And the real distinction of “How to Train Your Dragon” — the
reason it deserves to be seen in a theater with special glasses on, rather than
slapped on the DVD player when the children are acting up — lies in those
airborne sequences. Movies and aviation grew up together, and at least since
William A. Wellman’s “Wings” won the first best-picture Oscar back in 1929,
filmmakers have been obsessed with using the medium to capture the feeling of
flight. When Hiccup first climbs on Toothless’s back and urges the dragon to
take wing, the hearts of the audience soar with a primitive and durable delight.
The techniques that enabled this feeling may be dauntingly complicated, but the
feeling could not be simpler.
