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‘How to Train Your Dragon' movie review: Soars smoothly on the wings of the original
There is something about dragons that sets the imagination soaring. The thought of these massive, fire-breathing, sinuous beasts owning the skies is exhilarating. That they seem anatomically close to dinosaurs makes one flirt with the idea of a time when dragons probably owned the earth. It is no surprise, then, that dragons are the mainstay of fantasy.
Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon (2003) told of the adventures of a young Viking boy, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, and his disobedient yet loyal dragon, Toothless. In 2010, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois adapted the series into a charming animated film, How to Train Your Dragon. The film had two sequels in 2014 and 2019 written and directed by DeBlois who returns to writing and direction duties for the live-action remake.
Closely following the animated original (which was only loosely based on the books), How to Train your Dragon begins with Hiccup (Mason Thames) describing his 'sturdy' village, Berk, that has a pest problem. Most places, he explains, have mice or mosquitoes, but 'We have dragons.' We meet the other residents of Berk, including Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), the chieftain and Hiccup's father, and the blacksmith Gobber the Belch (Nick Frost) who Hiccup works with.
How to Train Your Dragon (English)
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gabriel Howell, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Peter Serafinowicz, Nick Frost, Gerard Butler
Run-time: 125 minutes
Story-line: Hiccup, an intelligent Norse inventor, tries desperately to belong to his rough and ready Viking peers till an encounter with a fearsome Night Fury dragon calls for a rethink
Dragons and the people of Berk have been enemies for the longest time, since the dragons are forever eating the livestock and setting fire to their homes. The youngsters of Berk are trained to fight dragons and the one who tops the class gets to kill a dragon before the village. Though Hiccup wants to become a true Viking, he is not as good at fighting as he is at inventing gadgets. When his latest gadget brings down a rare dragon, a Night Fury, no one believes him.
Stoick leaves with a fleet to find the dragons' nest and asks Gobber to train the latest batch at dragon school. Everyone in class including Astrid (Nico Parker), who Hiccup has a crush on, the twins, Ruffnut (Bronwyn James) and Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn), the sneery Snotlout (Gabriel Howell) and Hiccup's best friend, Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), are thrilled to learn the intricacies of subduing dragons.
Hiccup not so much, especially after he learns about dragons from the downed Night Fury, who he names Toothless.
The CGI dragons are eye-popping and Toothless with its bright green eyes and toothy (retractable teeth!) grin is adorable. The flying sequences are breathtaking and take us along a twirling trip on the wings of creativity. The dragons, including the cuddly Gronckle, remind one of rumbustious puppies.
With the lovely visuals and Hiccup's witty voiceover, How to Train Your Dragon makes a compelling case for inclusion and empathy. The cast, led by Butler, who gave voice to Stoick in the animated films, are spot on in a movie that is all round fun.
How to Train Your Dragon is currently running in theatres
