If you ask any kid what the best exotic pet to have is, they would probably answer with something like a snake or a lizard. These kids would be on the right path, but according to Dreamworks' new film, ""How to Train Your Dragon,"" when it comes to reptilian pets, the bigger the better.
The film centers around a young boy named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel, ""She's Out of My League"") who is determined to do whatever it takes to become a viking warrior. He is the son of the viking chief (Gerard Butler, ""300"") in Berk, but Hiccup is one of the smartest and meekest vikings in his village. In an effort to fit in, he attempts to fight the dragons that terrorize his village, using his personally-invented weapons. Surprisingly for Hiccup, his efforts lead to a take down of the most mysterious dragon known. From here, Hiccup develops a curious friendship with his new dragon pet, affectionately named Toothless.
Set in a wondrous world of endless ocean horizons, fog-covered mountains and mystical flying beasts, the film's animation is superb. Careful attention is given to the characters' emotional expressions, appearances and even minor details like the hair on their arms, in order to make them appear more life-like. Also, any expectation the film cannot fulfill visually, it makes up for in character details.
Hiccup is not a warrior. He's an awkward geek completely devoid of brute strength, but endowed with more compassion than he could ever imagine being useful.
On his first high-altitude flight with Toothless, Hiccup brings a cheat sheet along so he can remember how to operate the harness he constructed. His attempt at trying to hold on to a piece of paper and fly at the same time are horribly unsuccessful, putting him in a dangerous situation as he speeds through the air like a jet towards a large narrow cavern. At that moment, in a split-second decision, Hiccup lets go of the paper and boldly attempts to navigate on his own with only adrenaline and gut instinct to guide him. Action scenes like this, which are full of stupid and courageous decisions, bring not only Hiccup, but also Toothless, to life.
While there are significantly more positives than negatives to ""How to Train Your Dragon,"" it isn't a perfect film. It's not as ironically heart-warming as films like ""Wall-E,"" nor is it as funny as movies like ""Shrek."" Dreamworks may be looking for another franchise-spawning comedy, but it seems unlikely that ""Dragon"" will be it. The jokes are corny and don't spark a laugh when they're used a second or even third time around.
Regardless, these minor flaws hardly outweigh the film's composition as a whole. With a modest runtime of only 98 minutes, it could have easily ended up with flat characters and a painfully rushed storyline, but the film managed to achieve the exact opposite. The pacing is perfect, the voice acting is well done and the Celtic soundtrack enhances the film's atmosphere.
With a movie this well put together, there's no need to pass it up just because it's targeted at kids. ""How to Train Your Dragon"" is a feel-good movie people of all ages should consider seeing.
