How to Train Your Dragon Review

If you've read the reviews stating that this film is basically Avatar with dragons instead of aliens then you almost have a good idea of what's in store for you when you go see How to Train Your Dragon. The only thing I would add is that this film is better than Avatar. Dreamworks animation has brought us not only its most frightening, but also its best and most beautiful film to date. The film tells the tale of Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), a young and scrawny viking whom his entire village sees as a nuisance. He's looked down upon by his strong and stubborn father (voiced by Gerard Butler) who believes that his son will never have what it takes to kill a dragon.

And by the way, there are dragons in this movie! The creature design in this movie is fantastic, especially for Toothless, the Night Fury that Hiccup takes down but eventually befriends. The friendship isn't something that just happens quickly and naturally as depicted in the Eragon books and Avatar. Trust actually has to be earned between the two. Hiccup earns Toothless' trust by bringing him food and fixing his tail. Toothless earns Hiccups trust by... not killing him. The forbidden friendship is eventually discovered by the rest of his tribe, throwing Hiccup's life into ruin.

It's hard to see this film and not compare it to Avatar, because in almost every way How to Train Your Dragon is better. The film doesn't spend three hours nailing everything down slowly. It gets straight to the point, and doesn't indulge in any of the bad jokes that animated films from Dreamworks have done so frequently in the past in the Shrek and Madagascar franchises. The film's first and foremost job is to deliver an emotionally satisfying, and thrilling story, and it definitely succeeds in doing just that. The story lags a little bit in the middle while Hiccup and Toothless are bonding, but the emotional and comedic payoff of those sequences are worth it.

The voice talent is perfectly cast to fit the characters, with Craig Ferguson and America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) especially standing out. Other actors who wisely lend their voices to the film are Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Kristen Wiig. The technical credits of the film are to be especially praised. John Powell's score serves as a solid backbone for the entire film and rivals the scores of even some Pixar films. The cinematography is especially beautiful, and it's probably the first to use 3D technology to enhanced the visual wonder on screen without completely relying on it. The action in the film is also presents us with one of the most awesome sequences put on the big screen in a while. In fact the last film I can remember delivering action that amazing was Up.

If you can't afford to pay for 3D then I don't see any reason why the film won't be just as affective in 2D, but if you have a choice then you must see it in 3D while it's still in theatres. 3D screens will be held for the film for at least two weeks so use the opportunity to your advantage. Ultimately this film shows what Dreamworks can accomplish when it takes a few cues from its biggest competitor Pixar, and it ranks as probably the best film to hit theatres so far this year.

B+