With the success of... ah, what was the name... from that guy who made True Lies... oh, that’s right, Avatar, it was only a matter of time before the 3D flood began in earnest. And sure enough, Dreamworks Animation gives us the 3D, kid-friendly, adult accommodating How to Train Your Dragon (however, in Dreamworks defense, Dragon has been in development for a long time).

Our soon-to-be-hero in this case is the pipsqueak viking and son of the village chief, Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel). Hiccup has been unlucky with the viking genes, and so while everyone else is out fighting the dragons who attempt to steal the village livestock, led in battle by his father, Stoick the Vast (flavor of the month, Gerald Butler) he’s stuck inside stoking the fire of the blacksmith, the aptly named Gobber the Belch (Craig Ferguson, who was obviously having a blast during taping), and dreaming about the hot Viking girl -- and not in a Brunhilde way -- Astrid (America Ferrara). This all changes when Hiccup manages to capture a dragon, the until-then elusive ‘Night Fury’. What he chooses to do next changes his and ultimately the village’s perceptions on their age-old battle with the dragon horde.

All of this of course sounds like the plot of almost every other kids animated movie in the last ten years, and so it should (why rock the boat?). But Dreamworks have always been smart enough to put something in their movies for the adults as well, as seen in movies such as Monsters vs. Aliens, and Kung Fu Panda. And without giving too much away, there is enough of an interesting storyline throughout the film to keep you off your iPhone while the kids are entranced. [Cressida Cowell’s original book appeals to adults as well, which is one of the few aspects that remains consistent between the two versions. I mean, who is Astrid? What was with all the dragon killing? And why was Toothless so tiny? – Ed.]

Certainly, Dreamworks animation has come a long way since Antz and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Flying around with the dragons, you do feel the wind in your hair, and you feel each bump and bruise as they fight the dragons. The eery feeling you have as you watch the viking longboats sift through the dense smog in particular makes full use of the extra dimension. This extra dimension is of course the previously mentioned 3D. I’m still not sold on the whole 3D thing (case in point, did having 3D really make any difference to the last fight scene in Avatar?) but certainly here it is used effectively to build up the action occurring in our lively coastal viking town. Definitely it is used more than just a hastily prepared afterthought of a messy pointy-end-of-a-sword-in-your-face film technique (I’m looking squarely at you Clash of the Titans... I’m gonna say it... the original was better!).

My only criticism is that our friendly dragon, Toothless, looks a little too much like Stitch of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch fame, which was a hard thought to shake while watching it. [He’s not supposed to look a thing like Stitch! He’s supposed to be a massive jet-black winged weapon with awesome retractable teeth! – Ed.] Looking nothing like the other dragons (the builds of the other dragons are mostly used for comedic effect), he doesn’t always feel like a dragon; then again I haven’t actually seen a dragon (have you?), so who am I to judge? Mind you, none of the villagers had seen a ‘Night Fury’ before either, and yet every one of them could identify it straight away (“Aaah! The Night Fury!” Come on, how do you know?).

But these are minor grievances. Go see this film, and feel free to leave the brain switched on (or at least switched to ‘passive’). Sure, it’s not highly memorable, but is certainly a decent enough film. Is the 3D necessary? Probably not. Hollywood is still working this one out. But if you happen to catch this in your 3D cinema, no doubt jammed in between sessions of Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans, you’ll be happy you did.

  -- William Cashin