How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
About This Movie
A scrawny Viking teenager named Hiccup, who is a disappointment to his dragon slaying father, shoots down a legendary Night Fury dragon and cannot bring himself to kill it, instead forming a bond that will change everything his village believes about their ancient enemies. The flying sequences are breathtaking, the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless is one of the great boy and his pet stories ever told, and the film builds to an emotionally and physically enormous climax that earns every bit of its spectacle. This is a film about choosing compassion when your entire culture demands violence.
Why It's a Classic
Directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders adapted Cressida Cowell's book into something bolder and more emotionally ambitious than its source material, centering the entire story on the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless and allowing that relationship to drive every plot point and thematic development. The first flight sequence, where Hiccup rides Toothless through clouds and over the ocean as John Powell's soaring score builds from tentative wonder to ecstatic joy, is one of the definitive sequences in modern animation, comparable to the magic carpet ride in Aladdin but with greater emotional complexity because both rider and dragon are learning to trust simultaneously. Jay Baruchel's voice performance gives Hiccup a nervous, sardonic intelligence that makes him feel like a real teenager rather than a generic hero, and Gerard Butler's Stoick is a father whose love is genuine even when his understanding is limited. The film treats the Vikings' hatred of dragons not as simple villainy but as inherited cultural prejudice, which gives Hiccup's rebellion real moral weight and makes the village's eventual transformation feel earned rather than convenient. The climax, in which Hiccup loses his foot, refuses to soften its consequences, and the final scene of Hiccup riding Toothless with a prosthetic is a quietly powerful statement about sacrifice and adaptation. Roger Deakins served as a visual consultant, and his influence is visible in the film's naturalistic lighting and atmospheric depth.
Fun Fact
Toothless's movements and expressions were modeled partly on cats, dogs, and horses, and the animation team studied videos of kittens playing to capture the dragon's playful curiosity. The iconic "forbidden friendship" scene, where Hiccup holds out his hand and looks away while Toothless slowly presses his nose to Hiccup's palm, was conceived by Chris Sanders and required over two years of animation refinement to get the timing and emotion exactly right. John Powell's score was performed by a 150 piece orchestra, one of the largest ever assembled for an animated film.
Parent Note
The climax involves a massive battle with a dragon the size of a mountain, and Hiccup loses part of his leg in the fight, which is revealed in a quiet, matter of fact way in the final scenes. The loss is handled with grace and even optimism, but it may prompt conversations about permanent injury and sacrifice. Viking battle scenes throughout the film are intense but not graphic. There is no gore. The film works well for kids around six and up, and Hiccup's journey is especially resonant for children who feel like they do not fit in with their peers.
Quick Facts
- Year
- 2010
- Type
- 🎬 Movie
- Category
- Animation
- Age Group
- Kids (Ages 7–10)