Movie Review: How To Train Your Dragon

Although I still prefer Pixar over DreamWorks, I was really glad that they were able to come up with, yet again, another great movie. This was flat out one of their best animated films since Shrek 2! And not since then had there been such a remarkable mixture of fascination, excitement and humor.

The movie did its very best to keep my attention and I'd say it succeeded to a much higher degree than others. Yes, the story may be slightly predictable and straightforward, but the plot with the help of its stunning visuals kept my eyes glued on the screen. It was, arguably, the strength of the film. To me, the plot was undeniably funny, clever and smart without insulting the intelligence of its audience.

Moreover, the pacing was relatively good as it avoided any significant lulls and the humor was, I thought, spot on. It also didn't hurt that the characters were just too lovable, charming and painfully and surprisingly authentic. And while some of them were portrayed a tad too stereotypical, it was refreshing to see multidimensional leads that were so open to emotions, which made them appear a lot more real.

Visually, I thought that it was amazing and crisp. The 3D held its own in every sense, and I would go as far as saying that some scenes rival the groundbreaking Avatar. Seriously. The animated depth and fantastic background scenery gave this one a breathtaking quality that made this animation distinct. Of course, the epic scoring added to the greatness of it all.

Frankly, it was shocking as to how much I adored this movie. I never expected much from a DreamWorks film but this somehow made me want to re-think things over. Ha. I cannot praise this film enough as words cannot do justice for how good the film was. Exhilarating action. Amazing visual effects. Gut-bustingly humorous characters. Compelling story. A must-see animated film.

RATING: 9/10