How To Train Your Dragon

My Rating: 5/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Kids-In-Mind: 2.3.1

I love this movie way too much for a lot of reasons. First of all, even though it has a fairly archetypal storyline, it manages to feel original. In my opinion, this is because it takes a standard plot for a kid's movie and makes it more intense and meaningful. Sure, kids can probably enjoy it too (although it is too scary for really little kids) but like the best children's books, it has depth that you have to be older to fully appreciate. From a literary standpoint, this movie has enough depth that it can be thoroughly analyzed. Trust me, I've thought a lot about this. I haven't actually written a paper about it yet, but I've always been tempted because I know I totally could. While I was watching this recently I actually went through all the different critical lenses that I learned in my English class, and to my surprise I could find something for each of them. Marxism, feminism, post-colonialism, new historicism, it's all there. If that's not your cup of tea, then you can appreciate the animation. I don't know much about animation, but from what I can tell, it's pretty impressive. One of my favorite things about the animation is how it plays with light and dark. The scene where Stoic disowns Hiccup and then slams the door on him, leaving only a sliver of light behind always makes me shiver a little just because it's so awesome. And then there's all the dragon fire. For you types that like explosions, there's an abundance of that. And, of course, the clouds. The scene with Astrid and Hiccup flying through the clouds is absolutely breathtaking. Finally, I have to talk about the music. It adds so much emotional depth to the scenes. Without it, the movie would be decent. But the music is what really makes it hit you emotionally. So, basically, if you haven't seen this movie, you're missing out on a great experience. If you want to watch it cynically, go ahead. But I recommend just diving head in and enjoying it for all it's worth.