“How to Train Your Dragon” could have easily been the story of the lonely teenage Viking whose cutesy pet dragon helps his heart soar &mdash or some kiddie nonsense that would have made anyone under the age of five groan.
Instead, DreamWorks follows the intelligent, witty story-telling that its rival Pixar has been following since “Toy Story” first premiered in theaters.
The village of Berk has a problem: Dragons raid their flocks of sheep and cause damage after nightfall. Because of the “pest” problem, the Vikings declare war on the mythical creatures and search for the dragons’ nest in an attempt to exterminate the problem. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the son of Berk’s chief, dreams of being a fearsome dragon-hunter like his father but is more puny and level-headed than a Viking should be.
In an attempt to prove himself, Hiccup shoots down a rare dragon called a Nightfury during a battle, but his story is quickly dismissed by the rest of the tribe. Hiccup later ventures into the woods to find the felled dragon and kill it.
Once he discovers the dragon, he is no longer able to go through with his plan and sets it free. As time goes by, Hiccup and the dragon, which he names Toothless, become friends despite the animosity their two species hold for each other.
While the plot doesn’t tread new territory with the clash between two groups that misunderstand each other, the storyline handles the subject matter cleverly enough to make the movie original.
The more mature themes of xenophobia and war are handled delicately enough to be appropriate for children but are touched on enough to get viewers thinking.
The script is sharply written and takes enough subtle risks that viewers are surprised by the path the story takes without being blindsided by a random twist.
The humor isn’t based in idiotic fart jokes or pop culture references no one will remember in 10 years; the dialogue is witty, and the comedy is organic to the world of the script. The more emotional moments are well-written and never sappy or stilted.
As the characters in the movie develop, they become more sympathetic without becoming cookie-cutter heroes. The weight of the movie is carried by Hiccup and Toothless’ friendship, and though the two characters are loyal to each other, it never feels like the movie is over dramatizing their relationship.
The animation is stunning and the flight scenes are enough to make anyone jealous of Hiccup’s world. When the characters display emotions, the rendering of tiny facial expressions enhance the high-quality voice acting done by the entire cast. The details of the dragons and the differences between each species give credibility to the landscape of the film and truly make the world come alive.
The more emotionally complex and mature story-telling of “How to Train Your Dragon” shows DreamWorks is capable of finding a voice that speaks to not just children, but teenagers and adults as well.