A Great Fantasy Film

Rating: 10/10 (20 May 2019)

It had been a few years since I'd seen this movie, even though I own both this film and the sequel ("How to Train Your Dragon 2"), and I was excited to revisit it. My revisit has rekindled my love for this movie. This is a wonderful film that fills me with joy each time I watch it.
Not only is this a great kids movie, it appeals to adults; it's a great story with amazing design and more heart than I ever would've thought possible. While the story might be a touch predictable after it gets going, the character development that comes along with the story brings a level of earnestness to the story I rarely see in animated films. The people and their relationships feel real, as do the consequences for their actions. As tensions get higher near the end of the film, the world expands, and the consequences more dire.
The final battle in this movie is probably one of the best dragon fight scenes ever brought to cinema, if not the best (What other dragon films even compare to this one? "Reign of Fire"? Yeah, right...). The final fight, pitting the enormous dragon against Toothless and Hiccup is beautifully shot, absolutely stunning to watch, and epic in every sense of the word.