How to Train Your Dragon - Dreamworks has a surefire hit on their hands.

Go see it right now. How's that? Have I said enough? Should I quit right there? This movie is a no-brainer recommendation to just about anyone honestly. It's funny, smart, adorable, wonderfully animated, fantastically paced, intelligently written, and has a lot to say.

I'm not exactly sure what the youngest age range for this flick is, but there were tons of kids in the screening I saw this afternoon, and all of them were giggling, cheering, yelling, and completely engaged in every single second of the movie. Some of the kids behind me were making surprisingly astute comments for being no older than age 8 or 9, it was really encouraging to listen to them especially at a time when we're told that kids' attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. These kids were so wrapped up in the events unfolding onscreen that it's a testament to the solid story-telling that the director and screenwriters were able to achieve.

I'm going to go into some plot and other details shortly, but rest assured that you won't be disappointed if you get out of the house for a few hours this weekend and check this movie out. I know that Hot Tub Time Machine is getting a lot of good word of mouth, but if you only have time for a single movie this weekend don't pass this one up. It's a real treat that easily stands alongside many of Pixar's best features and, while Pixar seems to have had the golden touch the last few years, they should be checking their rear view mirror if Dreamworks continues to produce work of this caliber.

SPOILERS AHEAD. As usual, if you want to go in with a clean slate stop reading here, I will be discussing the plot.

Based on a series of children's stories by Cressida Cowell (which I haven't read) How to Train Your Dragon tells the story of Hiccup, a young viking living in the land of Burq who is struggling to gain his father's approval, find a place for himself in the hurly burly viking lifestyle (Hiccup is a scrawny little guy more suited to using his brains to solve problems), and ultimately finds himself befriending one of the creatures who has been terrifying his viking village for generations. At the outset we learn that vikings and dragons are basically sworn enemies and, though their village has been around for hundreds of years, they have new houses due to the fact that dragons are routinely burning them down in attacks that leave the village in ruins. Adding to Hiccup's troubles is the fact that his father is basically the biggest, baddest viking in the land, the viking chief basically, who slays dragons with little effort, thus making Hiccup's lack of brawn and size all the more problematic.

I don't want to completely give away everything that the movie has in store, but I would dare just about anyone to stand this film up against Avatar and tell me straight faced that Jim Cameron's space fantasy has the better, more cohesive story. It doesn't. This script works extremely well on so many levels, it handles the struggles that Hiccup faces with his father, the difficulties he has with being a "different" kid when dealing with his peers whose only goals are to slay dragons like their parents, and the burgeoning awkward friendship he eventually begins to develop with his pal Toothless, that it's not only fun to watch visually from start to finish, but also a treat to enjoy emotionally. Yes we've seen elements of the story before (look to Pocahontas as mis-understood cultures find a way to work together) but it once again shows that, just because a story is familiar, it can still be enjoyable if the story is told well.

The animation seen here is fantastic, with small details and huge action scenes handled with equal care and aplomb. For my money, one of the best features of the movie is the creature design, specifically Hiccup's pal Toothless. Dreamworks took what we think of as "dragon" and then mixed in some house-cat and smart puppy to give Hiccup's fire breathing friend an instant likability that can't be ignored. The little guy is just too cute on screen, and watching the two of them interact and get to know each other is a blast filled with tons of laughs.

I can't reiterate enough how well executed the pacing of the movie is. Exciting action scenes are interspersed with moments of quiet learning and strong character development. Like I said earlier, the kids that were in the theatre with me seemed to love every minute of it, and were even engaged during the quiet parts. I didn't see a single parent take their little ones out of the theatre crying or anything like that, and I think that says a lot.

The voice acting is strong throughout, and I'd hazard a guess that Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), Gerard Butler (Hiccup's dad Stoick), and Craig Ferguson (Gobber) have already been preliminarily contracted for the inevitable sequel, and I'm sure their thrilled that the movie is doing so well by critics.

Last thing I'll say is that I'm actually a bit surprised that Dreamworks released this movie right now. The end of March is a pretty safe bet I suppose, but they had to know that they had a winner on their hands and I'd guess that the reason they didn't push the release back to this summer is that they didn't want to go up against the 400lb. gorilla that will be Toy Story 3 and risk losing some of their audience. After this I'll be curious to see when the next Dragon movie hits the local cineplex, but you can bet I'm going to be one of the first in line when those tickets go on sale. I can't wait to see what more of the Dragon stories have in store for us.

Whip It - Drew scores in her first effort

I wasn't able to see Drew Barrymore's first directorial effort Whip It when it was in theatres this past fall, I was too busy with work, but I'm happy to say I was finally able to catch it on DVD this past week. Looking down the length of this current blog, I realize that I've been making all of these posts waaaaaaay too long so, in an effort to keep some of you reading, I'm going to aim to keep things a little shorter this time around.

Whip It stars Ellen Page as a teenage girl in a tiny town on the outskirts of Austin, TX. who is struggling with growing up, finding her own identity, dealing with a smothering mom (Marcia Gay Harden), and the difficulties of being a young person with big dreams in a small town. Page is as good as ever in a fun role that seems to be turning into a signature for her, demanding comedic timing, sarcastic wit, genuine emotion, and some serious depth.

Take a look at the picture over there and you'll notice that Ellen is dressed up in full roller derby regalia, and this is where the title of the film comes from. The majority of the plot revolves around Page's character finding a sense of identity, character, and passion amongst the rowdy crowds and interesting characters of the Texas Roller Derby league. Drew Barrymore should be given a lot of credit for making all of the derby scenes fun to watch, and giving the viewer a great sense of the atmosphere that surrounds roller derby.

Though a bit predictable (the life of Page's character starts going SO well past a certain point that you're left sitting there waiting for the other shoe to drop) and containing a couple of overly sentimental moments surrounding her new-found love interest, the plot is fun to watch unfold. Page anchors the movie from start to finish with style and a quirky Austin believe-ability. Having formerly lived in Austin it's also a treat to see how much of the city Drew Barrymore chooses to include in a lot of different scenes. Staple landmarks like the original Alamo Drafthouse, Waterloo Records, and the capitol building all make appearances.

A great supporting cast filled out with Kristen Wiig, Eve, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, and Daniel Stern give the viewer a lot of familiar faces to surround themselves with and they all do really solid jobs in their respective roles. Juliette Lewis is good as Ellen Page's arch rival in the rink, and Daniel Stern has some really funny beats and a great change of character near the end of the film that really tugs at the heartstrings if you let him. It's nice to see him again as I can't think of too much he's done since City Slickers or the Home Alone movies. I'm sure he's done a lot, but it's just slipped past me. Drew Barrymore is also hysterical in the movie as an overly violent stoner derby girl. Prone to beating the other skaters up instead of trying to score points, at one point in the movie the team coach looks at her and asks, "If this play were called 'Bongwater' would you pay attention for a change?" Cracked me up.

I'm bummed I didn't see this in the theatre originally and am thrilled that I was finally able to catch up on it at home. It's an easy recommendation, give it a look and enjoy it.

P.S. - The outtakes during the credits are a lot of fun. Stick around to check them out.