This week I saw Dreamwork’s “How to Train Your Dragon” for the second time. (That’s right, twice! I rarely do that.) I was lucky enough to win a free ticket to see it the week it came out from the Inland Empire Press-Enterprise (thanks!), and thoroughly enjoyed it so much that I had to bring my husband back to see it again.

If you know me, you know that I usually love ANYTHING animated, but I have to say, this was a well-deserved good review. It’s rare to find a film that both kids and parents will enjoy, and this is one of them. There’s everything you could want in a movie, from the cute “pet” and “heart” factor to lively action, fight, and flight scenes (the 3D is well worth the extra fee). The characters are well-rounded and likeable, and the dragon, Toothless, is adorable and funny. I laughed out loud a few times, realizing that the dragon resembled my cat immensely…I’m sure the artist’s studied various real-life animal’s play and hunting instincts, or else my cat is part dragon! They have the same big eyes. 🙂

From an animator’s point of view, I have to say that the textures and details were pretty amazing. More than once I found myself entranced, staring at the freckles on the main viking boy’s face, or the rough texture of a viking’s beard. The artists really captured realism, yet stylized it to make it unique. It actually inspired me to go home and practice my 3D modeling, which says a lot. If a film inspires you to become a better creative artist, you know it’s good! 🙂