How to Train Your Dragon

In this age of computer-animated films ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ offers up another stunning visual feast. Based on the 2003 book of the same title the storyline centres around a boy named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) living in a mythical world of Vikings and dragons. The teenager grows up on an island where fighting dragons is a way of life and soon enters Dragon Training where he learns to kill dragons. On a day away from training he finds a wounded dragon and ends up befriending it and naming it Toothless. The relationship takes a turn for the worst when he then strives to convince his tribe that they don't need to be dragon-slayers but they do not agree and mount an attack on Dragon Island.

The tone of the film is as you would expect suited to a younger audience with the main character easy to empathise with apart from the moment where his female interest plants a smacker on his cheek which the 5 year old boy sat next to me clearly found horrifically distasteful.

The worst thing about this film I feel is it’s text book name ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ doesn’t sound particularly enticing to me. Something like ‘The Dragons Lair’, ‘DragonHeart’, or even 'Dancing with Dragons’ would have been more suited. That quip aside this is a great computer-animated comic fantasy adventure which when combining ‘Vikings and Dragons’ (another better title) can’t help but get kids and their parents excited.

As one of the few people left on planet earth yet to see Avatar I cannot compare the effects but can only comment that the 3D here was the best I’d ever seen and on that note would urge you to invest in a trip to an Imax cinema to get the fully intended experience. If you need an excuse to treat yourself then earn brownie points by taking the kids, if you don’t then leave them at home and enjoy it peacefully yourself.