A Dowminating Movie Review - "How to Train Your Dragon"

You ever hear the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, the same can be said about movies and their titles. When I first heard about this movie, I thought it was going to be some dumb kids’ movie. I mean, common, just look at the title. It screams “KIDS MOVIE! All Adults who like their movies to have a thing called a plotline STAY AWAY!” Well, after seeing a few previews, I thought it probably would be a decent movie to go and see. I figured I would at least get a few laughs and be somewhat entertained. I could not have been more wrong.

“How to Train Your Dragon” is a heartwarming story of a young Viking named Hiccup who wants nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a great dragon slayer. There is only one problem; he is the scrawniest misfit that makes all other misfits look good. One night, while his village is being attacked, he manages to use an invention of his to shoot down a dragon. The rest of the village doesn’t believe Hiccup, so goes out on his own to track down his prize. However, when he finds the beast, he is unwilling to kill it, so he sets it free. This act of kindness results in a series of events where he eventually befriends the dragon. As a result of this unusual friendship, Hiccup comes to question everything that he and his village know about Dragons.

I would have to say that the 3D animation in this movie is very well done and probably the best 3D experience I have ever had. If "Avatar" set the bar or 3D movies, "Dragon" just set it even higher. The 3D experience in “Avatar” I felt at times could be overwhelm with all of the stunning graphics. “Dragon” managed not only to make you feel like you were in the action, but did it in a way that you were not overwhelmed by it all. "Dragon" also didn’t fall into the classic 3D pitfall of throwing lots of things at the camera, and whenever they did, it seemed like it was something that should have happened that way, like flying though a fire-burst or having an attacking dragon coming at you,

Also, the flight scenes of this movie were absolutely breathtaking and were my favorite parts of the whole experience. They are probably the most well animated segments of the movie, and when you add the 3D aspect of the movie to them, you are left with just this feeling of awe, wonder, and the longing to know how to fly.

Another great aspect of this movie is the action. Vikings are not known for their peaceful ways, and this movie has just the right amount of action for its story. The action in this move serves a real purpose to the story and in character development. These scenes have some of the best character development you could ask for in an action scene. You get to know some of the other characters who don’t get a lot of screen time very well here, and those you do see throughout the movie, the action helps you get to know them even better.

One other amazing thing about this movie is the soundtrack. As a lover of music, I set a very high standard for the soundtracks of movies. After all, a soundtrack can make or break a movie. John Powell did a wonderful job in making the music for this movie fit. It blends in very well with the scenes and sounds amazing. You are not aware of the music that is playing, yet if the music were not there, you would know that something was missing. It is one of the better movie soundtracks and does its job of complementing and completing the movie.

Overall, I would say that this is easily the best movie to have come out so far this year. This movie is very much worth, and would even go as far to say that it should only be seen in 3D. It has everything one could want in an animated movie: absolutely AMAZING visuals, great action, a very well thought out and funny story, and a little bit of guy gets girl. This movie has set the bar that all movies to come out this year will be very hard pressed to match, let alone overcome. So, what are you waiting for? Stop reading this and go see “How to Train Your Dragon” if you haven’t already. And if you have seen it, then go see it again. It's worth it.