Customer Reviews

How to Train Your Dragon (Single-Disc Edition)

5 star:		(504)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

How to Train Your Dragon is the latest from the stable of Dreamworks, but apart from the animation style, you'd never know it.

How to Train Your Dragon is the story of Hiccup, a Viking who feels out of place since he's not a fan of killing the dragons the Viking's world so revolves around in. But, when Hiccup captures the rare Night Fury Dragon and inadvertently injures it, the two become fast friends and attempt to bridge the gap of understanding between the Dragons & the Vikings. It may not sound like much, but things are deeper than they may seem here, and they are 3 reasons you need to go out and watch this movie right now.

1: Casting: Having seen Jay Baruchel as a geeky character in the film Fanboys, this film only solidifies for me the fact that Baruchel makes cliched characters feel real & brings traits out they wouldn't have otherwise, and this fact is very evident here. The same is true for the rest of the cast. In Shrek 2, Larry King was wasted in a long-running and painful transvestite joke. Here, Craig Ferguson is perfect in the role not only because he's Scottish, but he brings the appropriate mix of eccentric leadership needed for the right-hand man of Gerard Butler's character, who is also well cast. The same goes for the rest of the cast with the possible exception of Jonah Hill, who always feels out of place in almost every movie he's in.

2: Visual Effects & 3D: Now this may because the Viking environment hasn't been portrayed much on screen before, but the film is stunningly beautiful, and that's only reinforced by the 3D which is used better than Avatar in some cases, especially in the case of the flying sequences.

3: The Emotion/Uniqueness of the Film in Animation Today: The story gives way to many emotional moments in the film, all of which are played perfectly. And, not to give too much away, but at the end of the film something happens the to main character that was not only shocking to me, since I'd never seen something of its magnitude done in animation period, but to me it was also one of the most tear-jerking moments, especially in relation to what it does to the relationships & similarities between Hiccup & his dragon in the movie.

Overall, how do you train your dragon? With charm, love, understanding, amazing visuals & stunning 3-D flying sequences. This film ranks up there with Pixar's best, and if I had any criticism towards the movie, it would be the fact that it's made by Dreamworks, and with their quality lately, you don't have high expectation entering this film. Nevertheless, How to Train Your Dragon gets a fire-breathing 5 out of 5.

I went with a total of 3 moms and 9 kids to see this movie in the theater last month. Every single one of the 12 of us loved this film, it's cute, heartwarming and a whole lot of fun. From the story of a father trying to know his son (and his son trying to know him) to the boy and beast learning mutual trust, it's full of feel good moments for the adults. From the silly antics to the cheesy jokes, it was full of entertainment for the kiddos.

This is well worth a watch and a great movie to watch with your kids - you won't be bored and the kids will think you're the super cool parent that you are.

Me? I want my own dragon, darn it!

The first Shrek and Kung Fu Panda were both very close to Pixar level in terms of storytelling, but How to Train Your Dragon is the best by far from Dreamworks. The animation is very high in detail, especially in IMAX 3-D, and the characters are not only likeable, but memorable. The main dragon, Toothless, is one of the greatest animated characters in a long time, and like Wall-E, he doesn't even talk. All of the other species of dragons also have unique looks and personalities. The flying sequences here really show the power of 3-D as a tool to put the viewer in the movie, not just a gimmick. I would say it's second only to Avatar when viewed through those funny looking glasses.

This film is more serious in tone than laugh out loud funny, much like the latest from Pixar (UP, Wall-E, etc.), but it does have quite a few laughs that come naturally, not forced. I'm so glad they stayed away from pop culture references. Both kids and parents will love How to Train Your Dragon equally and probably for much different reasons. The only thing that I didn't care for were the first 10 minutes or so. Not that they are bad in any way, but it felt a little rushed. Once the film settles and Hiccup (the boy viking) meets the dragon, everything begins to click. The only other negative is that every kid is going to want a pet dragon for their birthday. Good luck with that!

4 and 1/2 out of 5 stars

Vikings are by all accounts burly, hairy, looming, and fierce, and that's probably just the womenfolk. Hiccup, the movie's sometime narrator, isn't your average tough and brawly Viking. Hiccup happens to be a hapless, noodly-figured, often scorned Viking teenager, and that his father is the intimidating village chief is maybe the sole reason why he isn't kicked more to the curb. Hiccup spends most of his days trying to prove himself to the warrior community. He only keeps on embarrassing himself. He's often relegated to the smithy, indoors and safe as the blacksmith's lowly apprentice.

Hiccup's village sits on a desolate island, and it's a bleak living, made even more arduous by frequent encroachments of ravaging, fire-breathing dragons. Hundreds of years have seen these battle-craving Vikings hunting down these dragons, and Hiccup is expected to step into this manly habit. Except that Hiccup, an outsider and more introspective than most, will sort of accidentally topsy turvy that age-old tradition. But that's only if he makes it thru dragon slaying school. And if he survives his efforts to befriend the elusive Night Fury dragon.

DreamWorks Animation still lags behind Pixar, but HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON goes a ways in garnering street cred for DreamWorks. It's real easy to get behind the story, its themes and philosophies, and the likable central character. The best things - or, rather, my favorite bits - about this film all have to do with Hiccup hanging out with his dragon and incidentally picking up invaluable insights in dealing with dragons. Toothless the Night Fury dragon is awesome and wonderfully expressive. Whenever Toothless springs into action, the film pulses with an exhilarating sense of adventure. These moments are when we're reminded that Toothless may be adorable but he's still very much a formidable presence. The message of tolerance and open-mindedness is naturally integrated into the story, so thankfully this doesn't at all feel like one of those very special Blossom episodes.

The animation is really excellent, with the CG artists opting for more playful, more exaggerated renditions of the human characters and the dragons. The most realistically rendered elements turn out to be the atmospheric land-, sea-, and skyscapes. The dragon flights in this film are as breathtaking as those we saw in AVATAR. It makes me wish I'd seen this in 3D. I don't know why these Vikings have burry Scottish accents, but it does give us a chance to listen to the always funny Craig Ferguson (Gobber), so it's all good. Gerard Butler, who plays Hiccup's bullish father, channels his roaring persona from 300.

So I've got the 2-DVD set. Disc 1 has the feature presentation and the following bonus stuff:

- Audio commentary with Filmmakers Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois, and Bonnie Arnold

- "Viking-Sized Cast" has interviews with the voice actors (00:11:44 minutes long)

- "The Technical Artistry of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON" - a focus on the film's state-of-the-art CG technology (00:10:13)

- "Get Your Game On" previews the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and KUNG FU PANDA WORLD video games

- Trailers to SHREK FOREVER AFTER, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, THE LAST AIRBENDER, and the upcoming MEGAMIND

- The trailer to and a Behind the Scenes segment on SHREK THE MUSICAL

The second DVD offers the fun animated short, LEGEND OF THE BONEKNAPPER DRAGON. It runs at around 16 minutes long. Taking place some time after the events in the film, this one tells of how the blacksmith Gobber, Hiccup and his young Viking friends embark on a quest across the icy seas for the mythical Boneknapper dragon. But they end up stranded on a barren rock formation. This short also features moments of old school 2D animation (whenever Gobber is flashing back to one of his rather far-fetched stories). My biggest beef with this short: Toothless is barely in this one.

Bonus material for this second DVD:

- 3 Deleted Scenes from the feature film, done in rough storyboard sketches, with intros from Director/Co-Writer Dean DeBlois (total running time: 00:07:34 minutes)

- "The Story Behind the Story" presents an interview with HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON author Cressida Cowell (00:07:40 minutes)

- ""Racing for the Gold" is a fun, quick, animated peek into four categories within the Viking Winter Games (bobsledding, speed skating, ski jumping, and snowboarding) and also the medal ceremony for that greatest of Viking sports, Dragon Training (the top medal is made out of ham)

- Animator Gabe Hordos instructs on "How to Draw Toothless" (00:10:57)

- "Take the Viking Personality Test" - Take a multiple-choice survey to learn which of the characters in the film you're most like

- "DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox" allows you to click on songs from previous DreamWorks animated flicks: "I'm a Believer" (SHREK), "I Like To Move It, Move It" (MADAGASCAR), "Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting" (KUNG FU PANDA), "Rockin' the Suburbs" (OVER THE HEDGE), and "Here Comes the Sun" (BEE MOVIE)

- "Dragon Activity Center" - Insert this DVD into your PC and access the following DVD-ROM activities: "Build Your Own Dragons" (construct a life-size Toothless, a 3D Gronckle, a 3D Terrible Terror, and a 3D Night Fury) and "Viking Zone" (a peek at Viking Accessories, Viking & Dragon Masks, Flashlight Patterns, Growth Chart, Coloring Pages, and Stickers)

It seems as if our family spends more time deciding what movie we want to rent than actually *watching* the movie once we decide. But finding this one new to Amazon's video on demand was a no-brainer - and the quickest decision for "movie night" that we've ever made.

We saw this movie multiple times as a family in the theater (never in 3D, because that's just not that important to us) and tonight's viewing was on Amazon's VOD in HD on my Sony Bravia. What a *fantastic* experience (better than the theater!) and the movie is simply one of the best movies our family has seen in a number of years. Incredible story, exciting, funny - and absolutely beautiful. Oh, and the music was perfect. Sweeping, melodic and memorable.

Probably the biggest compliment I could pay this movie was the fact that in no way was it "dumbed down" or formulaic for a family movie. Too many movies of late are too predictable with their obligatory stupid jokes insults. This movie was above that. It was surprising and creative - with a very witty and well-thought-out script.

My only complaint is that the trailer for this movie (at least the one we saw when it was being advertised for the theaters) didn't do it justice. So we didn't initially jump to see it. But we've more than made up for it with the multiple viewings since.

Kudos to Amazon for making this available in HD and in *fantastic* quality.

(for you geeks out there like me, the encoding on this was among the best I've seen in my streaming experience - absolutely stunning, limited artifacts except for some of the solid color scenes). OK, enough geek speak. :-)

First of all, I've never actually read the book this movie was based on. Does that matter? In my opinion, not at all. I'll be fourteen next month and I loved, loved, loved this movie. I went in expecting it to be 'nice' and such, but I came out in love! I sincerely felt for the characters, (dragons included!) unlike some of today's biggest films. (Hello, Avatar? I could care less.) I know the plot isn't that original, but it felt fesh and kept me enchanted. I loved the world Dreamworks created. Contrary to what some people are saying, I didn't feel like Hiccup was too witty and had 'a juno-esque feel' to him at all. Additionally, I can't even comprehend why some people are complaining about violence. Great movie!

"How to Train Your Dragon" is a fantasy adventure film from DreamWorks Animation. Unlike hilarious "Shrek" (I'm talking about the first one), the company's new computer animated film does not rearrange or subvert the genre's conventions much. Instead, with the straightforward narrative suitable for the material, "How to Train Your Dragon" tells a good story in a compelling way; in short, thrilling actions, likable characters and great animation.

Set in the Viking village of Berk, the story begins with a young boy Hiccup (voice by Jay Baruchel, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"), who wants to be a real warrior, despite his obvious lack of skills, if not courage. One night, during the dragons' attacks on his village, Hiccup sets out to fight on his own with a weapon of his own making though his father and village leader Stoick (Gerard Butler) orders him to stay inside. Hiccup's reckless action results in the friendship between him and a wounded dragon the Night Fury or "Toothless."

The story takes an unexpected turn when Hiccup realizes that dragons "have to" raid the village. The film is orthodox in its storytelling - a son who wants to impress his father, a feisty girl who wants to prove herself, rivalry and romance between them, etc. - but with the well-drawn characters you relate to, the film is never boring. Also, the film's exciting aerial sequences should not be missed.

"How to Train Your Dragon" is directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, a team known for their joyful Disney animation film "Lilo & Stitch." The film adaptation of "How to Train Your Dragon" is exactly what you expect from the creators of those two lovable characters. Enjoy the ride.

The movie itself I loved. I'd seen the film in theaters and just had to have it, so I bought the 2 disc combo pack; I now regret it.
I was under the impression that the second disc was bonus materials and a second short film by Dreamworks. Instead I spent more time then I'd like to say just trying to find the menu on the second disc and finally found no second film and some really weak bonus features.

I'm left with a second disc of no value. I recommend that the 2 disc combo be avoided for this film. Don't get me wrong I loved the movie, just stick to the single disc. This second disc isn't worth the extra money.

All the other reviewers said it all. I 'm just glad I got off my 60yr old duff and joined my wife and daughter to catch this last night. I wasn't going to go, being this was just another animated film. Boy, was I wrong! It held my attention throughout the nearly 100min. My daughter is an art school graduate and love the film on many levels, including the technical perspectives and approaches. Both her and her mom will sit through the closing credits, as they did last night.


Okay, we ducked in the Borders before they closed and latched onto the soundtrak. Today the Art of Training your own dragon. The DVD when it comes out.

I felt like I was flying with that kid. I felt the adventure. I needed the boost and the escape.

We are helping our daughter realize her dreams. Us, movies like this help us to recapture our dreams

All of you folks that got something out of this movie, never give up on your dreams. And let your kids teach you to fly dragons.

First of all I consider myself a loyalist to the Walt Disney Company. I've had a year pass to Disneyland for a while. I even worked for the studio for a bit. However, this is the first time I've felt like DreamWorks Animation was acting as competition for Disney/Pixar.

How to Train Your Dragon is a great film. It doesn't include the usual fart and bathroom humor jokes that are usually found in the DreamWorks movies. There is actual conflict, you like the characters because it's a heartfelt movie. There is a drama, comedy and beautiful landscapes. The characters are likable without being over the top obnoxious. I once heard that Pixar films are for the child in every adult and that DreamWorks films are for the adult in every child. That mostly reverenced the irreverent humor that kids didn't quite understand, but liked to repeat. I think this film changes the game for DreamWorks Animation. Bravo to DreamWorks!

As far as the Blu-Ray goes, it gets straight to the point. There are not a lot of things that force you to watch for 5 straight minutes (Shrek 2 DVD anyone?) before you can get to the feature presentation. It's easy to navigate and the compression on the film is beautiful. There are some good special features, but I haven't spent a lot of time watching them because we've been watching the film over and over again.

I challenge you to buy the film and not like it. It's close to impossible.