How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
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The story
In the mythical Viking village of Berk, dragons are viewed as enemies that steal livestock and endanger the people. Hiccup, the son of the village chieftain, is considered too weak to be a traditional dragon slayer. While attempting to prove himself, he shoots down a rare Night Fury dragon but chooses to free it rather than kill it. This act of mercy leads him to forge an unlikely bond with the creature. As he works to understand the dragon's behavior, Hiccup begins to realize that the long-standing conflict between his people and the dragons may be based on a misunderstanding.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The village of Berk is under constant threat from dragons. Hiccup, the son of Chief Stoick the Vast, is an outcast who creates mechanical devices. During a raid, he shoots down a rare Night Fury but chooses to set it free. He later finds the dragon in a cove, where it is unable to fly due to a torn tail fin. Hiccup befriends the dragon, naming it Toothless, and builds a prosthetic to help it fly. While training with other teens, Hiccup's success in subduing dragons sparks jealousy from his peer, Astrid. After discovering that dragons are being forced to attack Berk to survive, Hiccup and his friends realize the truth. During a final exam, a conflict leads to the capture of Toothless. Stoick and the Vikings then head to the Dragon's Nest, where they are confronted by the massive Red Death. Hiccup and his friends intervene, and a battle ensues. Stoick realizes his mistake and reconciles with Hiccup. In the final battle, Hiccup and Toothless destroy the Red Death, but Hiccup loses his foot in the explosion. The film ends with Berk entering a new era of peace where humans and dragons live together.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Sanders; Dean DeBlois
- Writers
- Chris Sanders · screenplay; Dean DeBlois · screenplay; Will Davies · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jay Baruchel · Hiccup; America Ferrera · Astrid; Gerard Butler · Stoick the Vast; Craig Ferguson · Gobber the Belch; Jonah Hill · Snotlout Jorgenson; Christopher Mintz-Plasse · Fishlegs Ingerman; Kristen Wiig · Ruffnut Thorston; T.J. Miller · Tuffnut Thorston
- Genres
- animated; fantasy; action; comedy
- Themes
- friendship; prejudice; father-son relationship
- Tone and mood
- epic; adventurous
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; adventure; mythology
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2003 novel by British author Cressida Cowell
- Franchise connections
- How to Train Your Dragon
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was praised for its animation, screenplay, voice performances, score, and 3D sequences.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 75 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Production trivia
- The film was originally scheduled for release in November 2009.; The film's score was released by Varèse Sarabande on March 23, 2010.; The film's distribution rights were transferred to 20th Century Fox in 2014 before moving to Universal Studios in 2018.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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