Trailers typically do a good job of selling most movies well. Marketing is a powerful tool, evident in occasions when films turn out to be poor despite having awesome trailers. How to Train Your Dragon was the complete opposite case. I saw the trailers in the months leading to its release and wrote it off as a cookie cutter CG animated movie indistinguishable from the dozens Hollywood puts out every year. Thankfully, the film delivered much more than its underwhelming promotional campaign hinted at.
The film tells the story of a young Viking named “Hiccup” who dreams of becoming a dragon slayer like his father and the rest of his tribe. He captures and subsequently befriends a rare dragon, which he dubs “Toothless.” Hijinks ensue as Hiccup learns from Toothless and appears to his people as a master in dragon combat.
No, the film doesn’t break any molds in plot. After the inital set-up, average moviegoers will be able to see where the story is going. But the conventional story doesn’t hinder the film’s pure entertainment value. We’re not watching Dragon for revolutionary narrative storytelling or a complex character study. The filmmakers efficiently establish the setting and its characters and give us a protagonist that is likable and empathetic. We care about Hiccup and his adventure, which is more than can be said for some other films of the same ilk. In addition, there is a general sense of danger that definitely helped the film rise above the forgettable CG animated film of the week.
Jay Baruchel is perfectly cast as the voice of Hiccup. His geeky and anxious nature comes through in his voice acting and helps his character immensely. Also to note is Gerard Butler giving his best post-Leonidas performance. As Stoick, Hiccup’s father, Butler lives up to his name while also providing warmth when necessary.
The animators at Dreamworks must also be given huge credit for their work on Toothless. Despite zero dialogue, Toothless always appears as a believable creature with a mischievous but caring personality via the subtleties imbued in him by the animators. I was often reminded of Pixar’s amazing work in Wall-E when watching Dragon.
And while I’m giving shout-outs, John Powell should be recognized for his music. Powell’s track record is hit or miss; his work on X-Men 3 and Hancock were largely forgettable, but his score for Dragon is memorable and a perfect fit.
How to Train Your Dragon is a reminder of how films can captivate audiences with their magic and charm. To put it even simpler, the movie is just plain fun. The film is well deserving of all of its critical and commercial success and has reinforced the filmgoing lesson I often find myself failing to do, which is to never judge a film by its trailer.
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