Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
(PG)
***
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How to Train Your Dragon “fires away on all cylinders,” said Claudia Puig in USA Today. DreamWorks’ latest creation is a “coming-of-age tale with surprising depth,” a thrilling ride brought to life with 3-D animation, and a “sweet, poignant tale of friendship between man and animal.” Adapted from Cressida Cowell’s best-selling children’s tales, the movie tells the story of Hiccup, a teenage Viking who befriends a beast his entire village is trying to eradicate, said Peter Travers in Rolling Stone. Though its plot follows pretty conventional lines, How to Train Your Dragon works enough 3-D miracles “to charm your socks off.” The story begins to soar when Hiccup takes flight on the back of his winged pal. Yet “what really makes the story fly” is watching two former foes become friends, said Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News. Directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, the same duo behind the heartwarming Lilo & Stitch, know that tender camaraderie is more powerful than flashy visuals.
