Hiccup is an awkward, gangly young man who is the complete antithesis of his father - a vicious warrior and leader of a tribe of hearty Vikings who live on an isolated island terrorized by fire-breathing dragons. And these aren't just any dragons... this world includes a slew of subspecies of dragons, each with its own unique set of characteristics. Among these is the most feared dragon of all, one that strikes with such accuracy and stealth that it has never been seen by human eyes, dubbed Night Fury. The Vikings are trained early on to fight dragons and are expected to enter into this vocation willingly - except Hiccup shows no predilection to this noble occcupation, much to his father's chagrin. Until one fateful day, when Hiccup maims a Night Fury and gets the rare chance to study it up close... and quickly discovers that dragons aren't at all what he thought they were. As voiced by Jay Baruchel (the king of playing nebbishly neurotic young men), Hiccup is an incredibly likable antihero. Though he lacks the prowess and physical strength of his fellow Vikings, he is noble of heart. He quickly befriends the crippled dragon, who he names Toothless, and does anything and everything to help the dragon and keep it safe - even at the risk of alienating his imposing father (voiced by the gruff Gerard Butler). The secondary characters are equally well-cast and provide excellent comic relief. Most impressive was the flawless animation; the scenes at sea are so beautifully realistic that you can almost feel the ocean mist on your face. A great story, engaging characters with depth, and gorgeous eye candy make this film a wonderful addition to the family movie genre.
4 out of 5 stars
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