"How to Train Your Dragon" is an animated family film that was released in 2010. It is rated PG.
Viking Island
Berk is an island that is settled by a group of Vikings led by Stoick the Vast. His son Hiccup is a slender, inquisitive, and inventive young boy who desires to be a dragon killer like his father. Unfortunately, he is just as clumsy as he is clever, and seems to be a hindrance when it comes to fighting the dragons that often swoop in and steal their livestock.
During a night raid by the dragons Hiccup fires one of his inventions toward an elusive and deadly Night Fury dragon, a type which had never been seen let alone killed. He thinks he has hit the dragon but cannot convince his father. Soon afterward the Vikings set out on their ships to hunt for the dragons' lair, leaving Hiccup to participate in lessons to become a dragon slayer. The other kids are better at fighting the captured dragons, especially Astrid, a pretty blond with a violent streak. Hiccup decides to see if he had actually managed to hit the dragon and finds him trapped in a small canyon, his tail injured. He cannot kill the dragon because of the fear in its eyes, so he lets it go. It threatens him but then takes off into the air. Unfortunately for the Night Fury, its damaged tail prevents it from flying out of the enclosed canyon.
Learning to Fly
Wanting to learn more, Hiccup returns to the dragon and brings him a fish. The dragon turns out to be fairly friendly and they learn about each other. Hiccup learns that dragons fear eels, that scratching them in the right place will tame them, and other useful tidbits of information. He uses this new found knowledge to his advantage in the dragon slaying school, so much in fact that he is deemed the top student, earning the privilege of actually killing a real dragon in front of the entire village. During this time he has managed to create a mechanical wing/fin for the tail of the dragon (whom he names Toothless). He also creates a saddle and steering devices and they learn to fly together. Astrid discovers his after school activities and threatens to tell on him. He grabs her and takes her for a flight. Afterward, she realizes that he cannot betray his dragon friend and agrees to keep his secret. When the time comes for Hiccup to slay a captured dragon he casts down his axe and approaches the dragon. His father thinks he is in danger and jumps into the ring, startling the dragon who then stalks Hiccup. Having sensed that Hiccup was in danger, Toothless manages to find the ring just in time to attack the other dragon, saving Hiccup. However, Stoick and the other Vikings capture Toothless.
The Vikings use Toothless to find the main dragon lair, an island with a large mountain. Once on the island the Vikings find that there is a huge dragon that is hidden away in the mountain. He had forced the other dragons to go out and forage for food to feed him while he stayed safe on the island. The Vikings used catapults to break open the base of the mountain and while the other dragons flew away, the huge one attacked their ships, setting them on fire. When it seemed that all was lost Hiccup and his friends show up mounted on the dragons that they had fought in their lessons. The friends attack the big dragon trying to distract it while Hiccup went to save Toothless who was still tied up on his father's ship. The ship sinks and Hiccup tries to save his dragon but could not, instead his father swims down and cuts the ropes that have him tied down. Together, Toothless and Hiccup join the fight with the big dragon. They lead the dragon high up into the sky and then dive headlong back towards the island. The giant dragon follows them and at just the right moment, as the giant dragon is about to spit fire toward them, Toothless turns back and fires his own blast directly into the dragon's mouth, setting off a huge explosion and killing the dragon.
All is Well, Except for the Limp
Toothless is hurt by the fire and Hiccup gets separated from him and plunges toward the sea. They both hurtle through the flames of the dying giant dragon and the scene cuts to the Vikings on the beach, with Stoick wondering if Hiccup had survived. When the flames clear they find Toothless on the beach with Hiccup safely cradled under one wing. When Hiccup wakes up he finds himself back in his village with Toothless nearby. One problem is that he lost a leg in the fight and the blacksmith had fixed him up with a mechanical replacement. The movie closes with the sight of many dragons being flown by people of the town, with Hiccup saying that other places may be easier to live in but no place else has dragons for pets.
My Recommendation
I enjoyed the film. It was a little deeper than I had expected, between the coming of age of Hiccup and his friends and the boy/dragon relationship that evolves. I did not have a chance to see this one in 3D but the standard DVD version was fine. The animation was very good and the plot was based on a popular series of books.
I recommend that you watch it. It is not really designed for young children below 6 years old, but older than that should get a kick out of the flying and fighting sequences. The story itself may be a little mature for those less than ten or so but even so, they will like the thought of having a dragon for a pet. I know I did. If only I didn't have to catch one myself...
For real recommendations on movies you would like to see, check out Movie Crasher - Movie/DVD Reviews today. Howard is a movie fanatic and enjoys watching action movies, romantic comedies, comedies, family movies, and holiday movies. Look for more animated movie reviews on his site. You can also see film photos on his original movie review of "How to Train Your Dragon".
