MOVIE REVIEW: How To Train Your Dragon (3D)

How To Train Your Dragon is the latest 3-D animation powerhouse from Dreamworks Animation.

Sasha Stone at AwardsDaily.com is calling it "2010's first bonafide Oscar contender" and audiences and critics at rottentomatoes.com have certified the movie fresh at a stunning 98% level.

I saw the rottentomatoes.com numbers before deciding to see the film with the Other Half in real3d at our favorite Edwards theaters in Alhambra, but was still surprised at how enjoyable the film is.

The 3-D is fun, but not essential to the film experience. The impact of the film is primarily due to the very strong plot and the rapid narrative thrust in the very brisk 100 minutes.

The story centers on Hiccup, a loner who is the only child of the chief of a viking village (named Stoick the Vast) who for generations has been terrorized by and hunted dragons.
Hiccup is enrolled in dragon training with the other village teenagers where they are taught the best way to destroy the fiery, ferocious, flying beasts. But Hiccup is also learning a new way to interact with dragons through his burgeoning relationship with an injured dragon he has found trapped in a nearby box canyon.

The movie resolves the familial tension between Hiccup ans Stoick as well as the enmity between the villagers and the dragons in a clever and exciting way.

Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated G for general audiences.
Director: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois.

OVERALL GRADE: A/A-.

ACTING: N/A.
IMAGERY: A-.
PLOT: A.
IMPACT: A-.