8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
A young Viking named Hiccup lives on the windswept island of Berk, where his father Stoic the Vast is the tribe's feared chief, and fighting dragons is part of every young warrior's training. But Hiccup's destiny of becoming a prized dragon fighter takes an unexpected diversion when he saves and befriends an injured dragon, Toothless. Hiccup now embarks on a mission of his own to convince his tribe to abandon its barbaric tradition of ruthless dragon-slaying and try out some new methods.
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah HillAdventure | 100% |
Family | 92% |
Animation | 77% |
Fantasy | 72% |
Comedy | 41% |
Teen | 10% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1
Mandarin: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dutch: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Blu-ray 3D
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Killing a dragon is everything around here.
With How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks Animation seems on the cusp of finally matching in overall quality the typical Pixar effort.
Long
since the industry-standard for computer-animated entertainment, Pixar's movies are not only gorgeously rendered and impeccably scripted, but
they're centered by moving story lines and thematic subtexts that make them not only fun for the kids but worthwhile movies for more demanding
parents. How to Train Your Dragon is, on the other hand, constructed around a story that's as predictable as they come but that's
nevertheless endearing and plenty of fun. DreamWorks' latest is also home to some breathtaking animation the likes of which has never before
been seen in a
movie not bearing the famed Luxo Jr. logo. Dragon is a movie for the kid at heart in every viewer, a picture that's one part sweeping
adventure and two parts childhood fantasy; combined with its touching story elements that speak on the importance of being true to one's self, the
strength that's found in the bonds of friendship, and the importance of acceptance based on character rather than appearance or past actions, the
movie serves as both worthwhile entertainment and subtle moral reinforcement all in one. While it doesn't break new ground from a thematic
perspective or reach the level of soulfulness of the best Pixar films, How to Train Your Dragon is nevertheless one of the best of its kind for
both its impeccable visuals and quality story line.
Angry 3D fans (Toothless) give exclusive-happy studios and equipment manufacturers (Hiccup) the evil eye.
How to Train Your Dragon's full HD 3D Blu-ray transfer is impressive, but it's no better or no worse than the average animated 3D Blu-ray
presentation.
The
transfer's traditional attributes impress, and in terms of raw detail, color reproduction, and the like, this 3D presentation is nearly the match of the
standalone 2D release. Indeed, the remarkable detailing of the 2D release remains intact
here, with the image revealing the finest nuances in clothes, hair, faces, rocks, landscapes, and Toothless' roughly-textured hide. Colors are natural
and
eye-catching throughout, with the bright hues seen on various dragon hides and numerous wooden shields appearing without any perceptible loss of
vibrancy through the 3D filter. If there's a drawback to any one area of the transfer, it comes in the form of blacks that are simply too dark; no doubt
parts
of
How to Train Your Dragon are by their very nature dark, particularly the opening battle sequence, but the transfer's blacks are so
overwhelming
that there are several instances where they just devour the entire screen and leave little room for anything but the faintest of outlines of foreground
characters. Otherwise, this 3D presentation is comparable to DreamWorks' exceptional 2D effort, and save for those blacks, the differences between
those elements both transfers share in common are negligible at worst.
How to Train Your Dragon's 2D Blu-ray featured an excellent sense of depth to begin with, and it's only enhanced by this quality 3D
presentation. Like most of the other Blu-ray 3D releases, Dragon's visuals are more about achieving a sense of realistic depth than they are
wowing the audience with pointless gimmicks that usually only deflect attention away from the overall quality of the presentation. How to Train
Your Dragon, much like the 3D release of My Bloody Valentine, doesn't work quite as well in its darker scenes as
it
does when working around brighter backdrops. Considering just how dark this 3D transfer can be, it's no surprise that the 3D effect appears
diminished
under the crushing blacks, but viewers will notice the image's many plusses in the 3D arena once it lightens up. The transfer handles both the
obviously 3D environments and the not-so-obvious little touches that truly make a 3D transfer a winner equally well. The digital environment is
home to several locales that benefit from the added depth; the Vikings training arena appears as a seamless 360-degree environment with plenty of
perceptible spacing both around the entire perimeter and through its vertical axis. Likewise, the clearing where Hiccup and Toothless form their
friendship appears as a spectacularly-realized environment where viewers will note the spacing between rocks, grasses, and other objects. The
wooded area outside the clearing offers some of the finest 3D imagery yet; not only is the spacing between trees nothing short of real in appearance,
but the way the various crooked branches hang around the screen adds another layer of impressive depth that replicates the look and feel of such a
location almost too well.
It's no surprise that these environments look great; any 3D image worth its Blu-ray disc should achieve similar results, so what sets the better
transfers apart from the lesser ones is the way it handles the less obvious but no less important aspects that put the finishing touches on a great 3D
presentation. Small details like the way a character's chin juts out from his face; the way sparks from a fire float around the screen and, in this case,
seemingly
in front of and behind it; an underwater shot where a fish seems to be swimming in front of the television screen; the feeling of real space as a
dragon flies around the screen, offset against a monochromatic overcast sky; or even the sensation that dense fog is floating by in layers rather than
as a singular gray chunk all contribute to an overall high quality image and help make a traditionally good 3D image great. Of all of the transfer's nice
little touches, the best arguably comes in chapter five during a scene featuring Hiccup studying an old book on dragons. The way the pages lay one
atop another and fall in towards the middle where they're attached to the spine gives off an incredibly realistic sensation that perfectly duplicates the
look of an open book lying on a flat surface. It's such a mundane visual but nevertheless one that works incredibly well in 3D, and it's those sort of
little touches that are just as likely to impress as the bigger, more generalized attributes that so often overwhelm most 3D Blu-ray discussions. The
only real issue here is that viewers will still have to contend with some bouts of ghosting and transparency around a few edges, usually off to one side
of Hiccup's face. Such occurrences -- at least on Panasonic's first-generation plasma unit -- are the exception rather than the rule, and they aren't
cause for too much alarm or distraction. The biggest fault of this transfer is definitely the overwhelming blacks. As a raw 3D effort it's otherwise
about as good as anything else out there right now, and it's too bad it's currently only available as a pricy exclusive title. Please note that all
screenshots in this review were captured from the 2D transfer located on the 3D disc.
Many Blu-ray and 3D fans were understandably perplexed and upset when DreamWorks' bundled-exclusive release of Monsters vs. Aliens -- the first-ever 3D title available -- was absent a lossless soundtrack. Several months later, the studio's second release -- again a Samsung exclusive -- has not only made things right with the inclusion of a losses track, but DreamWorks has gone one step further by one-upping the standard 2D release of How to Train Your Dragon by granting the 3D release with a full-fledged 7.1 TrueHD soundtrack, adding two additional surround channels not available on the 2D version's 5.1 TrueHD presentation. The 2D release's lossless soundtrack is amazing, but the added presence of the additional two channels manages to makes this release's soundtrack even better. Indeed, the track takes full advantage of the added channels, creating an even more refined, seamless, and all-encompassing soundstage. Music is subtly supported by the back channels but is spaciously and with infinite clarity and power handled primarily across the front. Dialogue is perfectly centered and amazingly clear and accurate, with just enough force behind it to give it a big, cinematic feel. Bass is fantastically aggressive and effortlessly strong, rattling the soundstage with regularity but never playing as sloppy or absent precise levels of power. Best of all, the track makes full use of the added surround channels; the opening battle between Vikings and Dragons delivers plenty of pinpoint effects and swooping, multi-directional elements. Whether fireballs zipping straight through the listening area from front to back or the Night Fury screeching its way around the listening area, listeners will feel engulfed in a seamless 360-degree field of sound that's as impressive as most anything else on Blu-ray. Atmospherics are perfect, too, with the track delivering plenty of natural environmental effects -- slight breezes, chirping birds, or the sound of crackling fires -- here and there around the soundstage to put the finishing touches on a perfect 7.1 soundtrack. Why this track wasn't included with the 2D release is anyone's guess, but 3D fans are in for a real treat with this exceptional soundtrack that's easily one of the year's best.
All that's included is a 3D trailer for Megamind (1080p, 2:32).
Is the computer-animated film home to the next great wave of movies? Studios like Pixar and DreamWorks just can't seem to miss, and it's hard to find another genre or style that's cranked out as many successes as this. How to Train Your Dragon is just the latest in a string of computer-generated film that have not only dazzled with their incredible visuals, but entertained through pitch-perfect stories that find just the right balance between humor and heart. While it's true that Dragon plays as entirely predictable, it's also true that it brings to the table an honesty and approachability that will allow audiences of all ages to find value in the story and its themes of friendship, trust, perseverance, acceptance, and the importance of laying aside differences and finding commonalities that altogether forge a bond that's unbreakable even in the face of the oldest traditions or the most violent of histories. That the film is made of some of the most stunningly beautiful animation is merely icing on the cake, making How to Train Your Dragon a great movie and another example of why the computer-animated film is here to stay. This Blu-ray 3D transfer of How to Train Your Dragon is strong but not leaps and bounds better than any of the other animated 3D titles currently available. Blacks are a bit too overwhelming and both the 3D elements and the overall look of the transfer suffers as a result, but daytime scenes look about as good as can be expected. DreamWorks' inclusion of a soundtrack that's superior to even the tremendous offering available on the standalone 2D disc is commendable, but the fact that the disc is yet another exclusive linked to the purchase of a brand-specific television takes all the air straight out of the excitement surrounding this release. This is the sort of release that could sell the format and not just a television, and it seems like a wasted opportunity to advance Blu-ray 3D in the public eye. Even considering the absence of extras, How to Train Your Dragon 3D would receive an enthusiastic recommendation were it actually available in stores.
2010
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with Penguins of Madagascar Movie Money
2010
Original Epic Movie + Dragon Racing Guide
2010
2010
Deluxe Dragon Collection: How To Train Your Dragon / Legend Of The BoneKnapper Dragon / Book Of Dragons / How To Find Your Dragon / How To Train Your Dragon: Live Spectacular - World Tour Sneak Peek
2010
Family Icons
2010
2010
Single-disc
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2014
2019
2011
2013
2019
2010
2009
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1999
1995
2020
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2012
2012
20th Anniversary Edition
2001
2012
2013
2016
2010
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2010