"Dragons...it's an occupational hazard."
Who'd have thought it, eh? Whenever the words "DreamWorks Animations" is mentioned Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda instantly pop into most people's minds like a switch had just been clicked. Well I certainly hope in a few months time that How To Train Your Dragon will be fully recognised as the best DreamWorks animation production ever, in fact I would happily and confidently go as far as saying that this is generally one of the best films I have seen in a very long time. To begin with, the omens were not overly positive. When the film was confirmed under the name "How to Train Your Dragon" most people, including myself, simple wrote it off as a cheap, uninspiring cash in for kids who haven't begun to comprehend humour or story yet. I thought of how DreamWorks had fallen completely behind Pixar's latest offerings such as Wall-E and Up. The first trailer arrived. It was good but unspectacular, "certainly not worth getting exciting about" I remembered saying to myself. And look at me now. Words cannot actually describe my new found love for this film but I shall attempt to write something to fill the gap anyway...Before you read on, if you haven't or are unsure of seeing this film I will say, stop reading this article and at least go give it a try. I guarantee most will be pleasantly surprised.
The story takes place on the Viking inhabited island of Berk. An opening cinematic introduction shows the Viking residents in a heated confrontation with a clan of dragons. During the battle Hiccup (a misfit Viking boy played by Jay Baruchel) is led inside as he is thought to be too weak to fight. Killing a Dragon on Berk is considered a rite of passage but Stoik the Vast (Hiccup's father played by Gerard Butler) doesn't believe his son is capable. During the battle Hiccup sneaks outside and s hoots down the much feared rare Night Fury. As Hiccup discovers the Dragon defenceless, he raises his knife but cannot bring himself to kill it. He unties the ropes and allows the Night Fury to fly away. He finds the Night Fury trapped in a valley due to an injured tail and befriends the dragon by giving it food and making an artificial tail. Later he gives the dragon a nickname, Toothless. Hiccu p begins to gather an extensive knowledge of Dragons and learns that everything the Vikings know about these creatures were wrong. He excels in dragon training to the amazement of his father and earns the right to finally kill a Dragon. However, Hiccup decides he doesn't want to harm the dragons anymore and strives to make peace between the two clans.
The movie is available in 3D and naturally that is the best way to view it. The effects laid out in a way very similar to Avatar – subtle but apparent. But some scenes – especially the flight scenes – make great use of the extra dimension and sometimes you can't help but just marvel at the surroundings. Computer animations have grown a lot over the years but HTTYD manages to incorporate great visuals while still letting the personality of characters shine through. A great example of this is Toothless. As loyal as any dog, Toothless is playful, energetic and adorable to watch. In fact all the main characters are chock full of personality and the relationship between one boy and his dragon is portrayed beautifully with touches of brilliant humour. There is quite a lot of comedy but none of it takes centre stage. Instead the film is dotted with plenty of refined humour and great one liners. One thing that makes the film even better is the soundtrack. Watching Hiccup fly through the clouds on Toothless, darting between rocks and soaring into the sky accompanied by a superbly arranged orchestral score is second to none. Fortunately a complete CD of the soundtrack is already out but residents of the UK will have to either buy from itunes or (if they want a case) import it from America. The pedantic lot could argue that the story is a little clichéd but the fact is that, it has been executed so well that you definitely be drawn into the adventure. And you want more proof that HTTYD is one of the best films out there? I have already watched the film twice and would willingly pay money to watch it a third time.