How to Train Your Dragon

[Pheidippides]

Usually, I treat animated films made by Dreamworks in the same way I would a dead sewer rat: I'll pay you to keep it away from me. I saw all the promos for How to Train Your Dragon during the Olympics and was decidedly going to pass on this one as well.

Enter my almost-four-year-old son. Somehow he found out about this movie and begged to go see it. I saw the good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and figured I'd give it a chance. So I took my two oldest to the theater this afternoon, managed to get popcorn and sodas without giving up my firstborn (I am in the market for some prosthetic limbs now), and sat back and watched.

I went in hoping for no more than two fart jokes. When I got was far, far better. Well crafted. Imaginative. Creative dialog. Nicely paced. Foreshadowing that wasn't especially ham-handed. And if the themes weren't exactly staggeringly unique (like Up or Wall-E), they were well done.

I liked this enough that I am considering taking my wife (who did not see it today) to see it next Friday - without the kids.

[wuapinmon]

I'll second this, it was far better than I expected, and that animation of the dragon's eye when he's deciding whether or not to kill it perfectly captures the look of an animal that knows it's about to be slaughtered. There was fear there, and that was art.

Good kids' movie.

[Pheidippides]

I'll second this, it was far better than I expected, and that animation of the dragon's eye when he's deciding whether or not to kill it perfectly captures the look of an animal that knows it's about to be slaughtered. There was fear there, and that was art.

Good kids' movie.

Agreed. Although the eyes didn't remind me when you slaughter animals so much as when you are trying to train a horse and you have it terrified of something or other. The parallels between HTTYD and The Black Stallion have already been drawn, of course.

I think studios are starting to take cues from Pixar and have the great animation (or 3d in this case) as merely an aside. Good movies, animated or otherwise, are not driven by visuals (are you listening, Michael Bay?).

[TripletDaddy]

I've heard nothing but positive reviews from people of all ages. I think I will go see it, as well

[Pheidippides]

I've heard nothing but positive reviews from people of all ages. I think I will go see it, as well

SHW and I are going to see it - sans kids - in IMAX on Friday.

It was exceptionally well done. As I said above, the story is familiar and not new from a macro level, but the micro level is where it really shines. And the dialog seems to avoid every cliched pitfall and take the path less traveled when it has the opportunity.

I knew this was going to be a different film when, in the beginning sequence, the misunderstood protagonist talks about how his dad doesn't understand him with his dad's friend. This is the part where the adult says that it's what's inside that counts and his dad would see that. Instead, the adult tells the kid that it's what's inside that his dad can't stand (it was less harsh than it sounds, btw.).

One word of warning: it is a bit violent at the beginning for some preschool kids. My kids are chips off the ol' block so my 3 year old had no problem with it, but I can see littler kids getting scared. The Puffy Check should be fine.

[Slim]

Took my 3 year old on opening weekend. I hate most animated films but we all liked this one.

Can I just say that I can't believe they made another Toy Story and another Shrek. Those are really dumb movies in my opinion.

[Pheidippides]

Took my 3 year old on opening weekend. I hate most animated films but we all liked this one.

Can I just say that I can't believe they made another Toy Story and another Shrek. Those are really dumb movies in my opinion.

I like Toy Story and Toy Story 2, but they are a step down from the great Pixars. Shrek was forgettable in all its forms. I won't bother with whatever Shrek is coming out, and Toy Story 3 I am eying with skepticism (usually I give Pixar the benefit of the doubt). TS3 will have to be really good to be better than HTTYD.

[SteelBlue]

I took my kids to see this yesterday and it was a huge hit. I was wondering if my 3 year old would keep the glasses on for the whole movie and she made it within 30 seconds of completing the movie without a complaint.

[Pheidippides]

I took my kids to see this yesterday and it was a huge hit. I was wondering if my 3 year old would keep the glasses on for the whole movie and she made it within 30 seconds of completing the movie without a complaint.

Lol, mine too. I was worried about the same thing when I decided to go in 3-D. The glasses looked hilarious on him - a giant oversized Buddy Holly look.

[wuapinmon]

Lol, mine too. I was worried about the same thing when I decided to go in 3-D. The glasses looked hilarious on him - a giant oversized Buddy Holly look.

We didn't see it in 3D; we went to our in-town $2 per person theater (constructed circa 1932--no lie). My wife and I were talking earlier that it would probably be great in 3D, but not $10 per person great.

[Green Lantern]

Can I just say that I can't believe they made another Toy Story and another Shrek. Those are really dumb movies in my opinion.

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinions.

Unless of course your opinion is that TOY STORY is a "dumb movie," in which case you are entitled only to be ignored in future movie discussions.

[PaloAltoCougar]

As I mentioned in another thread, I liked the movie a lot. While I was enjoying the reactions of my 8- and 5-year old grandkids, I was wishing I lived nearer to them or ParrotHead's daughter so that I would have an excuse to go to such movies more often.

[Donuthole]

Finally took my daughter to see this on Saturday. It was great, living up to all the hype, IMO. Also, I think I enjoyed looking over and watching her reactions as much as I enjoyed the movie.

[Pheidippides]

Finally took my daughter to see this on Saturday. It was great, living up to all the hype, IMO. Also, I think I enjoyed looking over and watching her reactions as much as I enjoyed the movie.

I missed the part in the end where

Spoiler for spoiler:

it's revealed that Hiccup lost a leg in the fight with the Big Mama Dragon

the first time I saw it, due to an emergency bathroom break. I think that little bit was bold but made the movie even better.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Finally took my daughter to see this on Saturday. It was great, living up to all the hype, IMO. Also, I think I enjoyed looking over and watching her reactions as much as I enjoyed the movie.

This is always my favorite part of kids movies.