Still think you’re too cool to see an animated movie about dragons? Think again.
Based on the children’s novel by Cressida Cowell, “How To Train Your Dragon” is the newest film by the wizards of DreamWorks Animation. Don’t be dissuaded by the all-inclusive PG rating — there’s enough enjoyment that goes beyond the trappings of the kiddie genre it inhabits. The film raises the bar on imagination even for DreamWorks as one of their most ambitious productions yet. And with the I-Max 3D enhancement, it is sure to become a classic.
Set in an alternate world, the movie follows a small, sequestered town of Vikings ruled by Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler). For these bellicose loudmouths, with their meaty arms, scruffy beards and crude wool clothing, war is not just a sport — it’s a livelihood. Men, women, youngsters — it seems like nobody is too chaste to utter the words “kill” and “die.” Their enemies: hordes of malicious dragons that plunder food and livestock.
These winged monsters come in all sizes and colors, with nuances as detailed as individual capabilities, fears and functions. Stoick has the robustness and bravery to take even the largest of these beasts head-on. However, his son Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) — a puny name that was given to him in hopes that he would prove himself otherwise — can barely even load a cannon without making things worse. A constant disgrace to his father, Hiccup is the only member of the village who is not allowed to fight. It isn’t until he secretly finds and befriends a powerful dragon that he starts to turn heads and make friends, a decision that is later met with backlash.
As is tradition with DreamWorks movies, there is the lovably eccentric cast with their equally eccentric tendency to go beyond the mold of bland characterization. Hiccup is downright tiny both in body and spirit when he’s standing amid the townsfolk, but his constant bickering against his agitated peers shows a nobleness that makes him the voice of reason. When his father and friends are wielding axes and blunt hammers readying themselves for the slaughter, Hiccup is gathering fish for his dragon friend.
Perhaps to counter the diverse characters of the Viking tribe, the dragons actually get enough screen time to make them considerable major characters as well. It’s shown in the film that there is an entire lore built around the documentation and treatment of the different kinds of dragons.
Instead of subverting this fact by only showing a few in passing, the film goes through many of them in actual combat, as if to say the viewer is learning about the dragons along with Hiccup.
When it comes to 3-D effects, the film has a visual splendor that is simply unrivaled in the world of animation. When the going gets good, there’s just so much happening all at once onscreen that it reaches levels of sensory overload. This is especially rewarding in overhead-flying shots and fight scenes, which this film delivers by the numbers.
But the most important aspect of the film is how not a single scene is wasted. Every moment from start to finish grips the audience with delight either from the eye-popping scenery or the quirkiness of the characters. And you’ll be surprised at just how engrossing all of it is.
With so much talk of death and dragon genocide, DreamWorks seems to have overstepped their bounds in assuming their target demographic. There’s an illuminating moment in the film’s ending that shows a not-too-picturesque outcome when Hiccup is forced to fight, and his quest for acceptance from his father comes with a sacrifice that is heartwrenching and appropriate. If nothing else, it’s a step in the right direction for the future of DreamWorks movies.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
