I was utterly disappointed with Dreamworks last year, whereas their 2008 biggest hit, "Kungfu Panda", left a good notion that actually this studio could make good animation, until the terrible "Monster and Aliens" and "Madagascar 2" came out, and after I watched the dreadful "Shrek 4" trailer, I guess this studio produces shits. Imagine my growing skepticism when I heard they are planning to release "How to Train Your Dragon", which left me an impression...what a douche title!
But, this time, Dreamworks makes me swallowed my own words. It appears this flick is not just a very good movie indeed, but also has topped "Kungfu Panda" in every department. You have a good story line, suitable also for adults, good moral lessons for youngsters, a nice family relationships, and without giving any spoiler, a very rare and unique ending for an animation movie, which I haven't seen for quite a while, even Pixar haven't picked this up.
Loosey based on the 2003 book with same title, the story was dated back in the village of Berg during the Viking years, where they are in the middle of dragon wars led by the mighty Stoick (Gerard Butler). It appears that all the males in the region are mighty and bulky warriors, with one exception, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel). For starter, he doesn't even look like a Viking, sorta kind of a nerdy, no physical appearance at all, not to mention he's also a cowardice type. While he's trying to impress his father, he accidentally captured a very unique black dragon, which he intends to finish it off to show his worth to be a Viking. But, as cowardice is in his blood already, he just couldn't do it. On the contrary, he made a bond with the dragon in a way that they were becoming more than friends. Hiccup and Toothless (you'll know why he named him that way) became inseparable, even in the middle of his training as dragon slayer where he learnt all the tricks of taming a dragon from Toothless himself. But apparently, things were getting messier when Stoick found out that his son actually kept a dragon as a pet, which placed Hiccup in the position that he has to choose side.
On the skin, this resembles "Eragon" a bit, although "How to Train Your Dragon" is much well crafted. As I mentioned before, the richness in the story line does not only make the kids enjoy it, but also makes it a well made family movie. Even I think the action scenes and the dragon riding thrill is on par with Avatar, or maybe much more spectacular especially in final battle scenes. Another plus thing is the jokes and funny moments, which are fresh, not cheesy or cheap lines, especially on how Hiccup attempts to tame Toothless (the fish scene was just so hilarious!).
In term of graphic, Dreamworks really propelled their renderings into a better quality. The forest and mountain scenery are nicely done, gave a realistic impression. They also did a great job on various dragon types, along with each characteristics.
The voice over casts also do a splendid job bringing the main characters into life. I guess this is the first time Dreamworks doesn't use too many high profile voice overs, only Gerard Butler is the notable A-Star cast on the list, while the main character Baruchel as Hiccup is reasonably unknown, others are just good enough, such as Craig Ferguson as Gobber, Hiccup trainer, and America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) as the ambitious Astrid which thinks Hiccup is her main competitor to be the best dragon slayer. Jonah Hill and Kirsten Wiig although limited, have played their part adequately.
To conclude, "How To Train Your Dragon" is a swift adventure movie, with a suprising dramatic depth. Kids will love it, adults will enjoy it, perfect for the whole house. It has the best animated scenes, maybe on the same level with Pixar's "Up". Last but not least, I believe this is one of the those movies which is worth watching on 3-D, but again, it's the story and the characters which kept me on my seat and enjoy the movie, not the graphic enhancements.
My Rating : 9/10
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