How to Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks, 2010) is one of the computer animated generation of films that makes me almost shameful to recount my own deprived childhood experiences of Fern Gully and Aladin. The plot, adapted from an if-not-already then soon- to-be-beloved children's novel by Cressida Cowell, is a simple underdog turns hero pre-adolescent action adventure fantasy set in the mythological ancient past of Viking lore. All hail Odin!
The protagonist, Hiccup, yearns for the acceptance of his people and his father. He suffers from the customary adolescent angst of not living up to his parental expectations. He is brains in a barbarous community where brawn is valued. The survival of Hiccups' people depend on their ability to defend themselves against the pillaging dragons who execute a constant barrage of their resources. Thus the enemy is established in the dragons and the heros are merciless slayers. As Hiccup compensates for his weakly physique with an engineers brain, he manages to capture a dragon with an aereal assault weapon he has designed. It is a defining moment in our protagonist's tale when he has the opportunity to claim a kill and finally be accepted as a functionally agressive member of his community. Except he can't kill the dragon because he identifies with it.
His personal revelation and sucessive acts of mercy allow a friendship to form between the dragon and himself.This friendship redefines his historical compsote of the 'enemy' and through understanding and communication, brains over brawn, leads to a new equilibrium between the two species. The moral is powerful enough for an adult to make cultural critiques with and explicit enough for the kids to absorb. With themes of belonging and otherness, trusting and being true to your own nature, identification and conflicting parental expectations, civic duty and blind obedience, and environmental stewardship this is a tale that is current, relevant and accessible to all ages.
As usual Dreamworks' visuals are rich and textured. The world created for this movie is dynamic and immersive. The imaging is intricate and decidedly creative. There are more than seven different kinds of dragons for the kids to collect in McDonald's Happy Meals (if not here yet, they're probably still in production). With tails flicking over the audience, fiery breath just barely scorching the second row and a magic dragon ride or two, the 3D effects add to the fantastical psychosomatic experience. It's always fun to watch an audience physically respond to the screen, especially those invountary spasms and audible squeals from the adult behind you.
As burly Vikings apparently had more hair than Cousin It, I was very impressed by how palpable the texture of their manes actually were and how each 'do's quality varied from each character; with the 3D I felt like I could actually reach out an pet one. The only caveat of the animated hair was that there was little movement, a kink I expect to be worked out for the next hairy sequel (if not in production, the idea will surface soon). I ferverently believe that when a character can shake their locks and it really looks like a beach side Pamela Anderson having a Herbal Essences moment, we will have perfected computer animation.
With all the attention paid to the realism of the graphics, I'm sure the producation designers were not focused on the identification they were creating by making the brutish Viking's parlance in Scottish brogue, when it could have been culturally appropriate english spoken with Norse accent. In giving the aggressive old timers the Scottish dialect and then Americanizing the dialogue of the youngster heros there was a clear message of not only the 'new west is best' but also that 'Scots equal brutes'. Sure my five year old didn't pick up on that and it probably wasn't intended, since Craig Ferguson and Gerrard Butler could probaly not do a good Norse-ESL dialect, but with the a main theme of belonging and otherness this should have been more carefully addressed.
Aside from having to sit in the nosebleed section of the second row, my five year old and I enjoyed this movie tremendously. We both want dragons to call our own, mine will be blue and will spit poison fire darts and hers will be black and super sonic like Toothless. We give it five fire-belches up. When my Cineplex Odeon second row repetitive strain injury subsides, I may endeavour to see it again, higher up the seating ladder where my 3D glasses will actually cover the entire screen.
