How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

All Critics (173) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (174) | Rotten (3) | DVD (9)

It's a Harry Potter-meets-Avatar adventure that should delight most children and adults.

May 6, 2011 Full Review | Comments (3)

Christine Champ

Film.com

Top Critic

Technically proficient and featuring a witty, intelligent, surprisingly insightful script, How to Train Your Dragon comes close to the level of Pixar's recent output while easily exceeding the juvenilia Dreamworks has released in the last nine years.

April 4, 2011 Full Review | Comment (1)

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

The visuals are striking, the script sharp and well paced and it all wraps up with a breathtaking aerial battle sequence.

April 1, 2010 Full Review

Tom Huddleston

Time Out

Top Critic

This dog can hunt. On the ground. Way-way up in the air. Swimming through clouds breathing fire. Imagine Old Yeller on a hundred pep pills.

March 26, 2010 Full Review | Comments (6)

Stephen Cole

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

How to Train Your Dragon uses its whiz-bang technology to amplify feelings as well as dimension and scale. The big optical wow is only the half of it.

March 26, 2010 Full Review | Comments (2)

Amy Biancolli

Houston Chronicle

Top Critic

The 3-D throughout How to Train Your Dragon is perhaps the best match with animation yet -- exhilarating when it's supposed to be, yet integrated into the film rather than seemingly pasted on.

March 26, 2010 Full Review | Comment (1)

Tom Long

Detroit News

Top Critic

We may have seen such a story before, several times before actually, but somehow the creative team behind this film still manages to make it feel fresh, while keeping us engaged in its plot.

October 1, 2012 Full Review

Jeff Beck

Examiner.com

Exuberant execution, infectious humor, and overwhelming charm.

April 8, 2012 Full Review

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

A totally enthralling movie that despite using well-worn themes seems totally fresh. Beautiful to behold and always witty, this is what I would have nominated as best film of 2010 had I seen it in time.

May 25, 2011 Full Review | Comment (1)

Louis Proyect

rec.arts.movies.reviews

The result is fun and thrilling, and plenty of snappy jokes and sight gags will keep audiences of all ages entertained.

April 4, 2011 Full Review

Josh Jackson

Paste Magazine

Swooping visuals and knockabout comedy blend in a family entertainment that should be the Easter weekend treat.

April 4, 2011 Full Review | Comment (1)

Anthony Quinn

Independent

Like Up, it knows when to be funny, when to lay on the action and when to be moving.

April 4, 2011 Full Review | Comment (1)

Dave White

Movies.com

Those who were enchanted by the flying sequences in Avatar will experience the same exhilaration here as Hiccup rides Toothless between mountain peaks. Equally uplifting is the father-son reconciliation which is handled with just the right emotional heft.

April 4, 2011 Full Review | Comment (1)

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality and Practice

Neck and neck with "Toy Story 3" as the finest animated film of 2010...

February 19, 2011 Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

It has some fun character designs, a good message, and some fairly typical jokes, and then last of all is the characters and the story.

January 27, 2011 Full Review | Comments (2)

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

With 'real' Harry Potter fighting wizards all over the planet, what fun it is to have animated characters take on the big bad dragons that plagued Vikings for years.

January 17, 2011 Full Review | Comment (1)

S. James Wegg

JWR

HTYD takes a bold chance, and attempts to entertain adults not by being cute, gimmicky, thematically challenging, or infused with pop culture shout outs; it does so by being imaginative, heartfelt, and beautiful in fiery flourishes.

December 30, 2010 Full Review

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

Sanders and DeBlois have given DreamWorks Animation their best entry to date.

October 27, 2010 Full Review

Jeffrey Chen

Window to the Movies

The film doesn't tread any new ground, at least in terms of the narrative, but the breathtaking visuals, heartwarming themes, spirited action and energetic voice cast make this one animated title audiences of all ages should check out.

October 26, 2010 Full Review

R. L. Shaffer

IGN DVD

Snappy one-liners, interesting side characters and cracking action scenes - including a thrilling final battle - elevate this above its slightly corny premise.

October 24, 2010 Full Review

Matt Neal

The Standard

• 1. Hiccup: I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him, and I saw myself.
  – Submitted by Matthew R (4 months ago)
• 1. Tuffnut: Get your hand off my shield!
  2. Ruffnut: There's like a million other shields.
  3. Tuffnut: Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers.
  4. Ruffnut: [hits Tuffnut with the shield] Oops! Now this one has blood on it.
  – Submitted by Matthew R (4 months ago)
• 1. Fishlegs: Chances of survival are dwindling into single-digits now!
  – Submitted by Matthew R (4 months ago)
• 1. Astrid: [to Hiccup] Is this some type of joke to you? Our parent's war is about to become ours. Pick what side your on.
  – Submitted by Matthew R (4 months ago)
• 1. Snotlout: Love on the battlefield!
  – Submitted by Matthew R (4 months ago)
• 1. Gobber: All of you are going to learn how to fight dragons. [puts his hand on a lever to open a cage]
  2. Snotlout: Whoa, whoa, aren't you gonna teach us first?
  3. Gobber: I believe in learning on the job. [pulls the lever down to release the dragon from the cage]
  – Submitted by Stephan V (4 months ago)