How to Train Your Dragon

What’s it about?

As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.

The facts

• Directed by Dean DeBlois
• English language
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Starring Mason Thames (Hiccup), Nico Parker (Astrid), and NZ actor Julian Dennison (Fishlegs)
• Live action version of the animated film of the same name

Why did it get this rating?

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Violence

The opening sequence shows villagers fighting dragons that are attacking their homes. Viking weapons such as swords, shields and slingshots are used for defence. We don’t see any detail of wounds from the battles but there are various amputees among the fighters. Characters with metal arms, and/or peg legs are common in the village.

In one particularly dramatic fight scene a character bashes the eyeball of a dragon repeatedly with a hammer to stop the dragon attacking.

Scary scenes

The dragons are animated with great realistic detail, in the style of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, which can be very scary for younger viewers. Various types of dragons can be scary for their appearance (teeth, claws, fire breath) and sounds, as well as the descriptions of how different dragons kill their prey (turn people inside out, burnt to a crisp etc.).

Trainee dragon fighters practice in an arena with ‘real’ dragons. The characters are often running and hiding for their lives.

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?