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How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Director: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders

Time Out rating

Average user rating

39 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

The 3D bandwagon keeps rolling with this smart, muscular, animated adventure. On a remote North Atlantic island, the Viking population is suffering harassment from swarms of marauding dragons, until geeky son-of-a-chief Hiccup finds an injured dragon in the woods and suspects this constant state of warfare may be unnecessary.

Rejecting the comic whimsy of Cressida Cowell’s source novel, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ is a surprisingly robust affair, backing its juggernaut narrative with a well-judged and timely political subtext which urges young viewers to question received wisdom and make up their own minds, especially when it comes to matters of life and death. The voices can be jarring – the burly adult Vikings are all Scots, while their offspring are whiny Yanks – and the characterisation remains disappointingly old fashioned and unoriginal. But the visuals are striking, the script sharp and well paced and it all wraps up with a breathtaking aerial battle sequence.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2067: 1–7 April, 2010

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User reviews of this film

Pikachu said...

Posted on Apr 24 2011 21:14 Sorry, double post.

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Pikachu said...

Posted on Apr 24 2011 21:12 Amazing. The visual effects was impressive and the animation, flight scenes and scrip were astounding. My favourite movie, I watch it over and over again! :D

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Pikachu said...

Posted on Apr 24 2011 21:12 Amazing. The visual effects was impressive and the animation, flight scenes and scrip were astounding. My favourite movie, I watch it over and over again! :D

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Catfishgirl said...

Posted on Jun 04 2010 11:20 Lovely. Fantastic flying sequances and generally lots of fun. Keeps to the spirit of the books - Use your head rather than your fists - My kids resisted seeing this as they didn't want a bastardised Hollywood version of the stories but when it was finished they wanted to stay and see it again! Only downside the whiney voices of the hero and his mates ... Why are Vikings always Scottish? Legacy of Vicky, perhaps ...

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Zipperback said...

Posted on May 17 2010 21:13 This is absoloutly fantastic. Im 21 and thought it was great. I think it caters for all ages. Fab no matter what age.

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TRUTHTELLER said...

Posted on May 15 2010 14:54 Hilarious!
The film Robin Hood was getting so many bad reviews by people saying it was awful and complaining about the political correctness in the movie that the studio apparently forced Timeout to remove the whole review and yet the movie is still on!
When the studio has to censor people's reviews, then you KNOW the film is REALLY awful!
Hilarious!

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Mintness said...

Posted on May 12 2010 16:06 UHHMAZINGG PRODUCTION 10 STARS

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usman latif khawaja said...

Posted on May 05 2010 23:59 toothless was the best of all the recent creations out of the hollywood factory and i will vote for him rather than cameron or clegg or brown anyday -it makes you forget the elections and that is what you need too

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Joanne said...

Posted on Apr 23 2010 13:38 I went to the cinema with my 4 year old son a few weeks ago and he hasn't stopped talking about it since. He really enjoyed it and can't wait till it comes out on DVD. Wasn't too fussed by the 3D as his glasses wher too big and kept falling off. I thot it was watchable some parts funny altho would recommend you take young children to watch if they are anything like my son.

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Godfrey Hamilton said...

Posted on Apr 21 2010 00:46 Dear Yawn,
"Godfrey: Am I alone in thinking the reason why you left the UK was because you went to work in the film industry in the US? " Yes, you probably are alone in that; it's not why I left the UK for the US.
And I just sent a friend from the UK, his partner and their 11 year-old, to see the movie and was bummed to hear their chiefly negative responses. Maybe it's a Brit thing. And that British hostility to sentimentality.

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Yawn said...

Posted on Apr 20 2010 21:28 Godfrey: Am I alone in thinking the reason why you left the UK was because you went to work in the film industry in the US? This film is not a major work by anyone. As Time Out says, it follows hot on the heels of a lot of other mediocre 3-D movies, and in no way stands out. As for going to see it as a present for your 22 anniversary, goodness - I’d be hoping for something a little more special than a ticket to a made-for-TV animation. According to Time Out’s "Box Office" figures, despite having the benefit of McDonalds also globally plugging this film with their "Happy Meals", it’s behind "Clash of the Titans" - and see how badly that’s been reviewed both by Time Out and Joe/Josephine Public.

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godfrey hamilton said...

Posted on Apr 14 2010 01:16 Dang, forgot to rate it... 5 glittering stars of course.

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godfrey hamilton said...

Posted on Apr 14 2010 01:13 Lovely movie - a treat in 3D - my partner just took me to see it for our 22nd anniversary - he loved it as much as I did; there was not a single child in the cinema (all back at school), I'm glad to note I'm not alone in seeing subtle Iraq/Afghanistan parallels for the meta-text-needy adult viewer and I'm rather delighted to report that I took a look around the cinema and sitting right next to me was Kenneth Anger (oh, I should add that I live in Los Angeles), with an -ahem- much younger gentleman companion, and Anger applauded mightily at the end of the movie; given that he is no sentimentalist himself and has created some of the more powerful and dark works of groundbreaking cinema, his murmurs of appreciation for this splendid entertainment make me realise that I can't take seriously the naysayers on this board, whose passive-aggressive pomposity really undermines whatever argument they may have. But to those whiners and grousers - thank you for reminding me why I emigrated from the UK 22 years ago.

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Jo said...

Posted on Apr 13 2010 23:03 I loved the film as did my daughter (9), who is now waiting to get the dvd. Perfect for the holidays, it was funny, involving and I would recommend it!

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Yawn said...

Posted on Apr 12 2010 21:39 Soph - get a grip - you gripe about the bickering, but bicker yourself, let alone miss the point of the comments previously made. You spare all of a few lines for your thoughts on this ordinary animation. Can't imagine what possessed them to release this with everything else 3d out at the moment - this one doesn't stand out from the crowd. You can take your 3d glasses off for fairly long stretches without mising anything. The characters are a bit bland. There was a programme on tv about how successful animated characters are created, their look/feel/voicing and so on - all of which seems to have passed by the animators on this one. Bet they're grateful they were able to arrange a tie up with McDonalds to help plug it. Yawn. Glad when it was over. Must try harder.

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