Hiccup is a Norse teenager from the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. His progressive views and weird sense of humor make him a misfit, despite the fact that his father is chief of the clan. Tossed into dragon-fighting school, he endeavors to prove himself as a true Viking, but when he befriends an injured dragon he names Toothless, he has the chance to plot a new course for his people’s future.
- Based on the novel How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.
- External Sites(will open in a new window)
With the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) set to hit theaters this weekend, it seemed like a good time to go back to the animated roots and check out How to Train Your Dragon. With 2 sequels, a series of TV shows and much more, this franchise seems to keep getting bigger. But, does the first movie reflect that? Or is this a franchise just the kids will enjoy?
While Disney films spent years making their voice actors become just a part of the animation, Dreamworks did something different with both their early film, Shrek, and with How to Train Your Dragon. Instead of blending in with the characters, they tried to choose actors whose voices actually made sense with their characters. Jay Baruchel, for example, is a good fit for Hiccup, an awkward yet charming Viking who’s a bit of an outcast. Gerard Butler, the rough and tumble action star from Olympus Has Fallen and Gamer, is the strong and gruff father, Stoic. Others aren’t as good of a fit, with Craig Ferguson playing a goofy yet brave Viking whose handicaps don’t slow him down or stop him from charging into the next fight.
The rest of the cast, from America Ferrara (Barbie) as the brave teen Astrid to Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Kick-Ass), or TJ Miller (Deadpool) and Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) as twins, all do a good job of making their characters at least somewhat memorable. Most of their voices are pretty recognizable, but then again the movie isn’t trying to mask them at all. How to Train Your Dragon is proud of the familiar names in its cast, and doesn’t mind that the viewer can recognize them.
The story, based on a book by Cressida Cowell, is an interesting take on the humans vs dragons theme so popular in movies (Reign of Fire, etc.). While the story starts out pretty typically (albeit with more wit in the narration than one might expect), How to Train Your Dragon actually turns the whole idea on its head thanks to one young odd Viking by the name of Hiccup, and the dragon he befriends, whom he calls Toothless. It’s a fantastical story, but at its heart it’s a coming of age story, highlighting the power of friendship and its ability to overcome all odds.
If it was an animated film, it used to be that there was Disney – and then everybody else. Then Pixar came along, and it was Pixar’s computer animation, Disney’s hand-drawn animation – and then everybody else. With the introduction of Shrek, however, that changed dramatically, and now several studios – with Dreamworks at the forefront of the pack – are competing with Disney. That means a couple of things. First, viewers have a wider choice of solidly animated movies to choose from. Second, thankfully, is that the animation in How to Train Your Dragon is top-notch. And, since it’s still one of the early movies from Dreamworks, they don’t skimp on any of the details (unlike scenes from some of Disney’s later films).
With a strong voice cast – with some of them so well-matched it’s like they are voicing animated versions of themselves – and story that turns the humans vs dragons clichéd storyline on its ear, How to Train Your Dragon has a lot to like. Toss in a story that provides heart, a strong message about not discriminating against handicapped people, and familiar issues in unfamiliar surroundings, and this is another animated film from Dreamworks that the whole family can enjoy.
