How to Train Your Dragon

2010, Rated PG, 98 minutes, Directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders,  Written by, William Davies, based on the novel by Cressida Cowell, Produced by Kristine Belson & Tim Johnson, Original Music by John Powell

With: Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), Gerard Butler (Stoick), Craig Ferguson (Gobber), America Ferrera (Astrid), Jonah Hill (Snotlout), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs)

For whatever reason, I seem to have developed a June pattern for animated children’s films. I suppose it has something to do with the summer feel and remembering the wonderful days of summer childhood. Whatever the reason may be I had the opportunity to see How to Train Your Dragon in theaters. The movie, which takes place in a land of storied Vikings and mythical dragons, is a mostly entertaining film with great visuals and a decent cast.

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is a scrawny Viking amidst a land of strapping burly Vikings who can lift claymore swords like they are toothpicks. Hiccup does not quite fit in with his counterparts and is relegated to the repair shop with Gobber (Craig Ferguson), a wounded warrior, while the rest of the town fights off the dragon attacks. Hiccup wants to fit in but wherever he goes things always seem to go awry. His dad, Stoick (Gerard Butler), is caught trying to raise his son and be the bold leader of the Viking band. They never seem to connect because Stoicks stories always revolve around slaying dragons whereas Hiccup is relegated to a repair shop. 

There are many types of dragons in this story, but none more feared than the Night Fury. All the other species the Vikings can handle and simply see as a fire breathing nuisance to their way of life; the Night Fury, however instills fear in the heart of every Viking as  it has never been seen but the destruction it wreaks is devastating.

Hiccup manages to secretly down a Night Fury and before he has a chance to inspect his capture, the Viking warriors depart to once again try to find the dragons lair to destroy them once and for all. Hiccup is left home to train with his fellow youths. What would normally be a great source of excitement for him is now a moral dillemma as he fights dragons by day, and nurses his captured Night Fury, who he calls Toothless, by night.

This launches two great parallel stories whose contradiction we see play out in Hiccups character as he tries to decide what to do. This is a great part of the plot line and does a great job of diving into a moral dilemma in a way that children can understand and adults can appreciate. The overall plot is very well done and the story develops into a well crafted three act formula, with each act bringing its own twist. 

The character development in the film is quite substantial as verily every character ends up changing in some way. Most of this development focuses on Hiccup and Toothless of course but there are many other characters who develop quite well on screen both in themselves and how they relate to others. In a movie filled with dragons some of the greatest tension exists between Hiccup and his father. Their attempts at conversation are comical but at the same time sad as the father and son are simply missing each other. That does not last throughout the entire film, however, as would be expected. 

The visuals of the film are spectacular. The flying scenes are awesome as the dragon whirls through the clouds with a lush and beautiful landscape below. The dragons themselves are quite spectacular and it was especially exciting to see various species of dragons. Each dragon was based on real animals and each had it’s own very distinctive characteristics that made for great variation onscreen. Paired with the excellent score by John Powell, the scenes transpired with intricate detail, stunning landscapes, and powerful music. 

While the majority of the film was great, one aspect seemed to be particularly lacking in the film: humor. I have come to expect that  animated children’s films, in order to appeal to a mass audience apart from children, will be funny. While How to Train Your Dragon was sometimes slightly humorous, there was very little good integration of funny humor. This is not to say there was absolutely no humor, simply that the jokes were not all that funny as they were often very subtly sarcastic and the repeated again and again (perhaps to make sure everyone got it). Some might claim that I am being too narrow minded and that perhaps the movie is a game changer of the genre. I would respond that it still tries to be funny, it just does not succeed. So while some people may find it humorous, most will not find it the funny that is typical of its type of film. 

All in all, How to Train Your Dragon, is a great film. It has stunning visuals, powerful music and great characters. The story is excellently written in a way that engages young and old. But for whatever reason, I remain hung up on the lack of really funny moments in the film. For me, the comedy significantly detracts from the quality of the film. I enjoyed it, do not get me wrong; I just did not laugh enough to say it was an excellent animated film. It was fun once, and since I do not have any kids I will not have to worry about watching it over and over and over again.

B

Content Advisory

some intense scenes with dragon fights 

Food for thought/discussion

1. Does the story of Hiccup and Toothless and the rest of the village parallel cultural tensions? If so, how?

2. Discuss Stoick’s parenting style. How does it change through the film? Is it for the better?

3. Hiccup has trouble fitting in in his village but by the end is the hero. Does he change himself to win the hearts of the rest of the village or does the village come to appreciate Hiccup for who he is? How does this apply to your own life and personality in society?