Hey Guys! Gerawallstar here and I am here to review the Dreamworks film How to train your Dragon. When it was released, it was critically acclaimed by critics and a box office smash. I really enjoyed this movie.
Story:
The story is about a teenager named Hiccup who befriends a Dragon, while trying to find himself and his way in the world. He also does everything he can to convince the residence of Berk that Dragons are not evil. I have to say this story is brilliant. The execution, writing and direction is amazing. This is the type of story that feels universal rather than a generic kids story. The flying scenes are phenomenal. I loved the scene where toothless takes Hiccup and Astrid for a ride. The action sequences are breathtaking. The scenes where Hiccup and the dragon Toothless are well-written. However, there is one problem I have with the story. As amazing as this story is, it does feel like the same story presented in hundreds of films where the dad is prejudiced and him and the son don’t get along. It is a well-written type of story, but it is repetitive. Aside from that nitpick, the story is excellent all around. I give the story nine stars.
Animation:
The animation is the highlight of the film. The designs of the humans are good, but it’s the designs of the dragons that sells the animation. The dragons look very colorful and beautifully animated. I loved the design of toothless. He looks so bada$$ with the dark colors representing night fury well. As with the flying scenes, they look very cinematic. The 3D aspect of the film makes the flying scenes so groundbreaking. It makes the scenes i.e. the Hiccup/Astrid joyride, feel like you are flying with them. The flying scenes are one of the best flying scenes in movie history as it definitely reminds you of James Camerons AVATAR’s flying scenes. The effects are great, the designs are good, and the astounding flying scenes makes the animation the best aspect of the film. I give the animation ten stars.
Characters:
The characters may look thin on paper, but in this film, there are wonderful characters I have seen. The protagonist Hiccup is an excellent character. His determination to prove that Dragons are not menacing, and being an outcast is not only relatable, but identifiable. He is a better teenager character than Artie from Shrek the Third. Astrid is great as a tomboy. She reminds me of Cindy from Jimmy Neutron. Stoick is a three dimensional character. He is a great leader, and also very human when it comes to being nasty towards dragons/his son, and accepting dragons. Gobber is my favorite character. He is really funny and a great mentor type character. Toothless is a wonderful dragon character, he reminds me of a dog. The other characters i.e. Ruffnut, Fishlegs, and Snotlot are very funny. I will also give credit to the voice actors/actresses as the voices i.e. Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson give out a wonderful performance. Some may find Hiccup’s voice to be annoying, but I don’t mind his voice acting performance from Jay Baruchel. He does a good gob voicing a teenager character. The characters are amazing despite being very tropey. I give the characters ten stars.
Verdict:
How to train your Dragon is a wonderful Dreamworks movie where it has a mature story, groundbreaking animation and fantastic characters. If you can get past the typical father/son storyline, then this is an outstanding movie to see. Although kids can enjoy this film, this is the type of film that is not only looks like a film for teenagers/adults but it feels like a move for them. I give this amazing film nine stars out of ten.
9/10
About Author
How to Train Your Dragon is indeed one of Dreamworks’ best. Humor, drama, and humanity are all nicely balanced here, and the cast works very well. The sequel, I must warn you, is much darker than the first movie: It’s still good, though not as good as the first one, as it kind of suffers from a rushed climax.
I’ve heard lots of good things about this movie and it’s sequels/spin offs, but have still yet to watch it. Maybe I’ll rectify that soon.