Overview
A young Viking discovers the power of friendship and understanding in a world of dragons.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- exhilarating
- tender
- family movie night
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a visually spectacular, funny, and emotionally resonant animated adventure with strong character relationships.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hiccup's clumsy, inventive nature conflicts with Berk's warrior culture, while his relationship with Toothless reshapes his identity.
Hiccup discovers that dragons are not the mindless enemies his village assumes them to be.
Berk's village, warrior customs, ship imagery, and character names evoke a mythologized Viking world.
Hiccup and Toothless's flight sequences use sweeping views of Berk and dynamic dragon riding.
Films like How to Train Your Dragon, and why
The Iron Giant
shared animated fantasy adventure, heartfelt human creature friendship, and themes of empathy overcoming inherited prejudice
Big Hero 6
shared family-friendly animation, inventive young outsider protagonist, comedic energy, and emotional coming-of-age arc
The Last Unicorn
shared fantastical animal companionship, visually expansive adventure, and themes of understanding a misunderstood species
Movie Details
- Directors
- Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders
- Release Date
- 2010-03-18
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (14762)
Cast
- Jay Baruchel
- Gerard Butler
- Craig Ferguson
- America Ferrera
- Jonah Hill
- Christopher Mintz-Plasse
- T.J. Miller
- Kristen Wiig
- Robin Atkin Downes
- Philip McGrade
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is How to Train Your Dragon about?
- A misfit Viking befriends a wounded dragon and transforms his warrior community’s fear into understanding.
- What is How to Train Your Dragon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of How to Train Your Dragon as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is How to Train Your Dragon violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in How to Train Your Dragon as mild.
- What did critics think of How to Train Your Dragon?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a visually spectacular, funny, and emotionally resonant animated adventure with strong character relationships.
- Which films are like How to Train Your Dragon?
- Films with a similar feel include The Iron Giant, Big Hero 6, and The Last Unicorn.
- How long is How to Train Your Dragon?
- How to Train Your Dragon runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch How to Train Your Dragon?
- In United States, How to Train Your Dragon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
