Fridae

Here are some things I learnt from How to train your dragon, in no particular order: Vikings speak English in a broad Scots brogue, like Shrek in Shrek. Vikings and dragons don’t get along; the natural order of things is for one to kill the other (remember Beowulf?). Viking villages are peopled with colourful characters with interesting names, like an Asterix book. And these are some of the things I have learnt other than training a dragon instead of killing it, if I should ever come across one myself.

And this is precisely what the Viking teen Hiccup does. Hiccup is low on brawns but high on brains grew up dreaming of slaying dragons defending his village, but ends up going against the established order of things following a fateful incident.

What transpires thereafter is a laugh-a-minute comedy that ditches the typical Dreamworks animation storybook littered with pop cultural references. We suspect that’s because this is one story that has legs: there is so much wicked and sophisticated fun watching a protagonist leading a double life. Hiccup essentially bats for the other team while pretending to be still upholding socially-sanctioned norms – say participating in basic dragon-slaying training, hanging out with far less sensitive Viking lads, and joining the militia.

Aside from a well-written storyline (which loosely adapts the original children’s book for a more grown-up audience) and witty dialogue, the film’s other strength is in its realisation of CGI animation, especially in dragon design as well as action choreography.

This film is of course kiddie and teen-friendly and should appeal to adults by virtue of its knowing humour. How to train your dragon is a rare film that succeeds in being funny without trying too hard to be funny or worse, inserting dated pop cultural references that would only alienate adults in a misguided attempt to be hip. And it’s available in 3D too and Pixar should be feeling the heat!