How to Train Your Dragon

"Most people would leave, but not us. We're Vikings. We have stubbornness issues."

In the Viking town of Berk everything revolves around killing dragons: your status, occupation, etc. centers on the ability to fight and gut a dragon.  Hiccup (Baruchel) is an unusual Viking: he doesn't possess super strength (he can't lift the weapons) and his "helpful" inventions tend to cause more harm than good.  His father, Stoick (Butler) is the leader of their tribe and the strongest, toughest dragon killer around.  One night Hiccup tries out a new invention and hits the most feared of all the dragons: a Night Fury, but no one believes him.

With most of the adults going away to find the dragon's nest to destroy it, Hiccup discovers the injured Night Fury.  Instead of killing it, he uses this opportunity to learn about the dragons... and eventually help the Night Fury, which he names Toothless, fly.  Meanwhile, back at the village, he is placed in Dragon Training led by Gobber (Ferguson) the blacksmith.  Gobber believes the best way to learn about fighting dragons is to be thrown in the ring with dragons.

While the rest of the class is...

• Smarter: Fishlegs (Mintz-Plasse) who knows random facts about every dragon
• Stronger: Snotlout (Hill) who trash talks everyone else
• Tougher: twins Ruffnut (Wiig) and Tuffnut (Miller) who fight each other more than they fight the dragons
• Faster: Astrid (Ferrera) the love of Hiccup's life who is the best in the class

Hiccup has a secret weapon: he actually spends time with a dragon.  Will Hiccup ever be accepted by the tribe, or will he and Toothless be banished?


What a cute movie!  The characters are funny, without talking down to the audiences.  The dragons are fun and funny, especially Toothless.  Toothless is adorable, and my roommate now wants to own a dragon...

The voice talents are great... I figured out some of the characters right away (Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler and Jonah Hill), and others stumped me.  I was pleasantly surprised when I learned the identities of the remaining main characters.  The story was good, the animation was good.... good job non-Disney people!

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) minutes

Director: Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders

Starring: Jay Baruchel as Hiccup

Gerard Butler as Stoick

Craig Ferguson as Gobber

America Ferrera as Astrid

Jonah Hill as Snotlout

Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs

T.J. Miller as Tuffnut

Kristen Wiig as Ruffnut