HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010)
Genre: Family/Animation/Comedy
Directors: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
THE MOVIE
When it comes to quality animated features, Dreamworks doesn't have the track record of Pixar, and for every Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, there are a bunch of snarky kiddie movies filled with smirking, pop-culture referencing characters. How to Train Your Dragon is a big step above the usual Dreamworks fare and better than some of the lesser Pixar movies. It was released as part of the post-Avatar 3D boom and actually takes advantage of format very well for some very thrilling sequences.
How to Train Your Dragon is the story of a Viking tween named Hiccup (who seems to be physically modeled on Jon Krasinski, although voiced by Jay Baruschel), who is the son of the chieftain of a remote village which is at war with bands of dragons which frequently attack. The whole culture of the village is based on fighting with dragons, and it is considered a coming-of-age ritual to kill one. Hiccup is smarter than he is tough, and spends most of his time sketching and inventing contraptions. As the son of the leader, he is at once sheltered and under pressure to prove himself. During a particular nasty dragon attack on the village, Hiccup sneaks off with his new invention, a kind of net catapult which manages to actually down a dragon somewhere outside the village.
The next day, Hiccup ventures off to find the beast to finish it off and discovers a rare black dragon, the Night Fury, bound and injured by his net. As much as he wants to prove himself to his father and his peers, Hiccup cannot bring himself to kill the wounded animal , and releases it into the large sinkhole in which it has crashed but from which it cannot escape due to its injured tail fin. Hiccup and the the dragon, Toothless, gradually build up trust and a touching friendship a la Elliot and E.T, Hogar and the Iron Giant, etc. Meanwhile, Hiccup is being forced by his father into training to be a dragon slayer. Of course, things come to a head, and Hiccup must make a choice about what he is to be and he discovers the secret behind the source of the dragon attacks on the island.
I really like this movie a lot. Hiccup actually becomes a very appealing character by the end of the movie. It is always interesting to watch a character forced to choose between the fate that has been assigned to him and the fate that he knows is right. Over the course of the movie, Hiccup follows his instincts and becomes a kind of naturalist and he has a transformational effect on the other villagers his age. For kids, it teaches a great lesson about the value of patience and observation over knee-jerk violence.
THE MONSTER/EFFECTS
How To Train Your Dragon features quite a few dragon designs and most of them are very whimsical. All of the different dragon species have their own distinctive abilities which have all been compiled by the movie's resident dragon expert into a book which is reminiscent of the Dragonology books that have become popular with kids. How To Train Your Dragon itself is very loosely based on a series of kids books.
The only two non-cartoony creatures are Toothless and the giant Godzilla-sized alpha dragon at the end of the movie. Toothless is wonderfully designed and animated and is probably the best and most original dragon character ever put to film. With his big yellow eyes and pointy "ears, " and slinky feline movements he manages to evoke a giant cranky black cat. I'd be shocked if he wasn't directly based off of one of the animator's pet cat. Toothless is the epitome of the giant powerful creature that all little boys fantasize about befriending. As his species distinctive "power," Toothless is able to produce a kind of weird purple plasma shockwave bolt from his mouth. The directing team for How To Train Your Dragon was also in charge of Disney's Lilo & Stitch and there is a lot in common in how they handle both central creatures. They have a great way of bringing out personality and character in these animated creatures.
DVD AVAILABILITY
Still in theaters as of this writing.
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
The first scene between Hiccup and Toothless really clues you in to the fact that you are into something special. You can see a bit of it in the trailer, as Hiccup approaches the bound dragon and you can see the look of suspicion and then resignation on Toothless' face. This is a really well-animated, silent scene which is a rare thing in the very high energy world of Dreamworks animated movies where characters are always working non-stop to entertain you. This scene really gets me.
SEQUELS
This movie has been doing quite well at the box office and Dreamworks has just greenlit a sequel, setting this up to be their new animated franchise with the retirement of Shrek.
SEE ALSO
E.T. 1982 The Iron Giant 1999 The Water Horse 2007 King Kong 2005 Gamera The Brave 2004
THE TRAILER
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