Review of How to Train Your Dragon (2010) by John G — 30 Jun 2018

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON is a good film. It's probably the best film the Dreamworks animation company has ever released--it has likable characters, genuinely sweet dragons, and a well-paced story. However, when I watched the film, I felt there was something missing. Although HTTYD does attempt to focus on familial connections and the typical father-son bond, I have to admit that Hiccup and Stoic's interactions are brief, making their character arcs rather unimpressive. I also have an issue with some of the voice acting--I thought the main characters were well-acted (especially Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera) but the side characters, particularly Jonah Hill, sported smug and out-of-place voice artistry. I loved the connection between Toothless and Hiccup, and would have loved to have seen more of that and the father-son connection, as opposed to the "dragon queen".

The similarities HTTYD had with BRAVE, a movie released by Pixar the following year, are interesting to point out. For one, Hiccup's father's design is scarily similar to Merida's; both films try to show a family message, and both films have a mystical, fantasylike air. However, HTTYD executes all of these similarities with more care, precision and quality than BRAVE, making this the superior film.

Overall, HTTYD is a good children's film, and can even appeal to adults. However, I don't see this movie replacing TOY STORY, RATATOUILLE, UP or other Pixar films made before 2011.