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Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse ... see more see more... , Craig Ferguson , Kristen Wiig , T.J. Miller

The son of a Viking chief must capture a dragon in order to mark his passage into manhood and prove his worthiness to the tribe in directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois' adaptation of Cressida Cowe... read more read more...ll's popular children's book. Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse provide voices for the DreamWorks Animation production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

90% liked it

209,744 ratings

Critics

98% liked it

174 critics

PG, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Peter Hastings, Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

Release Date: March 26, 2010

Keywords: family, cute, kids, funny, animated, 3D

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DVD Release Date: October 15, 2010

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Stats: 24,766 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (24,766)


  • fb1019018362
    December 3, 2012
    fb1019018362
    Great concept of dragon story.
  • December 2, 2012
    Humans vs. Jaws vs. Bigger Jaws

    Thats basically the story but somehow its an amazing film!
  • August 16, 2012
    It's funny, touching, and intense. "How to Train Your Dragon" is a great film with a stellar voice cast. Animated features don't get much better than this.
  • May 19, 2012
    Loved it!
  • March 25, 2012
    What a bizarre movie. Not in the sense that its ideas and themes are exactly unique (pacifism instead of mindless violence, no one else has EVER done that!), but in the sense that it's bizarre to see such a heartfelt film being made by Dreamworks. Dreamworks is NOT a bad company,... read more it's just that their work is usually inferior to the Pixar movie that comes out that particular year. This is the only time that Dreamworks has ever REACHED the Pixar Pantheon. And you know what? It's a fantastic film, equally enjoyable for adults as it is for kids. The dragon Toothless is an endearing character, speaking with body language in some kind of bizarre mixture between dog and cat and huge freakin' lizard. But the biggest triumph by far is the ending. I obviously won't say what it is here, but the ending is one of the gustiest things I've seen in a major kid's animated film since the Disney Renaissance. Dreamworks may not have a perfect track record, but this film is certainly a significant boost to that track record.
  • March 9, 2012
    Dreamworks is starting to learn from Pixar. To watch a relationship slowly being created between Hiccup and the dragon was extremely entertaining. However, the humor and the dialogue in this movie was borderline awful. Still a lot of fun
  • fb1378820053
    February 21, 2012
    fb1378820053
    How to train your dragon dosen't contain as much humour and wit off previous Dreamwork animations but will win you over with it's groundbreaking animation and a dramatic emotional storyline. How to train your dragon is a milestone in animation...
  • February 9, 2012
    I know this animated film had its faults, including an unrealistic setting and the same father/son dynamic issues that have plagued child faire for who knows how long, but you have to take that in stride. Yes, the Vikings are Scottish, which is ridiculous, but obviously this isn'... read moret a real world, as there is a swarm of dragons running around breathing fire and burning down the village. For what it was, it was pretty original, heartwarming, and unbelievably family friendly while still retaining comedy that works for all ages. It's a fantasy story with an original twist, and superb execution, which everyone takes for granted. The story is handled well, the singular hero is an awkward teen overcoming his father, but at the same time he's a brave individual who always has had the values, hopes and dreams of an exceptional person, so though he's seen as weak by the surrounding characters, we the audience always empathize with his plight. DreamWorks is guilty of making disgustingly unoriginal films, starting with the enjoyable and yet bitter Shrek, a film that satirized Disney after DreamWorks' head Jeff Katzenberg was fired from Disney's studios. They went on to make films that mirrored Pixar's but cheaper and less impressive, though recently they have been veering away from giant franchises like Shrek or crap like Over the Hedge and Flushed Away. Nowadays they're turning out hits like Kung Fu Panda and this amazing film. This is up and beyond from anything else they have previously done and it's actually unlike a lot of children films. It doesn't talk down to children, only engages their sense of wonder and astonishment. They can see themselves doing this, living this magical journey, and really that's the kind of films studios should be making, instead of edgy, adult films that stink up the box office and lead to studio's financial slumps. How to Train Your Dragon, though odd to make a sequel, is really the family film we have all been holding our breath for.
  • January 29, 2012
    The premise was interesting and the film was suprisingly deep. The 3D sequences are really well done and character was really created for the dragons as well as the humans. There was dramatic depth but the only criticism I have is of how much attention was put on these dragons..
  • January 13, 2012
    Father/son relationship issues and Vikings with Scottish accents aside, I absolutely loved this non-pixar CGI cartoon. The characters are well throughout and the action/comedy doesn't come at the expensive of story and vice-versa. The animation is great and the voice cast - apart... read more from the fact they're all Scottish for no good reason, are also good. I'm not sure if a sequel is really necessary but my confidence in Dreamworks has increased immensely after this and Kung-Fu Panda.

Critic Reviews


Christine Champ
May 6, 2011
Christine Champ, Film.com

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

James Berardinelli
April 4, 2011
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

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 juvenil... Full Review

Tom Huddleston
April 1, 2010
Tom Huddleston, Time Out

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

Stephen Cole
March 26, 2010
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

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. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
March 26, 2010
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

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. Full Review

Tom Long
March 26, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

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. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
March 26, 2010
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

One of the pleasures in this wise, emotionally bold PG ride is there's nary a wink, nudge or nod to popular culture. Full Review

A.O. Scott
March 26, 2010
A.O. Scott, New York Times

Tenderness, beauty and exhilaration are the movie's great strengths. Full Review

Nancy Churnin
March 26, 2010
Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News

The film truly starts to soar when Hiccup takes his first ride on Toothless. Full Review

Bob Mondello
March 26, 2010
Bob Mondello, NPR

What gives [this] story emotional heft has to do with a different kind of dimension: a depth of feeling surrounding the Black Stallion-style bonding of boy and beast. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts


    • Hiccup: Thank you for nothing you useless reptile.
    • Hiccup: I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him, and I saw myself.
    • Tuffnut: Get your hand off my shield!
    • Ruffnut: There's like a million other shields.
    • Tuffnut: Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers.
    • Ruffnut: [hits Tuffnut with the shield] Oops! Now this one has blood on it.
    • Fishlegs: Chances of survival are dwindling into single-digits now!
    • 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.
    • Snotlout: Love on the battlefield!

How to Train Your... : Watch Free on TV


How to Train Your Dragon Trivia


  • What type of dragon is Toothless in Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon?  Answer »
  • In the film how to train your dragon what is the main characters name?  Answer »
  • In the computer animated fantasy film "How to train your dragon" a Viking teenager called Hiccup decided to help a dragon,despite his initial intention to kill it. His dragon friend is called:  Answer »
  • who has given the voice for hiccup in the movie how to train your dragon?  Answer »

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