Plot: A Viking boy named "Hiccup" lives in a village that routinely gets raided by flying, fire-breathing dragons, and the people of the town have become expert at killing dragons as they defend themselves in the raids. Hiccup injuries a dragon, and secretly tames it. Hiccup is ashamed that he has not killed the dragon although the other village kids are learning to kill them. [Minor spoiler] Soon he becomes a Dr. Doolittle/Dragon Whisperer who is able to calm a charging dragon, and leads the village to the movie's climax.
Review: How to Train Your Dragon is a fantasy story made up of a string of interesting scenes that are fun to watch. I don't expect a fantasy story to make sense, but with all the killing in this movie -- it should be a horror film. To keep the tone light the teenage characters have jokey dialog and are never afraid. The characters and their interaction remind me of what the Illiad might have been if Ulyesses's kids were the Power Rangers.
The characters are not well drawn, and directors Dubois & Sanders have given the interaction between the teenage characters a cool, cynical attitude, especially considering that their friends and family are getting devoured routinely by flying dragons. The tone makes the film lighter and more comedic, but this plot problem prevents the movie from being anything more than pretty good.
It is pretty good though. The movie works especially the action scenes. Naturally it has a happy ending with some entertaining scenes of life in the village, and everyone leaves the theater smiling.
Directed by: Dean Dubois and Chris Sanders; based on the novel by Cressida Cowell
Rating: 2.0 flasks; Entertaining, and I am glad I saw it, but no masterpiece.
More: A great use of 3D, and nicely animated. I liked the art direction throughout, especially Stoick's beard.
