Directors: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson
Hiccup (Baruchel), a young Viking living in the island village of Berk, has a problem; he's never going to get a date unless he kills a dragon, the number one pest in the area. But his stoic father, um, Stoick (Butler), village leader and general badass, won't let him near a battle, due to his clumsiness and feeble frame. One night, Hiccup manages to sneak out and, using a device of his own, downs a dragon. Elated, Hiccup trudges through the woods, finds the entangled dragon. . . but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon (Who he names "Toothless"), form a bond that transcends the gulf between their species. But will their newfound friendship be enough to bring this destructive conflict to an end?
Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois are the writer/directors of one of my favorite films of the last decade, Lilo & Stitch, so I was really excited to see their follow-up film. Immediately following Stitch, they had been working on a movie called American Dog for Disney, before being shit-canned by John Lasseter (The bits and pieces of that project were eventually turned into Bolt). So, Dreamworks being the next best option, off they went. Up until a year ago, Dreamworks animation was a mark of shame (Sorry, Shrek fans!), but Kung Fu Panda was, against all odds, actually good, and this shit takes the company to a whole 'nother level.
I first watched this upon original release, in IMAX 3-D. I'm not a member of the Cult Of 3-D, but let me tell you; the effects in this were mind-blowing. Best 3-D I've ever seen, hands down. When Hiccup is riding on Toothless over the ocean, soaring and tumbling through the clouds, I had a true sense of vertigo and exhilaration. When the characters are walking through the woods, I felt like I could reach out and grab a vine, swinging away like Tarzan.
So, I was a little nervous to watch it on video. I don't have one of those giant TVs. Would it still hold up? Thankfully, I loved it just as much the second time. The story, while predictable, is compelling. The characters are distinctive and lovable (Side characters are voiced by such talents Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse). The dragon designs are diverse, cute and terrifying. Toothless looks like a cross between a salamander and a panther; other dragons look like warthogs, Zilla, and several other things.
The vikings look cartoonish, as if they bulked up at the Rob Liefeld School of Bodybuilding, but that's the whole point; there's no "Robert Zemekis Uncanny Valley Effect" here. The environments, however, often look extremely realistic and "lived-in". The lighting effects are amazing, and legendary DP Roger Deakins acts as a Visual Consultant here, in the same capacity that he worked on Pixar's WALL-E. John Powell's score is equally impressive, utilizing bag-pipes and sweeping, highlands sounds to transport you to a far-away land.
I also like that the characters aren't modeled after the actors that portray them. That's not an uncommon thing in animation, particularly with past Dreamworks efforts, and always seemed a bit lazy. Some may take offense that they found a way to turn America Ferrera into a blond-haired, blue-eyed twig, but I find it refreshing that they've stretched their imagination enough to feature Minz-Plasse as a gigantic warrior.
It has a good message about cross-cultural tolerance, forgiveness of past sins, and looking outside of ones own culture for answers. It has fantastic action scenes, and the animation prowess to back them up. It has a humorous and exciting script, with characters who you'll want to spend more time with. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to a sequel. I was originally going to give this a "Great" review, but, upon rewatch. . .
FREDERICK OPINES: MASTERPIECE
Buy it through Blunderbuss! How to Train Your Dragon (Single Disc Edition)
How to Train Your Dragon Blu Ray (Single Disc Blu-Ray 2010)
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