Review of How to Train Your Dragon (2010) by Paul J — 21 Jun 2014

I watched How to Train Your Dragon after watching How to Train Your Dragon 2. And I'm so glad that I managed to watch this film! This is such a good film! After watching this, I realised that the sequel was actually really good and even better than this film!

The graphics in this movie was so beautiful. It's a perfect blend of near-realism and fantasy. I love the sequences of Hiccup and Toothless flying through the air. The scenes of the sky was so beautiful. I felt like I was flying through the air with them and experiencing the thrill with them! I also loved the occasional humour. The accents (Scottish? Irish? Can't tell) of the characters were so damn sexy! I could melt just listening to them!

What's even better about this movie was the many messages it brought across.

Hiccup was different from the usual Viking. He's more of brains than brawns. He's not that bloodthirsty. But he wanted to belong. He wanted to gain his father's affection, praise and respect. And to do that, he thought that he needed to change himself and conform to society and especially his father's expectation of him. Meanwhile, Gor, his mentor in a way, wanted him to be himself and said that Hiccup tried too hard. This was a contrast in the mentoring/parenting attitudes between the father, who expects Hiccup to be like a normal Viking, and Gor, who just wants Hiccup to be himself. Hiccup's father, being the chief, was probably used to being listened to. He rarely listened to what Hiccup was saying. There was little communication between them. Hiccup's father could not understand Hiccup.

There was so much conflict with the dragons, all because there was no communication, and each thought that the other wanted to do the other in. But Hiccup. with love and compassion, met and befriended Toothless. He began to discover a whole new world. He began to gain confidence in himself. He began to be himself.

I loved that in the end, Hiccup gained the respect and affection of his father without changing himself. I love that there's another way beside conforming to society.

All so touching! I admit, I teared up!

I love that this movie was like an allegory about people living on the fringe of society. I loved that this movie was also about parents and children, about the need for communication. I loved that this movie was about love and compassion. I loved that this movie was about coming into oneself (very appropriate for a teenager, and generally anyone!) This movie was so so meaningful with so many different layers!

This movie would be perfect for children and parents and teenagers and generally anyone! It's such a wholesome, meaningful and touching movie!