Review: How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Some people have the frankly ridiculous idea that animated films can only be enjoyed by children. Those people have clearly never seen this film, or its sequels.

How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 film based on the book of the same name by Cressida Cowell. It was followed by two sequels and several cartoon series.

I hadn't even heard of the books when I first watched this film. All I saw was "dragon" in the title, and thought it might be worth watching. Before any of the characters even appeared I decided I liked it based on the music alone. And before long it became one of my favourite non-Disney films.

As you can probably guess from the title, the film is about a boy who trains a dragon. Well, sort of. That's only part of it. The main character has the improbable name of Hiccup(!), and he lives in a village of Vikings that bear little resemblance to actual Vikings. Not least because they're constantly under attack by dragons. Instead of talking more about the plot, this review will be mostly a rambling list of things I like about the film.

Hiccup's "This is Berk" monologue has gotten so firmly stuck in my head that I could recite it from memory 😄 I especially love "It's located solidly on the meridian of misery". (I've been to a few places that fit that description!)

There's no denying this film has its pretty goofy moments, even during the dragon attack. The teenagers walking in front of a fireball is so over-the-top that it's hilarious. But unlike some films the goofiness doesn't distract from the more serious parts, like Toothless's first appearance. Not even knowing Hiccup will befriend him later makes his attack any less dramatic.

How did Hiccup see Toothless before his next attack? I have to lean reallllllly close to the screen and stare with all my might before I can spot him.

Hiccup and Toothless's first meeting gives me chills even though there's nothing truly frightening about it. (Although Hiccup might disagree!) The way Toothless lunges at Hiccup as soon as he's free is the only potentially scary part of the scene, and even then you just have to look at the film's title to know Hiccup's in no danger. But there's something so eerie about Toothless watching as Hiccup talks about killing him. The music just adds to it.

The music is incredible all through the film. Even if you aren't interested in the film, you should definitely listen to its soundtrack. (Why did it not win an award? 😒)

Astrid and the other teenagers (with the exception of Fishlegs) are my least favourite characters for most of the film. The way they treat Hiccup always makes me furious! At least Astrid becomes more likable later. (In the second film she actually becomes my third-favourite character after Hiccup and Toothless!) Can't say the same for Snotlout or the twins. Or Stoick, for that matter. Good intentions don't excuse the way he ignores Hiccup. And the way he literally brushes him aside after the disastrous fight... 😠

"Forbidden Friendship" is the cutest scene in the film, with some of the best music in an already great score. I love how Toothless watches Hiccup drawing then decides "I'm going to do that too!"

Toothless and Hiccup

I roared with laughter when Hiccup gets dragged along on Toothless's flight 😆 And everything about the dragon training scenes is hilarious when no one can understand how Hiccup knows so much about dragons! To say nothing of the time Astrid almost catches him and Toothless 😆

"Test Drive" is awesome and terrifying 😨 Even when I know they'll be all right, I shudder when Hiccup falls off Toothless. How in the world did Hiccup get them safely through those rocks? *shudders*

Of the two characters I started off disliking and only grew to like later, Astrid only becomes less obnoxious after her flight with Hiccup and Toothless. Stoick takes even longer to undergo character development, but more about that later.

Most of the film is relatively light-hearted. All that changes the minute the Red Death appears. (What's that thing's name? The book calls it the Green Death, but the film's Wikipedia entry calls it the Red Death. As if that's not confusing enough, it isn't green or red.) Not many films manage such a change in tone very well. Not even this one. It has just enough violence beforehand that more violence isn't completely shocking. Yet nothing earlier in the film prepared the viewer for the Red Death's existence, let alone everything that follows. It's not quite as bad as the uneven tone of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but it's jarring.

Things get even more depressing pretty quickly. I cry every time Toothless is captured 😢 And "You're not my son" is the saddest line in the film 😭

Okay, so it's unrealistic that the captive dragons would be willing to let the teenagers ride them after attacking them during training. But it's cool enough that I just don't care 😄

The fight with the Red Death is one of those scenes that are frightening even while they make me cheer. Stoick finally stops being a jerk! Hiccup and Toothless get the Red Death to follow them! They use its own fire-breathing against it! And then it turns into a fireball 😨

The aftermath of the battle is so sad 😭 So is the moment when Hiccup realises what happened to him 😭😭 But then the film practically forgets about this when he discovers Berk is full of dragons. There are two major flaws with the ending. First, we don't get to see much of Hiccup's reaction to losing a leg. Second, Stoick's a jerk for so long that his welcoming all the dragons into the village comes out of nowhere. (Same goes for all the other villagers who suddenly have no problem with this, too.) The mending of his relationship with Hiccup makes sense, but the other part stretches my suspension of disbelief.

In spite of that, I love the film's ending. Hiccup's second "This is Berk" monologue is the perfect way to show how much things have changed since the start. And Hiccup and Toothless flying up into the sky is one of my favourite final scenes of any film!

Obviously the film doesn't stick too closely to the book. For once this is a very good thing. The book is frankly boring. The film definitely isn't. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, dragons, amazing music, or just an enjoyable film -- especially if you think you're too old to watch animated films. It might just change your mind.

Is it available online?: Not as far as I know.

Rating: 9/10.