Here’s an
animation that no one saw coming. This DreamWorks adaptation, loosely based on
the book of the same name by Cressida Cowell, was a stunner. It was nominated
for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards but lost to Toy Story 3 (2010).
It stands out in memory as one of the best things to see in 2010, just because
the plot is very different.
What makes this
animation so good is the way the screenwriters crafted the journey. We get to
see the young lead, Hiccup, try to tame a dragon. The comedy in his trials and
the intelligence he brings to the table make his life fun to watch and the
animation truly memorable.
Being both a critical and commercial success, this movie spawned two sequels,
which were not as amazing as this first one. In 2014, we had How
to Train Your Dragon 2 and five years later, How
to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, to complete a trilogy.
Hiccup is a Viking, and his father is the chief of their hometown, Berk. The village is regularly attacked by dragons that raid livestock and destroy buildings. The people of Berk are dragon hunters, but Hiccup isn’t allowed to join the hunt because, compared to the other men, he’s considered too small and weak.
Hiccup is a
blacksmith’s apprentice, and he uses this opportunity to create machines to
catch and kill dragons. One day, he manages to shoot down a Night Fury, but no
one believes him. He decides to go look for it and finds the creature trapped.
Instead of killing the dragon, Hiccup sets it free because he can’t bring
himself to take its life.
The next time
Hiccup returns to the spot where he freed the Night Fury, he finds the dragon
still there. During their earlier encounter, Hiccup had torn the dragon’s tail
fin, leaving it unable to fly. Hiccup designs a prosthetic fin that works with
him in control, allowing him to mount the dragon.
The chief puts
Hiccup to the test, challenging him to fight and kill a dragon in front of
everyone. Hiccup subdues the dragon without violence, trying to prove that
dragons are peaceful creatures. His father isn’t convinced, and that, ladies
and gentlemen, is when the animation truly takes flight.
To find out what
happens next, you’ll have to take the time to watch this movie—and I beg you,
see the whole trilogy. They’re worth owning.
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