While I had seen many previews for How to Train Your Dragon, it seemed to have slipped under the radar. After the first weekend and the rave reviews, however, I expect that it will pick up momentum in the weeks to come.
How to Train Your Dragon is fun from start to finish for both kids and adults. The story is compelling, witty and very well presented. The voice acting is great, with an all-star talent lineup of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Gerard Butler and several others.
While DreamWorks hasn’t necessarily been knocking it out of the park lately, How to Train Your Dragon can go head-to-head with recent animated films from any studio. I connected with the characters (both human and dragon) in a way that is rare for an animated film. The boy, Hiccup, and his dragon, Toothless, are an endearing pair and combine for some stunning visuals in the flying sequences.
The 3D effects are not in-your-face, and although there are some things that really pop off the screen, the 3D effects generally add depth and an immersive feel to the film. The RealD 3D screening that I saw was smooth and seamless.
DreamWorks has a solid hit on its hands that will likely build quite a bit on its $43M opening weekend. Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film are in the works for a later release. I don’t see the 2D version of this film taking too much away from it because of the compelling story and character connections.
That said, How to Train Your Dragon 3D is definitely worth the price of admission at the theater.
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