This is Berk. It snows nine months of the year and hails the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. The only upsides are the pets. While other places have ponies or parrots… we have… dragons as Jason’s Movie Blog takes an animated “cinematic flashback” look at DreamWorks’s classic How to Train Your Dragon (2010).
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
“One adventure will change two worlds”
Director: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Writer: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois, and Willam Davies
Starring: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig,
and Gerard Butler
Run Time: 98 Minutes
Release Date: March 26th, 2010
Rated: PG
THE STORY
On the remote Viking island of Berk, young Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) longs to prove himself in a world where slaying dragons is the ultimate test of valor. But his small stature and inventive mind set him apart from the rest, especially his father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), the village’s imposing leader, who refuses to let him fight. Defying orders, Hiccup uses one of his homemade inventions to bring down a mysterious Night Fury, the most feared dragon of all. But when he finds the creature injured and helpless, he can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead, he spares it, forging an unlikely bond with the dragon he names Toothless. As their secret friendship grows, Hiccup begins to see dragons not as monsters, but misunderstood creatures. Yet with war looming and tradition standing in the way, Hiccup must challenge everything his village believes in, before fear destroys what he’s come to love.
MY THOUGHTS
What can I say? I’ve always had a soft spot for animated movies—and longtime readers of my blog already know that. DreamWorks Animation has certainly had its share of highs and lows over the years, from their inaugural hit Shrek to the recent critical darling The Wild Robot. While not every film strikes gold, the studio remains a cornerstone of family animation. A shining example of that legacy is How to Train Your Dragon, based on the book series by Cressida Cowell. Its 2010 debut didn’t just take flight, it launched a franchise. Now, with a live-action remake arriving in 2025, it feels like the perfect time to revisit this modern animated classic and ask… does it still hold up? The answer is a profound yes!
Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who previously brought heartfelt chaos to life in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon is very much a spiritual cousin to that film. Just as they captured the emotional bond between a girl and an alien, Sanders and DeBlois deliver a beautifully crafted story about the unlikely friendship between a boy and a dragon. That connection is the soul of the movie, and the filmmakers never lose sight of it. Everything circles back to that central relationship, with humor, heart, and action enriching every scene. Even the smallest moments carry meaning, reflecting a clear, unified vision. The result? A film that feels alive, memorable, textured, and deeply sincere.
The themes woven into the narrative are equally resonant: individuality, challenging traditions, the rift between generations, and the unspoken bonds we form with our pets. These aren’t just themes for children, they’re universal and powerful, giving the story a dramatic weight that elevates it beyond typical genre fare.
Visually, the movie remains stunning, even by today’s standards. The Viking village of Berk is realized with breathtaking detail, while the flight sequences are nothing short of exhilarating. Much of that cinematic flair can be credited to the film’s stellar animation team and the guidance of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, who served as a visual consultant. His influence gives many scenes a “live-action” sensibility rarely seen in animated features. Complementing the visuals is John Powell’s phenomenal score, a soaring, emotional symphony that captures both the wonder and the danger of the skies. Tracks like “Forbidden Friendship,” “Test Drive,” “Romantic Flight,” and “Coming Back Around” are instant classics, each one evoking emotion with precision and grace.
As for criticisms? Only minor nitpicks come to mind. Perhaps a little more insight into Toothless’s backstory or a few added scenes to flesh out the supporting cast would have been welcome. But truthfully, these are small gripes. The film is so well-constructed and emotionally satisfying that such flaws are easy to overlook.
The voice cast is uniformly excellent. Actor Jay Baruchel (She’s Out of Your League and This Is The End) brings awkward charm and endearing vulnerability to Hiccup, perfectly embodying the reluctant hero. Likewise, actor Gerard Butler (300 and Den of Thieves) lends gravitas and a commanding presence to Stoick the Vast, Hiccup’s formidable father. Their emotional arc is one of the film’s strongest assets. The supporting cast, America Ferrera (Astrid), Craig Ferguson (Gobber), Jonah Hill (Snotlout), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs), and T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig (Tuffnut and Ruffnut), add a healthy dose of comedy and personality, with plenty of improvised energy that gives the film its zippy, lived-in vibe.
How to Train Your Dragon didn’t just succeed, it soared. Its legacy includes two critically acclaimed sequels (How to Train Your Dragon 2 in 2014 and The Hidden World in 2019), both directed by DeBlois, which expanded the story’s scope while maintaining its emotional core. Beyond the big screen, the franchise branched into television with multiple series like Dragons: Race to the Edge, Rescue Riders, and The Nine Realms, each earning warm receptions and extending the world for a new generation of viewers.
All in all, How to Train Your Dragon stands as one of DreamWorks Animation’s crown jewels, right alongside Shrek and Kung Fu Panda franchise series. It’s a visually stunning, emotionally rich, and thematically thoughtful tale about friendship, family, and finding your voice. Sanders and DeBlois captured something truly special: a timeless bond between a boy and his dragon that continues to resonate with audiences, young and old alike. It’s not just an animated movie. it’s a cinematic flight of fantasy that took the skies more than a decade and half ago and continues to soars proudly above without hesitation.
Cinematic Flashback Score: 5 Out of 5
FUN FACT: In the book of “How to Train Your Dragon,” Hiccup does not have a love interest. Furthermore, Toothless, the dragon in the book, is about the size of the Terrible Terror breed, and he is also green and red, not black. Toothless also got his name because when Hiccup first found him, he had no teeth. He grew one tooth, only to lose it shortly later. The producers decided, with the approval of author Cressida Cowell, that it would be more cinematic to make Toothless large enough to be ridden as a flying mount. As such, Toothless was completely redesigned as a rare Night Fury, a highly intelligent breed of dragon evolved for speed and stealth. His personal name, in the film, derives from Hiccup’s observation about how his teeth are normally retracted into his jaws so they don’t interfere with his fire breathing, which is typically projected as an explosive pulse.
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