Visually and Emotionally Breathtaking

Rating: 10/10 (5 April 2010)

I went to this movie because I love dragons, and I was hoping it would do the much-abused "dragonrider" genre a good turn.
I was not expecting *this.* This is something else entirely. This is a gorgeously wrought, stunningly good movie by any standards. I'm a college student, and I spent half of the movie with my mouth hanging open and the other half with a huge stupid grin plastered to my face. Here's the breakdown:
Visuals: the flight scenes by themselves are more than worth the price of admission. I'm not a big fan of 3-D, but this one time I think the extra depth really added to the experience; it didn't feel gimmicky at all. All I can say with regards to the designs and flight is: *somebody* did their research, and that somebody ought to get a medal. They got it *right.*
Characters: enjoyable and funny. I didn't mind Hiccup's voice at all; it really fit his character. The side characters are well developed and the conflict between Hiccup and his father is unusually well presented.
Score: stands out! Excellent use of...bagpipes? I've been listening to it nonstop since I saw the movie.
Plot: straightforward enough, but with a few really excellent twists that I won't spoil. Suffice it to say, the ending is very brave indeed and excellently done; I wasn't expecting it in the least but it makes the movie stunningly real. Bravo, Dreamworks.
Emotional connection and real heart? Yes, yes a thousand times over. I didn't realize how badly I needed a truly great dragon movie until I saw this.
The bottom line: right up there with the very best of Pixar...dare I say with the very best of film-making, regardless of medium? Yes, I think I do. Welcome to 2010, everybody.