A very pleasant and entertaining film

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2010)

Dragon is probably one of the most entertaining films I've seen in the theater for a while. Full of viking/dragon action, some fantastic aerial scenes, and a bit of humor, Dragon is not only a pleasant film for kids but for adults too. The fact that it revolves around dragons also helps quite a bit, because otherwise I'm afraid it would be a bit too run of the mill.
Nothing about the films setup is very surprising. It's your typical story about human being misunderstanding creatures and killing them because of such. No different really from other films dealing with the innate fear humans have and the effects of such fear. In this one, vikings are seemingly terrorized by dragons, until one of the vikings, Hiccup, injures one and begins to make friends with it. Yadda yadda yadda, you know the drill. But, this is a case of the specifics separating this film from others. First of all, there are dragons, and everyone knows dragons are cool. Secondly, there are vikings, and who doesn't like a good viking story. Putting these two together is like mixing cheesecake and chocolate: it just works. But in all seriousness, it's a good combination that provides for some truly entertaining scenes involving lots of dragon riding.
Now, if you're turned off by the fact that the story is mostly been there, done that safety work, then this may not be for you. I know everyone searches for originality, and this is probably about as unoriginal as an animation can get. But, if you can get over that fact, then you will probably also find this to be quite fun. I for one have no problem with something cliché, as long as all the pieces fit together and it's entertaining. And this was.
My only real gripe with the film is the voice acting. It feels a bit phoned in, and I never really got any personality from the characters through their voices. The cast did decent, serviceable work, but it's nothing memorable, which is really a shame. Although, I will say that the choice of Gerard Butler was pretty good casting, if only because he definitely fits the part of the tough viking leader. The film is also quite technically sound, with some incredible scenes of flight. Most of the best parts are of Hiccup and his pet dragon flying around.
Dragon may not be the most original animation on the market, but it fits together quite nicely. It's highly entertaining and the dragons are quite likable. It's also pleasant to see a film that doesn't shy away from some more mature content, particularly at the end. It's nice to see the studio not treating our children as if they were blind to the ill tidings of the world. Kids will like this, children will like this, and people in between may find it quite enjoyable too.