How to Train Your Dragon (DVD, 2010)

A Fire-breathing 5 out of 5 stars for this wonder of a film. A winning mixture of adventure, slapstick comedy, and friendship, How to Train Your Dragon rivals Kung Fu Panda as the most engaging and satisfying film DreamWorks Animation has produced. Hiccup (voice by Jay Baruchel) is a failure as a Viking: skinny, inquisitive, and inventive, he asks questions and tries out unsuccessful contraptions when he's supposed to be fighting the dragons that attack his village. His father, chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), has pretty much given up on his teenage son and apprenticed him to blacksmith Gobber (Craig Ferguson). Worse, Hiccup knows the village loser hasn't a chance of impressing Astrid (America Ferrera), the girl of his dreams and a formidable dragon fighter in her own right. When one of Hiccup's inventions actually works, he hasn't the heart to kill the young dragon he's brought down. He names it Toothless and befriends it, although he's been taught to fear and loathe dragons. Many DreamWorks films get laughs from sitcom one-liners and topical pop culture references; as the humor in Dragon comes from the characters' personalities, it feels less timely and more timeless. Toothless chases the spot of sunlight reflected off Hiccup's hammer like a giant cat with a laser pointer; Hiccup uses his newly found knowledge (and an icky smoked eel) to defeat two small dragons--and impress the other kids. How to Train Your Dragon will be just as enjoyable 10 or 20 years from now as it is today. Delightful & fun for ALL AGES!

It's been a great year for wonderfully creative and beautifully made and acted movies from Inception to Scott Pilgrim, we've been blessed with many genre bending films in mainstream movies this year, however, How to Train Your Dragon should be placed near the top of the heap of great movies that have come to pass in 2010.

No it's not a genre bending mashup of si-fi and thriller like Inception or Horror-and slap-stick comedy like Splice, but it is one of the most heartfelt movies to come along in many years. You all know the story, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) the village screwup in a viking village is a continuous thorn in the side of his father Stoic (Gerard Butler), who of course is the clan leader and the perfect example of what a viking should be, whereas Hiccup is his sickly polar opposite. The problem that both of these men face is that Dragons invade and steal their crops and live stock on a nightly basis and it's happened for generations, as long as the Vikings have been there, the dragons have been there.

I know it's a very simple premise, but what really works here is the acting, all the characters are cast perfectly and they all hungrily and feverously play their roles to perfection, especially America Ferrera, whom gracefully and literally becomes Hiccups love interest Astrid.

Ferrera is one-uped, however, by none other than Toothless, the Night Fury Dragon who is captured by Hiccup. Toothless is quite literally the most lovable onscreen pet ever, once be becomes comfortable with Hiccup he becomes much like a cat, and behaves like your everyday domestic pet, and that entails the arch of the movie, it is truly a marvel to watch. Not to mention the best use of 3D in a film all year and that includes Avatar.

If it weren't for Toy Story 3 this movie would top my list of best movies from 2010, I recommend this movie to absolutely everybody, because thats was the intended audience for this film and it succeeds and surpasses those very high standards with "Flying" colors.

This story seems like the same old same old, nerd has a superhero for a dad, is the joke of the village, wants the most beautiful girl...but the lesson in the movie is a surprise. The main characters name is Hiccup, he's an inventor and everyone in the village makes fun of him. He's too skinny, he's too literal, he doesn't seem to want to follow in his dad's footsteps. But when one of his inventions takes down a legend, and no one believes him, then he sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. Like the first Shrek movie, which had a lesson of "no matter how you feel about yourself, someone thinks your beautiful." How to Train Your Dragon, had a message of don't make assumptions because what you thought you knew, isn't always the truth. Or better yet, Make up your own mind,follow your own path and don't let others choose your path for you. Adults and children, young and old, will like this movie. It'll make you laugh, cry, smile. You'll love it if you give it a chance. My 5 year old gives it 5 thumbs up and watches it everytime she can sneak it in the dvd player.

How to Train Your Dragon by DreamWorks Animation is a beautifully written with tons of excitement you would come to expect from a excellent rated film. Our family and friends could not get enough of this animated feature when it hit the box office in March 2010 and we were not the only ones. This box office smash stayed in the theaters for months past its expected run time. Adults and kids alike enjoyed the fire-breathing action!

How to Train you Dragon gets two thumbs up for awesome display of animation, music and characters that have also sold out in stores in record time. Hiccup and Nightfury (aka toothless) is as close to Lilo and Stitch by example.
A heart warming message of acceptancing differences, placing aside judgement and seeing the world differently given a chance.

From Dreamworks entertainment comes this animated feature film about a boy who is not like the other kids and becomes friends with a dragon while all the other kids are learning to kill dragons.

The movie is just long enough to keep your attention through the entire film. There is not much violence and what there is, is quite toned down as to actually be funny at times.

This is a great movie that will teach kids of all ages that there are alternatives to violence being the only answer to life's problems.

Actors and their voice characters are: Jay Baruchel, Hiccup; Gerard Butler, Stoick; Craig Ferguson, Gobber; America Ferrera, Astrid; Jonah Hill, Snotlout; Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Fishlegs; T.J. Miller, Tuffnut; Kristen Wiig, Ruffnut; Robin Atkin Downes, Ack; Philip McGrade, Starkard; Kieron Elliott, Hoark the Haggard; Ashley Jensen, Phlegma the Fierce;

The movie should be enjoyed by anyone who watches it, especially if they can watch it with their kids.

Highly recommended children's movie.