How to Train Your Dragon

Another great animated film that wasn’t pretentious and didn't try to fool me into believing that it had a deeper meaning (no, I'm not talking about Anomalisa). It did make me laugh and reminded me that we need to help each other, even between species. Both the animation and the story were great. The older I get, the more enjoy a good animated film. (16/08/2016)

I am usually repelled by cute animation films with kids and supernatural animals in the main roles, but this one was great. The story has no surprises, but the animation is captivating and the dialogues are like out of a good sitcom. I laughed more often than with most comedies. I’m giving it 9/10 and wonder what happened with Wall-E, Up and Ratatouille… (31/05/2010)

I had to check my birth certificate after it was over to make sure I was as old as I was. That’s because I was convinced that I had clearly become slightly effeminate, as I longed, with a tear in my eye, to get my own black dragon, one that spits out the same cannonade as the "plasma gun" from "Doom III" and has such sad rendered eyes that it captured my heart for the entire runtime. It doesn't quite have the perfect animation or storyline, and in a two-dimensional world, it also drags the eyes too much to where the spectacle-wielding cinema-goers were sighing blissfully, but damn... it's got moments that kids won't pick up on, jokes galore, Powell's awesome music, and an apocalyptic finale like something out of a better RPG. 4 ½. (14/10/2010)

When confronted with the equally old Toy Story 3, I'll probably always prefer to reach for the toys, but this is another superb and novel animated movie. An excellent idea taken to absolute satisfaction, a story suitable for adults as well as children, with gorgeous visuals that can't leave anyone cold (it's remarkable how much emotion the creators can show in a dragon's face). Of course, there are also a lot of great jokes and I would like to emphasize the excellent soundtrack, which is one of the most beautiful in animated films. The plot is blindly predictable, but the amazing execution overwhelms everything else. 90% (07/04/2013)

If I were in my boyhood, I would undoubtedly be thrilled by the dragon spectacle, because the creators have catered to the child audience to the utmost. For an adult, the film does not have a significant impact; it uses motifs that have appeared in a number of past films and is at times overdone and childish, such as when the dragon learns to play with dolls and resembles a cute little rabbit from fairy tales for the youngest children. Also, the logic of the plot, especially in the second half, somewhat lags. However, the action scenes - and there are plenty of them - are breathtaking, the dragons are lively, and there is no shortage of jokes, which certainly do not fall flat throughout the entire runtime. Furthermore, the film can surprise at times, for example, when the hero does not come out of the decisive encounter undamaged. Of course, there are the typical love and parental motifs, and friendship in various forms. Those who have children between the ages of 5-12 should see it with them - it is an ideal choice. Overall impression: 65%. (30/04/2010)