Viewed in
2010 (2)
Premise
A young inventor Viking befriends a dragon. Based on a children's book.
Loved
Visual effects, flying sequences.
Liked
Unexpected emotional moments.
Thoughts
Much better than I excepted.
Not sure how the other theaters will be, but the IMAX 3D experience was awesome. It may sound ridiculous, but the flying sequences were more breathtaking than those from Avatar. The animation was fantastic: the skies and seas were beautiful to look at, it felt like I was flying through fog, and I reacted more than once when something jumped at me. Having the great Roger Deakins as visual consultant definitely helped. Big props to sound editing. Not since Speed Racer has sound been such an excellent influence on the movie-going experience for me.
The action was very exhilarating, and probably would scare young kids.
What won me over was the strong story with likable leads. I really really dug the kid-to-pet relationship between Hiccup and Toothless the dragon. Obviously, this is not new territory, but the dynamic between them was crafted with love and care. Just like how the film makers took the time to indulge us in sweet imagery, they took the time for us to care about the characters as they befriended and bonded with each other. Plus, Toothless was cuddly!
There was not much comedy (compared to Kung Fu Panda) in the film, but I did not mind. It only accentuated the animation, the relationships, and the story. Same for the voice casting/acting, they just blended in.
While the overall arc was predictable, there were many creative twists on the way. After the action-packed climax, the fallout was surprisingly emotional, it was a nice touch.
When I saw the trailer, I was not interested. Even after the high scores from Rotten Tomatoes, I was still skeptical. Thanks to the animation, character story, and immersive 3D IMAX, I was impressed by the film. DreamWorks still has to hit a few more home runs like this and Kung Fu Panda to be called a rival, but it appears Pixar finally has competition in the computer animation genre.
What I would change
Nothing.
