Based on the book by Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon is a (surprisingly) entertaining film about Hiccup, a young Viking, and his quest to fit in with his rough, dragon-slaying society. Voiced by Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder), Hiccup wants to fight dragons like everyone else but is spurned for his scrawny, clumsy nature. Even his burly father, leader of the Viking clan Stoick (Gerard Butler), does not accept him. When the town is attacked by dragons, Hiccup shoots down the mysterious Night Fury, but no one believes him. Locating the dragon, he finds that he cannot kill him and lets him go. Hiccup slowly befriends the dragon, Toothless, and mends his broken tail. Rallying the other kids of the clan, including his crush Astrid (America Ferrara), Hiccup sets out to teach the adults that dragons and Vikings can live in peace.
At first, one is distracted by the adults’ Scottish accents and the kids’ lack thereof, but later they might realize How to Train Your Dragon is actually a great movie. It is just as funny for children as it is for adults without resorting to crude undertones to attract adults. The animation is wonderful and vivid (thank you, DreamWorks), even if you are not seeing it in 3-D. Baruchel is the perfect voice for Hiccup &- equal parts nerdy and sweet, and the audience really sympathizes with him when everyone in the town utterly demeans him for being different. Stoick is embarrassed by Hiccup and a terrible father &-&- Butler flawlessly expresses his endless temper in his lovely Scottish accent. On the other hand, Craig Ferguson only provides compassion and humor with his brogue, as the fighting instructor Gobber. Though the rest of the cast does not have much weight in the story, the actors complete the world by bringing their distinct personalities to their characters. Jonah Hill desperately and unsuccessfully wants to impress Astrid and cracks some timely jokes; Christopher Mintz-Plasse brings some geeky McLovin to the gang, quoting stats about dragons and World of Warcraft; Kristen Wiig and T.J. Miller (who sounds EXACTLY like Jason Lee) amusingly compete as the aggressive twins.
How to Train Your Dragon is definitely a children’s movie, but really anyone who likes Shrek or Toy Story will like this, too. And watching it with a theater of amazed kids talking to the screen in their way-too-cute voices will make it even better.
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