How to Train Your Dragon

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“How to Train Your Dragon” – something everybody would want to learn, especially if one could train a Night Fury. Set in the mythical world of muscular Vikings and almighty dragons, this animated comedic action movie narrates about how the unlikely friendship between a Viking teenager, Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and a dragon changes his life (Dragon, 2010).

The main setting of this movie is the island Berk, home of the Viking warriors for seven generations. They are tough and every one of them is dedicated to one thing; killing the evil, destructive dragons which would raid their food and burn their buildings every now and then. It does not take us very long to learn that Hiccup does not exactly fit in with his heroic dragon slayers clan. Quote his dad, Stoick the Vast (Gerald Butler) who is also the Viking chief, “from the moment he could crawl, Hiccup has been different” (Dragon, 2010). In our modern era, Hiccup would probably lead an Internet-start up or even be the next Steve Jobs (Sharkey, 2010). Unfortunately, in the world that clearly values brawn over brain, Hiccup’s intelligence and sharp observations have no place in his society.

The directing team of “How to Train Your Dragon”, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, who have also shaped “Lilo and Stitch” and “Mulan” amazingly, sure know how to tell a great animated action film. The spectacular opening salvo between the dragons and Vikings that follows after immediately let the audiences understand the strained relationship the former two share all these years (Sharkey, 2010).

Ten minutes into the movie, DeBlois and Sanders have told us all we need to know to get the real plot going. Being the outcast is difficult. Hiccup has it even more so being the son of the Vikin...

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As great as this movie is, “How to Train Your Dragon” still has room for improvement. Although there is a book which lists the entire dragon species in Berk, the movie really only shows a few common ones the Vikings fight and use for training the recruits. Also, there is only one Night Fury throughout the movie which sometimes makes one wonder if Toothless is the last of its species but for most part, “like the mythical dragons at the heart of this tale, this movie soars” (Sharkey, 2010).

Bibliography

DeBlois, & Sanders (Directors). Arnold (Producers) (2010). How To Train Your Dragon.

Loring, A. (2010, April 20). Retrieved January 25, 2012, from http://gordonandthewhale.com/soundtrack-review-how-to-train-your-dragon/

Sharkey, B. (2010, March 26). Retrieved January 23, 2012, from http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/26/entertainment/la-et-dragon26-2010mar26

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