Get ready for fire-breathing adventure on an epic scale in Dreamworks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon. Hiccup is a young Viking who defies convention when he befriends one of his deadliest foes — a ferocious dragon he calls Toothless. But humans and dragons are supposed to be mortal enemies, not buddies, and this unlikely pair must overcome many obstacles and one ultimate challenge – to save both their worlds. So sit back and let your imagination take flight in a captivating and exhilarating thrill-ride that’s a heart-warming – and heart-pounding – “must-see for the whole family!” (Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood).
Set sail for an all-new dragon adventure in DreamWorks Animation’s Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon! Hiccup and the Viking gang are back to battle Gobber’s arch enemy – the mysterious Boneknapper dragon – who few believe even exists. Shipwrecked on a mysterious island, they devise a plan to find the cagey creature… but will they be able to tame him?
Stills from How to Train Your Dragon (Click for larger image)
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A winning mixture of adventure, slapstick comedy, and friendship, How to Train Your Dragon rivals Kung Fu Panda as the most engaging and satisfying film DreamWorks Animation has produced. Hiccup (voice by Jay Baruchel) is a failure as a Viking: skinny, inquisitive, and inventive, he asks questions and tries out unsuccessful contraptions when he’s supposed to be fighting the dragons that attack his village. His father, chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), has pretty much given up on his teenage son and apprenticed him to blacksmith Gobber (Craig Ferguson). Worse, Hiccup knows the village loser hasn’t a chance of impressing Astrid (America Ferrera), the girl of his dreams and a formidable dragon fighter in her own right. When one of Hiccup’s inventions actually works, he hasn’t the heart to kill the young dragon he’s brought down. He names it Toothless and befriends it, although he’s been taught to fear and loathe dragons. Codirectors and cowriters Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who made Disney’s delightful Lilo and Stitch, provide plenty of action, including vertiginous flying sequences, but they balance the pyrotechnics with moments of genuine warmth that make the viewer root for Hiccup’s success. Many DreamWorks films get laughs from sitcom one-liners and topical pop culture references; as the humor in Dragon comes from the characters’ personalities, it feels less timely and more timeless. Toothless chases the spot of sunlight reflected off Hiccup’s hammer like a giant cat with a laser pointer; Hiccup uses his newly found knowledge (and an icky smoked eel) to defeat two small dragons–and impress the other kids. How to Train Your Dragon will be just as enjoyable 10 or 20 years from now as it is today. (Rated PG: suitable for ages 8 and older, violence, some intense action and scary dragons) –Charles Solomon
Rating: 
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September 3, 2010
#1
Review by Flap Jackson
Rating:
How to Train Your Dragon is the latest from the stable of Dreamworks, but apart from the animation style, you’d never know it.
How to Train Your Dragon is the story of Hiccup, a Viking who feels out of place since he’s not a fan of killing the dragons the Viking’s world so revolves around in. But, when Hiccup captures the rare Night Fury Dragon and inadvertently injures it, the two become fast friends and attempt to bridge the gap of understanding between the Dragons & the Vikings. It may not sound like much, but things are deeper than they may seem here, and they are 3 reasons you need to go out and watch this movie right now.
1: Casting: Having seen Jay Baruchel as a geeky character in the film Fanboys, this film only solidifies for me the fact that Baruchel makes cliched characters feel real & brings traits out they wouldn’t have otherwise, and this fact is very evident here. The same is true for the rest of the cast. In Shrek 2, Larry King was wasted in a long-running and painful transvestite joke. Here, Craig Ferguson is perfect in the role not only because he’s Scottish, but he brings the appropriate mix of eccentric leadership needed for the right-hand man of Gerard Butler’s character, who is also well cast. The same goes for the rest of the cast with the possible exception of Jonah Hill, who always feels out of place in almost every movie he’s in.
2: Visual Effects & 3D: Now this may because the Viking environment hasn’t been portrayed much on screen before, but the film is stunningly beautiful, and that’s only reinforced by the 3D which is used better than Avatar in some cases, especially in the case of the flying sequences.
3: The Emotion/Uniqueness of the Film in Animation Today: The story gives way to many emotional moments in the film, all of which are played perfectly. And, not to give too much away, but at the end of the film something happens the to main character that was not only shocking to me, since I’d never seen something of its magnitude done in animation period, but to me it was also one of the most tear-jerking moments, especially in relation to what it does to the relationships & similarities between Hiccup & his dragon in the movie.
Overall, how do you train your dragon? With charm, love, understanding, amazing visuals & stunning 3-D flying sequences. This film ranks up there with Pixar’s best, and if I had any criticism towards the movie, it would be the fact that it’s made by Dreamworks, and with their quality lately, you don’t have high expectation entering this film. Nevertheless, How to Train Your Dragon gets a fire-breathing 5 out of 5.
September 3, 2010
#2
Review by Candace Beauchamp
Rating:
I went with a total of 3 moms and 9 kids to see this movie in the theater last month. Every single one of the 12 of us loved this film, it’s cute, heartwarming and a whole lot of fun. From the story of a father trying to know his son (and his son trying to know him) to the boy and beast learning mutual trust, it’s full of feel good moments for the adults. From the silly antics to the cheesy jokes, it was full of entertainment for the kiddos.
This is well worth a watch and a great movie to watch with your kids – you won’t be bored and the kids will think you’re the super cool parent that you are.
Me? I want my own dragon, darn it!
September 3, 2010
#3
Review by Monkdude
Rating:
The first Shrek and Kung Fu Panda were both very close to Pixar level in terms of storytelling, but How to Train Your Dragon is the best by far from Dreamworks. The animation is very high in detail, especially in IMAX 3-D, and the characters are not only likeable, but memorable. The main dragon, Toothless, is one of the greatest animated characters in a long time, and like Wall-E, he doesn’t even talk. All of the other species of dragons also have unique looks and personalities. The flying sequences here really show the power of 3-D as a tool to put the viewer in the movie, not just a gimmick. I would say it’s second only to Avatar when viewed through those funny looking glasses.
This film is more serious in tone than laugh out loud funny, much like the latest from Pixar (UP, Wall-E, etc.), but it does have quite a few laughs that come naturally, not forced. I’m so glad they stayed away from pop culture references. Both kids and parents will love How to Train Your Dragon equally and probably for much different reasons. The only thing that I didn’t care for were the first 10 minutes or so. Not that they are bad in any way, but it felt a little rushed. Once the film settles and Hiccup (the boy viking) meets the dragon, everything begins to click. The only other negative is that every kid is going to want a pet dragon for their birthday. Good luck with that!
4 and 1/2 out of 5 stars
September 3, 2010
#4
Review by Kurt Wimberger
Rating:
First of all, I’ve never actually read the book this movie was based on. Does that matter? In my opinion, not at all. I’ll be fourteen next month and I loved, loved, loved this movie. I went in expecting it to be ‘nice’ and such, but I came out in love! I sincerely felt for the characters, (dragons included!) unlike some of today’s biggest films. (Hello, Avatar? I could care less.) I know the plot isn’t that original, but it felt fesh and kept me enchanted. I loved the world Dreamworks created. Contrary to what some people are saying, I didn’t feel like Hiccup was too witty and had ‘a juno-esque feel’ to him at all. Additionally, I can’t even comprehend why some people are complaining about violence. Great movie!
September 3, 2010
#5
Review by Donna Andrews
Rating:
I can’t wait to own this movie! I saw the preview while attending another movie. I thought it looked like it might be fun. So I asked my boyfriend if we might be able to see it. He wasn’t really up for the idea of seeing what he thought to be a silly animated kids movie. I own a retail store where we sell fantasy gifts and jewelry. Dragon related items being among them. I love dragons and always try to have the coolest ones. I really wanted to see this movie. My boyfriend finally said… “If you really want to see it we’ll go.” I really don’t ask for much. This I wanted. Without giving anything away, at one point in the movie I got a little teary eyed. My boyfriend noticed, leaned over and whispered in my ear, Me too. The movie was great! At the end, I kid you not!
My boyfriend said…. “That was a wonderful movie! I’m so glad we came.” The story was interesting and entertaining enough for adults. The animation was amazing! So even if children of a very young age couldn’t quite follow the story, they could still very much enjoy the colorful characters and action. I would highly recommend this movie, and I feel safe in saying so would my boyfriend. We are both in our late forties, and still very young.