Your Dragon' is undoubtedly beautiful, it will steal your heart and leave you inspired by the end of it. The music is second to none and the characters ooze courage and heart - and the last thing worth mentioning is that the dragon designs (particularly their faces) are absolutely amazing - original and very creative.
Watch this movie as an adult - I don't think a child will fully comprehend the emotion built into this film.