How to train your Dragon (Dreamworks Animation)
In the Viking town of Berk every Viking lives for the day that they can kill their first dragon, and for Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) that day can’t come soon enough.
Dreamworks’ latest 3D animated adventure follows the young Viking who, like his name suggests, is prone to making mistakes and screwing up. So much, in fact, he’s the laughingstock of the town. Pile on the pressure to live up to the greatness of his dragon-slaying father, Stoick, (Gerard Butler) and to impress a hot Viking girl, Astrid, (America Ferrera) Hiccup feels the only way to redeem himself is to kill a dragon of his very own.
Hiccup gets his chance during a dragon raid where he knocks the deadliest type of dragon, a Night Fury, out of the sky with a rock launcher. But when he tracks down the grounded dragon the next day, he doesn’t have the heart to kill it.
Instead his curiosity grows and he forms a kinship with the injured Night Fury and begins to learn more about dragons than any Viking ever has. His newfound knowledge allows him to excel in dragon class.
However as Hiccup’s relationship grows closer with the dragons, he comes to realize the flaws with the century old Viking dragon slaying philosophy. Now before the Vikings discover his secret and kill his pet dragon, Hiccup must convince the town of the possibility of Viking and dragon coexistence.
Fans of Cressida Cowell’s children’s novel may be disappointed as the plot bares little resemblance to the book, but the differences make for up a fun movie. The plot holds predictable elements — will Hiccup somehow win over Astrid? — but the exciting adventure and fiery action lights up the screen.
Hiccup’s classmates supply some of the best laughs, with comedians Jonah Hill (Superbad), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) and Craig Ferguson (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson) the dragon class teacher Gobber, rounding out the voice lineup.
The animation lives up to the fun plot and draws in the audience with high-flying action sequences. The 3D really adds to the battle scenes, as the fire literally leaps off the screen.
Like most animated movies, the movie’s audience is intended for a younger audience than the CU student body, but “How to Train Your Dragon” offers laughs, an entertaining plot and good animation for any age to enjoy.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.
