Review of How to Train Your Dragon (2010) by Jacob B — 04 Sep 2017

How to Train Your Dragon is one of DreamWorks' best, if not necessarily THE best movies to date. Like Kung Fu Panda, it's title and advertising are off-putting but when you see the actual movie, you actually enjoy it what it has to offer.

Rather than be another victim of multiple cliches, it actually embraces them and puts a twist on them. The animation is state-of-the-art, first DreamWorks movie to have its animation to be 100% on par with Pixar.

The action and flight sequences are spectacular and breathtaking and also boasts two likable characters with Toothless being, in a way, cute since his design is like a cat. In fact, all the dragons are wonderfully realized.

It's also occasionally funny, mainly because I don't see it as a comedy but a well-crafted fantasy movie. A movie that teaches people not just your typical prejudice message but also wanting to live up to your parents' expectations, relationships with animals and about that moment where you think you want something mainly to gain respect amongst others but when you're finally given the opportunity cannot bring yourself to do it because it isn't in your heart to do the thing you sought out to do in the first place.

Oh, and there's an amazing score from this guy named John Powell, expecially early on in the film. Beautifully crafted, exciting, gorgeously animated and packing a darker tone with more depth than most of DreamWorks' movies.

..well, the CGI ones anyway, How to Train Your Dragon indeed, as the Critics Consensus for this movie states, soars.