Rated PG

Closely following the animated film from fifteen years ago, the story follows a young Viking named Hiccup who befriends a dragon, in spite of living in a village that constantly hunts the beasts. Hiccup must use his new relationship to show his village how to work together for everyone’s benefit.

Although it’s a bit of a slow-starter, when the movie takes off, it’s hard to look away. Using breathtaking visuals and thrilling flying sequences, this is a film that calls to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

While at its heart it’s a kids’ movie, it’s doesn’t talk down to its audience. There’s a real human side to the story, and that makes it entirely watchable by parents and older generations.

Some elements seem unnecessary to remake, like Toothless the Dragon looking almost identical to his animated version. However, there’s other elements of the live-action presentation that gives the film the extra zhuzh it needs to be awe-inspiring.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON gets four Viking axes out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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