And That Is How The World... CHANGED

My kiddos had already had the complete IMAX 3-D movie theater experience for almost the same ticket price as some of the limited engagement live action shows, why were my kids so excited to tell me that How To Train Your Dragon is live and coming soon to a town near us? I did not have to wait long to hear that there will be flying dragons breathing fire and Vikings and good versus evil battles and it's going to be live!


All of the excitement and enthusiasm from my 10 year-old son was par for the course, but my daughter, the all mighty High School senior too? Well, thank you Dreamworks, you have managed to once again reel in your target population, people, with your imaginative and inventive quality entertainment.

My "3D's" are blessed to have most amazing Godparents, they have found it in their loving hearts to forgive us for moving an hour and a half's drive away and always manage to send love across the distance. They were sending the kids tickets to see the show at the Izod Center in New Jersey, hopefully only an hour away avoiding rush hour traffic. As soon as Daddy was home from work and the school bus made its second afternoon drop off at our house, we were busy getting after school snacks, gathering homework assignments to complete in the car and packing up the baby bag with all of the tricks of the trade. With tickets in hand, we were ready to roll and everyone was excited to see Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Live, well, I think the baby was just excited to be in the car.

I always try to keep the ending a mystery, to give a general overview to the story of How To Train Your Dragon, I give it the coming-of-age peg. The main character, Hiccup (I have no idea) is ready for his young warrior Viking rites of passage, much to his father's displeasure. Hiccup has great shoes to fill as the son of the village's mighty leader. With little support from his widower father and a demeanor of more inventiveness and less ferociousness, Hiccup struggles to find his way. Hiccup is fearful, tender hearted and not your everday Viking. In the end, he is able to prove himself and show that it is okay to be different and you can make a difference. The story is embellished with vivid imagery projected upon the arena, energetically choreographed dance sequences, synchronized lighting effects and a charismatic cast of actors that had us wishing for a Playbill.

Dreamworks delivers an engaging production that appeals to the entire family. The crew that presented Walking Wtih The Dinosaurs a few years ago, which we also saw at the Izod Center, worked their magic on their creation of realistic looking (perhaps) dragons. Toddlers might find the pyrotechnics and flashing projections to be overwhelming in the darkened auditorium but the excitement and action-packed performances are hard to resist. A great night was had by all and being that we were there on opening night, promotional goodies! The kids donned Viking helmets and took awesome green-screen photos and were given bookmarks, collector pins, and magnets. 

And when all is said and done, the image we were all left with is of flowers and sunshine and the message, "And That Is How The World... CHANGED". Gotta love a happy ending.