From the previews, I was uninterested: the voice of the narrator (Jay Baruchel) grated me at every turn, and, frankly, the previews seemed to be intended for a much younger audience, really focusing on the stupider sight gags and puns as opposed to the strength of the movie: the relationship between the main character (Hiccup) and his dragon (Toothless). Indeed, this is the most pleasing part of the film. The Vikings? Not so much. They supply a plot, a purpose, a raison d'être, but they don't add much to the movie. The best parts about these minor characters are certainly the other younguns Hiccup attends "Dragon Training" with, but they don't get quite enough screen time (and not varied purposes) to really impact the film.
Good thing that the movie spends a good portion of its time with Toothless, its real star. He's beautiful (really, the whole film is), charming, loyal, and oftentimes really cute. He is, certainly, a "pet", once the domestication happens, and he's everything you'd expect from a real pet. And Baruchel's interaction with him is really grand. (And his narration was fine, really. A couple of lines made me cringe, but they were more than counterbalanced by the appropriateness of him for the character.)
As a whole, I wasn't as emotionally attached to the movie as I am to, say, Toy Story or its sequels, but I enjoyed it from start to finish, which is something I can't say for, say, Shrek or A Shark Tale. There were a few scenes that were somewhat wistful, but the level of the film was pretty even: no major ebbs and tides, emotionally. This is okay in this type of film, but doesn't quite make as sizable an impact as maybe it could have. All this being said, my expectations were exceeded.
Score: 7.5/10
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