How To Train Your Dragon 2010

I really liked How To Train Your Dragon. I first saw it at the dollar theater with a good friend of mine. I liked it then; I like it now, even after my third viewing of it. I think that it is an appropriate family fun adventure suitable for all ages.

I read a Christian magazine with an article in it about this movie that actually spoke good things of the movie. Not that that’s a total surprise. The movie isn’t trying to be a bad movie after all. It commented on the father son relationship that is exhibited in the movie and it didn’t speak poorly of that relationship. I agree. There are some parts that end up kinda shaky, but what relationship doesn’t have its ups and downs? 

One thing I found out is that the same guy who directed this movie also directed the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch. Expounding on that: has anyone who’s seen both movies recognized the similarities between Toothless and Stitch? I think their faces seem eerily similar. 

One thing I noted, especially after I watched the special features on the DVD is that this movie has a great voice cast. America Ferrera plays Astrid, Gerard Butler plays Stoic, Hiccup’s dad, Craig Ferguson plays one of the comic reliefs. The guy who plays the voice of Hiccup, whose name I forget, had a cameo(like) appearance in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. He played Norah’s guy friend (before she met Nick.)

I think the movie is full of cute little moments, like when Hiccup is first befriending Toothless and he takes a fish for Toothless to eat. Toothless eats it of course, but he regurgitates half the fish and then stands, eagerly, anticipating Hiccup to try the other half of the fish. It’s a simple gesture of caring from an animal that you wouldn’t normally expect but what else is Hiccup to do if he wants to gain approval of Toothless other than try the raw fish?

As with most action and action/adventure movies nowadays there was a slight love story twisted into the plot. The movie doesn’t take much time at all to focus on this though, developing the friendship of the two characters more so than the love interest of them.  I appreciated this a great deal because I don’t think it’s really necessary at all, especially in a children’s movie. 

I thought the graphics of the movie were good. There were moments in the movie when they Vikings were out sailing, just before they were about to go into the cloud of smoke, that I almost confused the graphics of the water and the smoke cloud, heck even the boats, with reality. 

I recommend this movie for anyone who wants to enjoy a good little time. It’s bound to be enjoyed.