by Daniela
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Year: 2010
DreamWorks Animation has been breathing down the necks of
Disney with their animated features but some of them can just miss the mark. In
case you aren’t too familiar with DreamWorks films, this is the studio behind
Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and of course,
How to Train Your Dragon. It’s no wonder they’ve expanded the franchise
with a television series, a stage show and more sequels to come because well…
it’s that good!
The plot is unlike anything audiences have seen and it has
continuously been praised for its originality and I have to agree. How to Train Your Dragon is based off the book
series by Cressida Cowell. It follows the story of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), a
young Viking who is the son of the chief, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), of
their Viking village. Hiccup has always wanted to make his father proud by
killing a dragon but in reality his attempts usually end in disaster. He
encounters an injured Toothless, a Nightfury dragon, and quickly realises that
he doesn’t have the heart to kill him. Instead he studies him and using his own
inventions gets Hiccup to fly again. Using his new knowledge of dragons he
hopes to teach his father and the rest of the Vikings that they can co-exist
with dragon-kind but not everyone is eager to accept that these creatures are
innocent.
Hiccup doesn't need a magic carpet.
As far as Vikings go, Hiccup is far from your stereotypical
menacing Viking. He’s scrawny, intelligent yet incredibly awkward and also
pulls off sarcasm really well. Let me take a moment to say, wow did puberty
treat him well… (the teaser for the sequel, am I right?). Then you have
Toothless, his right-hand… dragon. I fell in love with Toothless when Hiccup
begins training him. There’s something about giving other animals/creatures
dog-like characteristics that animated films are really pulling off. Toothless
is adorable to say the least and an incredibly loyal friend to Hiccup thus
making them the perfect pair. The iconic moment where Toothless allows Hiccup
to touch him starts off an amazing sequence where you begin to see the relationship
between the two develop. From the moment they begin to make a connection to
their first flight, the audience is completely on their side. Also, please tell
me I wasn’t the only one singing A Whole New World in my head when Hiccup takes
Astrid (America Ferrera) on a flight on Toothless?
The animation in this movie is outstanding. One look at how
all the facial hair in this film moves and you will be as convinced as I am. Yes,
I’m talking about those majestically moving beards. It doesn’t stop at the
mesmerising facial hair, the attention to detail is on point. The different
textures on the Viking outfits are good examples here with the fur and the
leather looking and moving so realistically. One thing that I thought was
amazing was the attention to detail on the dragons. The scales on Toothless are
so beautifully done that you’ll want to reach out and feel for yourself. From the clips of the sequel that I have
seen, DreamWorks has gone onwards and upwards with their details and it pays
off. Yes, I may have possibly noticed that little bit of stubble on Hiccup’s
chin.
To top it all off the score is pretty much perfect. It’s
emotive, suspenseful and complements the scenes brilliantly. I often use
Pandora and let me tell you, I never skip any parts of the How to Train Your
Dragon score when it plays on my radio stations. Forbidden Friendship and Test
Drive are my personal favourites and are probably my favourite scenes in the
movie. Test Drive shows the result of the friendship the two have developed
through their first flight together and is uplifting in probably one of the
early turning points in the film. It’s energetic and builds up to the amazing
moment where Hiccup and Toothless soar through the clouds and over the island
of Berk. Battling the Green Death is heavy and intense as the song title
suggests. It’s suspenseful and heavily charged and gives off a video-game boss
battle kind of vibe. John Powell, I salute you! It completely deserved the
Academy Award nomination.
Overall, it’s an amazing movie that should have other
animation studios shaking in their boots. But truthfully, I have been
struggling with rating it. Although I rave about it, it’s not a movie that I
reach for often. In saying that, everytime I do watch it I absolutely love it!
Yet, I’m just not compelled to watch it as much as other movies. With that
being said, I’m looking forward to seeing what DreamWorks has in store for its
latest big franchise. I’ve still yet to see the sequel but rest assured I WILL
SEE IT. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want a Toothless of their own?
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