How to Train Your Dragon

What are the chances that DreamWorks could make a great movie twice in a row? After the smash hit “Monsters Vs. Aliens” comes a film that bests it in every way imaginable, “How to Train Your Dragon.” Toothless the dragon is definitely one of the all-time greatest animated characters ever. He was adorable and he was the highlight of the entire film. The dragon flying sequences were stunning to watch, particularly with the aid of correctly incorporated 3D effects. All of the vocal cast did a fair job with the voiceovers. “How to Train Your Dragon” is arguably the best DreamWorks animated feature to ever hit theaters, and it exceeded my expectations completely.

The high point of “Train Your Dragon” was definitely the adorable little dragon named Toothless. To the Vikings of the story, all dragons are fierce, murderous creatures that must be slaughtered, with the dreaded Night Fury being the worst of the lot. But this all changes one day when main character Hiccup discovers that the dragon is, in fact, more like a kitten than an evil lizard of death. It’s playful, curious, and extremely cute. The creators did a fantastic job making it lovable even when it never says anything. It encompasses all the natural charm of the uncommunicative robot WALL-E.

One of the best things about this film was the excellent 3D effects. It was not converted to 3D post-production like so many other movies overeager to jump on the 3D bandwagon, but was planned and filmed in 3D from the beginning. This made for a very enjoyable movie experience, particularly in the dragon fight and flight scenes, where the effects are integrated beautifully. It almost felt like we were all flying through the air with them, and narrowly avoiding getting burnt to a crisp. The 3D effects are can’t-miss stuff.

One of the great mysteries of “Train Your Dragon” is why on earth the Vikings all have Scottish accents, but their children all have American ones. We may never know, but at least the oddly intonated voices were good. Main character Hiccup had a pretty nasally, obnoxious voice, but it was convincing nonetheless. The Viking Chief was executed well by none other than Gerard Butler. How strange to see him in a movie that doesn’t suck. The other voice actors also did a nice, believable job. All things considered, this film really shines.

“How to Train Your Dragon” really surpassed my expectations. It brought us Toothless, a new animated character for children of all ages to love, and presented him in stunning 3D effects that really dazzle. The vocal cast was well chosen and talented. When all’s said and done, this film is one of the best animated movies ever made, giving even Pixar a run for its money. It deserves 10 out of 10 stars.