EW: Dragon’s 3D is “breathtaking, kinetically dreamy”

Praise for How to Train Your Dragon from many top critics impressed by 3D utilized to thrilling effect. (I suspect some credit is due to Roger Deakins as well, serving as visual consultant.)

Owen Gleiberman, EW: How to Train Your Dragon, the new 3-D digital fable from DreamWorks Animation, has a kinetically dreamy, soaring-through-the-air effervescence… but it’s also the rare animated film that uses 3-D for its breathtaking spatial and emotional possibilities. When Hiccup and Toothless take to the sky, we’re free of constraint, aware of the space on all sides. At moments like those, the movie makes you feel in every way miles high.

Michael Philips, Chicago Tribune: The swoops and dives of the exuberant 3-D DreamWorks Animation feature “How to Train Your Dragon,” in which the teenage hero breaks all the Viking rules and befriends the winged enemy, should prove as addicting to its target audience as similar scenes have in a little something called “Avatar.” …Seeing “Dragon” in 3-D really is a must. Its formidable realm of Vikings and dragons and nerds (oh my!) should be enjoyed to the fullest extent theaters allow.

Claudia Puig, USA Today: How to Train Your Dragon fires on all cylinders. It’s a thrilling action-adventure saga with exhilarating 3-D animation, a clever comedy with witty dialogue, a coming-of-age tale with surprising depth and a sweetly poignant tale of friendship between man and animal. The 3-D technique fulfills its promise here, enhancing the sequences rather than simply serving as the gimmick du jour.

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Kid stuff? Maybe. But How to Train Your Dragon, from the book by Cressida Cowell, works enough miracles of 3-D animation to charm your socks off.