DreamWorks, the makers of the “Shrek” series is at it again with “How to Train Your Dragon”, a movie based on Cressida Cowell’s children’s book. We must admit that our first peek at the movie’s trailer did not actually make us jump up and down with excitement and glee. It did not have the DreamWorks hype unlike when they first launched “Kung Fu Panda” or “Madagascar”. But hey, how can you judge a movie by its trailer? Most of the time, trailers are a wrong basis and we have seen countless movies that seemed nice from the sneak peek that totally bombed out in the actual film. Let us see if DreamWorks can come up with another hit film with “How to Train Your Dragon” even with the slow and lousy start.
In a whole village full of tough, dragon-slaying, macho Vikings, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) stands out as a frail weakling – too thin and too scared to fight off dragons. His father, Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) could not believe that his own son is an outcast and a source of shame for the tribe. If only the Chief knew how much Hiccup wanted to fit in with all of them, then maybe he would give him a chance. One day, all things change when Chief Stoick finally agrees to include Hiccup in dragon-slaying training. Unfortunately this is also the time when Hiccup meets Toothless, the Night Fury dragon breed most feared by the whole town. Hiccup discovers that maybe dragons are not the bad, mindless, evil killing machines the Vikings thought they were. The more he spends time with his pet dragon the more he discovers tricks on how dragons can be tamed and be domesticated. He also grows a fond friendship with the greatest enemy of his town and his father.
“How to Train Your Dragon” is one enjoyable and exciting adventure, with really funny moments and breathtaking scenes. The setting is interesting – taking us back to the era of the Vikings and yet the language and humor is very modern. The eye-popping scenes when the characters fly at the back of the dragon is enough for you to watch this movie. It sort of reminds us of the magic carpet scene in Aladdin, except this is a hundred times better. The action scenes are excellent and the dragons are all adorable. The tale is nothing but heartwarming, especially the relationship of Hiccup and Toothless or Hiccup and his Dad. The 3D version is good but we doubt that there would be much difference when you watch it in 2D. If ever, we recommended watching this in normal 2D to save some cash. In the end, we definitely label this dragon movie as a must watch.
Rating: 5 reels