How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) is an animated action-adventure film that explores the unlikely friendship between a scrawny Viking teenager named Hiccup and a fearsome Night Fury dragon he names Toothless. Set in the mythical Viking village of Berk, where dragon slaying is a way of life, Hiccup struggles to meet his father's expectations until his bond with Toothless challenges centuries of tradition and prejudice. The movie features thrilling aerial sequences and intense dragon battles as Hiccup tries to convince his community that dragons are not the enemies they perceive them to be. Targeted at a broad family audience, the film is praised for its strong messages of empathy, understanding, and the importance of challenging preconceived notions. While containing elements of peril and fantasy violence typical for its genre, it largely maintains an accessible tone, balancing humor with dramatic moments. The narrative ultimately champions individuality, the strength of friendship, and finding peaceful solutions over conflict.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe film features frequent, intense fantasy violence involving dragons and Vikings, including battles, destruction of property, and character injuries, but generally avoids graphic gore. Characters engage in combat with medieval weapons, dragons breathe fire, and there are direct physical confrontations. The animated style softens the impact, yet the intensity and frequency can be significant.
Dragon attacks on the Viking village of Berk are frequent, showing dragons burning homes and carrying off livestock, with Vikings retaliating using swords and catapults. During the climactic battle against the enormous Red Death dragon, Hiccup suffers a severe injury, losing part of his leg, which is later shown as a prosthetic, and Toothless also sustains injuries to his tail.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie contains frequent scary and intense sequences, primarily due to large, menacing dragons and chaotic battle scenes. Young children may find the fierce dragon appearances, loud noises, and the peril faced by characters frightening. These elements are sustained throughout the film's action sequences.
The film opens with an intense dragon raid on the village of Berk, featuring fire, explosions, and screaming villagers, creating a chaotic and frightening atmosphere. The Red Death, a colossal and monstrous dragon, is introduced as a major antagonist, depicted as a truly terrifying force that can control other dragons and consumes them whole, posing a significant threat during the climax.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumThe first 'How to Train Your Dragon' film contains no explicit LGBTQ+ characters or themes. However, in the sequel, 'How to Train Your Dragon 2', the character Gobber makes a subtle, ad-libbed comment that director Dean DeBlois (who is openly gay) later confirmed was intended to imply Gobber is gay, stating, 'This is why I never married. This and one other reason.' Fan communities and critics also discuss Hiccup's initial 'queerness' as an allegory for being an outcast and defying societal norms, particularly masculine expectations, though Hiccup is depicted as heterosexual in the films.
While the first film lacks overt LGBTQ+ content, the character Gobber in 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' provides a subtle reference to his sexual orientation with the line, 'This is why I never married. This and one other reason.' Additionally, discussions within fan communities and academic reviews interpret Hiccup's journey in the first film—being an outcast and befriending the ostracized dragons—as an allegory for the queer experience of challenging heteronormative ideals, despite his heterosexual romance with Astrid.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumRomantic content is mild and limited to innocent teenage crushes and brief physical affection. There are some mild suggestive comments or visual elements noted, primarily in passing. The focus remains on friendship and adventure, with no explicit sexual acts or graphic nudity.
Hiccup has a clear crush on Astrid throughout the film, leading to a scene where Astrid eventually kisses Hiccup on the cheek. One of the teenage Viking characters, Snotlout, makes a mildly suggestive comment to Astrid, saying, 'I've got a basement room… want to come and see it?', though it's played for comedic effect.
Profanity
MediumThe film contains brief instances of mild language and name-calling, consistent with its PG rating. Stronger profanity is absent, and the usage is generally infrequent and not central to dialogue or character.
Examples of mild language include name-calling such as 'idiot,' 'devil,' 'useless reptile,' and 'butt elf.' The phrase 'All hell is gonna break loose' is used once during a tense moment.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumHiccup's central conflict involves his inherent difference from his Viking community and his father, Stoick the Vast. His initial actions are driven by a desire for acceptance, but his unconventional methods lead to him secretly defying tribal traditions and his father's direct orders, cultivating a theme of rebellion against societal expectations and parental authority.
Hiccup actively disobeys his father's commands to participate in dragon training and instead secretly befriends Toothless, hiding their relationship from the entire village and leading a double life. He openly challenges the centuries-old Viking tradition of killing dragons by attempting to show his community that dragons can be understood and befriended, directly rebelling against his father's leadership and the prevailing mindset.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowThere are no explicit depictions of witchcraft, magic rituals, or occult practices. The Viking setting naturally includes references to Norse mythology, such as mentioning Odin and Thor, which are cultural rather than religious or occult practices depicted within the narrative. The dragons themselves are fantastical creatures, not associated with occult powers.
The people of Berk, being Vikings, occasionally reference Norse gods like Odin and Thor as part of their cultural background, but these are brief mentions and not active practices or themes. The dragons are presented as biological (albeit fantastical) creatures within the film's world, without any magical spells or occult rituals being used to control or interact with them.
Substance Use
LowThe film contains no depictions of alcohol consumption, drug use, or smoking by any characters. Parental reviews consistently report an absence of substance use throughout the movie.
There are no scenes showing characters drinking alcoholic beverages. The film does not feature any instances of drug use or smoking by any characters.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe film is set in a fictional Viking world, which naturally includes references to Norse mythological figures like Odin and Thor as cultural background elements. These references are not presented in a manner that promotes paganism over Christianity or actively mocks Christian beliefs. Reviews from Christian perspectives generally indicate that the film does not glorify or mock God or Christian values.
Characters occasionally use exclamations such as 'Odin's beard!' or mention figures from Norse mythology (e.g., Odin and Thor), which are integrated as cultural elements of the Viking setting rather than explicit religious promotion. Christian reviews note that while the film is not overtly Christian, it also does not contain content that is anti-Christian or mocks Christian values.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
The animated film 'How to Train Your Dragon' is generally recommended for children aged 6 and up, with parental guidance suggested for those between 6-9, and considered suitable for ages 10 and over without specific warnings. This recommendation is due to sequences of intense action, some scary images, and themes of violence and peril which may be too frightening for very young or sensitive viewers.
Additional Notes
The live-action remake of 'How to Train Your Dragon' (scheduled for 2025) is noted to be more intense in its visuals and some scenes compared to the 2010 animated original, particularly concerning the realistic appearance of dragons and the portrayal of peril, which may warrant re-evaluation for younger audiences.
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