Once You Get To Know Toothless You'll Never Eat Fishheads The Same
If you are reading this then chances are you are more interested in reading about animated movies than watching them in a crowded movie theater. There is an even stronger chance that you have friends and/or a significant other who would rather eat fire than to watch an animated dragon breath it. Moreover, I probably feel the same way you do. Animated movies on this scale kind of suck. The formulas are old and even the best current animated movies know that their bread is buttered with the family demographic. How To Train A Dragon is the best example of how far animated movies have come. I dare say that How To Train A Dragon is currently [mind you it is April 5th, 2010] the best movie in theaters.
The Wardrobe For Dragon Consisted Of Skulls And Furs.
Starring Jay Baruchel, an actor I usually find annoying in just about anything -- he plays the diminutive Viking-in-training known as Hiccup. Admittedly, the start of Dragon is fairly typical for most animated movies. Hiccup is the son of the King Viking Stoik [Gerard Butler] who'se bravery is known as far as the land he protects reaches. Hiccup is a clumsy representation of what a viking should be and his eager classmates let him know that whenever their town is periodically attacked by a fleet of dragons [it is 'fleet' right?]. So within ten minutes into Dragon we know what kind of character Hiccup is, we know what kind of environment this character inhabits and, most importantly, we know what conflict the character is enduring. Why is this so hard for live action movies?
Insert 'ORLY' Meme Here
As Dragon progresses something strange occurs, characters are developed. A deadly dragon known as a "Night Fury" is introduced and, as a viewer, I actually become interested in where Hiccup and his new dragon friend, Toothless, end up. The relationships between Hiccup and his father is actually interesting because so many topics rarely dissected in animated movies are tactfully addressed. Though Dragon carries a PG rating, death and body mutilation are openly referenced. The training aspect of Dragon is definitely handled with kid-gloves its when you see Toothless and Hiccup interact [weird to say seeing as I am referring to two computer generated characters] or Hiccup train with his peers that this movie grabs you. The supporting cast holds such names as Jonah Hill [who plays the annoying Snotlout], Craig Ferguson [Gobber] and America Ferrera [who plays Hiccups love interest, Astrid]. Director's Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders have proven to be incredibly capable of balancing story immersion while reigning in the voice actors recognizable nuances.
Because The Movie Was Pretty Cool, I May Take A Look At The Book.
My biggest bone to pick with Dragon is the same gripe I have with most animated features of this depth. Ultimately there is one final enemy or dragon in this case that the main characters have to face. A PG-13 would suit movies like this better. Dragon slaying, maiming and fire-breathing death is accepted given the well-crafted story, but you never actually see the act. The movie ends on an incredibly powerful note that is rarely seen in any movie. We are use to seeing characters met with insurmountable odds and by fairy tale movie magic they make it out unscathed. This does not happen in How To Train A Dragon. If anything, every character depicted is flawed either physically or otherwise and the story doesn't progressively change every character into a stereotypical hero. This movie teaches you to accept who you are and that that should be heroic enough.
I Give How To Train A Dragon...
What Could Be More Adorable?The "A Baby Dog" Award