Reel Review: 'How To Train Your Dragon' as good as Pixar, changes animation game

Since Disney/Pixar pioneered full-length animated films with its 1995 release of "Toy Story," other studios have tried to repeat the on-screen magic captured in the computer-animated faces of toys, monsters and animals.

Dreamworks has tried to cash in on the trend and has succeeded to varying degrees of success with "Shrek," "Over The Hedge," and "Monsters vs. Aliens," among others. 20th Century Films released its "Ice Age" series and "Robots." Sony gave it a valiant effort with "Surf's Up" and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." Warner Bros. offered audiences "Happy Feet" and "The Polar Express."

Despite all these efforts, Pixar seems to have won the race for the hearts of audiences. The studio has also won almost all the coveted golden statuettes for "Best Animated Feature" at the Academy Awards (five out of seven Pixar films have taken home the Oscar).

Out of the many attempts, very few of those films have come close to exhibiting Pixar's level of artistic or creative mastery until Dreamworks' surprise smash "How To Your Dragon."

Released in theaters March 26, 2010 in 2-D and 3-D, "How To Train Your Dragon" immediately earned rave reviews from critics and audiences for its story about a young viking-in-training trying to fit in. The film features an all-star cast of voices, including Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera and Jonah Hill. By July 2010, the acclaimed film had gone on to earn a domestic gross of over $217 million.

The movie tells the story of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a gangly teenage viking that is supposed to follow in his father's footsteps to become a dragon slayer. But when Hiccup faces his first opportunity to slay a real dragon, he finds out that he doesn't want to follow the rules.

On Rottentomatoes.com, "Dragon" has received 153 positive reviews (out of 156) for a 98 percent fresh rating. Critics praised the film, calling it Dreamworks Animation's "best entry to date" that "manages to give Pixar a run for its money."

As the site's Tomatometer summarizes:

"Boasting dazzling animation, a script with surprising dramatic depth, and thrilling 3-D sequences, 'How to Train Your Dragon' soars."

"Dragon" stands out from its predecessors because it is an engaging and joyful romp of a film with snappy dialogue, interesting characters and colorful animation. More importantly, the story doesn't get stuck in the mire of a preachy, underneath-it-all moral lesson. Instead, it celebrates imagination, forgiveness and kindess without shoving a message down your throat (a la' Pixar's "Wall-E" and Warner Bros. "Happy Feet"). The result is a fun and family-friendly flick with clever dialogue and characterizations that are sure to captivate audiences of all ages.

Grade: A (4 out of 4 stars)
To view the trailer, click play below. "How To Train Your Dragon" is now available on DVD.



Sources:
imdb: 'How To Train Your Dragon' (2010)
Rottentomatoes: 'How To Train Your Dragon' movie reviews, pictures