Meet Hiccup, heir of the Viking chiefdom, but a boy with one very big problem: a hero he is not. "How to Train Your Dragon" is the riotous story of Hiccup's quest to hunt down and kill the fiercest and most mysterious of dragons, The Night Fury. Instead, he ends up befriending the ornery dragon and names him Toothless! Thus begins the hi jinx of the world's most lovable, unlikely hero and a most unique "pet." Packed with energetic animations and plenty of action, this boisterous tale is just right for fantasy fans or anyone with a spirit of adventure.Did you know this film was based on a childrens' book by Cressida Cowell. A series of books, I know find myself compelled, nay, driven to obtain.
Let's get down to Brass tax. I think this is perhaps one of the best films of the year, and certainly rides as my favorite of 2010.
I'll also say that I'm a rabid Pixar fan… and as such I find myself repeatedly disappointed with most of the animated fair the other studios produce.
Starting in 2001 with Shrek, i found Dreamworks treatments of story and animation to be oafish, yet not without some small charms… as they continued to release badly animated films, I wrote them off as knock offs whose stories were swept aside for cheap and crude jokes and merchandisable characters.
In 2008, something changed at Dreamworks… Kung Fu Panda hit screens and suddenly animation and story had equal billing, but the theme was still centered on 10 year old children. Now in 2010 with How to Train your Dragon, it is clear that at least some part of Dreamworks has decided that cheap jokes and jarring celebrity voice work just aren't cutting it.While Pixar provides us with stunning animation and heartfelt tales, they seem bent on making the most implausible story lines work… and so far with the arguable exception of Ratatouille, they have. Dreamworks it seems has decided to aim dead center on their demographic… kids. Kung Fu, Monsters vs Aliens, and now Dragons are the staple of so many young boys dreams… Kung Fu Panda and How to Train your Dragon have served these fantasies to their audience on a golden tray, all the while keeping adults entertained and engaged.
Surprisingly, How to Train your Dragon is the first big-budget full fantasy animated movie since 1985's tragically ignored The Black Cauldron. It's not a musical, thank goodness, and isn't over run with childish gags and humor… the humor is subtle and sophisticated… and works to great effect with the voice talents of Jay Baruchel (Hiccup)
This film, and it's overtone of Father and son acceptance gets me everytime… by now Elias will preempt my "I'm proud of you Son!" with a back handed, "I know Dad… your proud…." I can't help it and I relish in the emotions when an animated feature can pull them from me.
How to Train Your Dragon follows the familiar formula of the outcast child saving the day and showing the true path to his former detractors. As commonplace as that structure may be, it can exhilarate and entertain when creatively fleshed out, as it is here.
5 Fiery Stars from me (out of 5)
I agree whole-heartedly; How to Train Your Dragon is a GREAT film. It has one of the best bits of wisdom in regards to raising children I've ever heard, anywhere, which was given by Gobber the Belch to Stoick (Hiccup's father) "You can't stop your children, you can only make sure they're prepared." I liked one of it's subtler themes, too, which was that aggression isn't necessarily rooted in evil or a desire for domination; sometimes it's done out of desperation (i.e., the dragons attacking the vikings 'cause they needed food for the big uber-dragon; generations of conflict because the dragons can't ask for help and the vikings don't know what's going on). It's also quite resonant what happens to Hiccup at the end; heroism DOES often have consequences after all.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, too, it's a bit of a stand-out from most Dreamworks fare, which seems heavy on the fart jokes. It actually has character and pathos, not just mindless activity. In the world of CGI animation, Pixar is Disney, and it seemed that Dreamworks was trying to be a cut-rate Warner Bros. They were failing (I mean admit it; all the Shrek films after the first one were pretty lame, with the exception of the Puss in Boots character), but with How to Train Your Dragon, they hold out the hope that they can establish their own identity.
As for your cryptic Ratatouille comment...eh. I liked Ratatouille, but it's far from Pixar's best film. Like Wall-EE (another one I'm a bit cool on) it has some good bits but really no replay value. Good review!
Nice review buddy. I read it a while ago, but have a long slow case at work, so I thought I'd give a shout out. I LOVED this film. It was hands down the best movie I saw in the theatre this year. I think it deserves the academy award...for best picture. At minimum best animated feature. Toy Story 3 was a great movie, but this was better. Just thought I'd add to your gushing a bit. ;-)
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