In the CGI animation field, Dreamworks have rarely reached the transcendent, consistent heights of Pixar, often coming across as the second-rate cousin who’s always trying too hard and not quite getting there. But with the exuberant adventure How to Train Your Dragon, they’re as close as they’ve come to making something that could rival Pixar’s efforts. An adaptation of Cressida Cowell’s children’s book, it maybe their most satisfying animated feature to date, well-proportioned in its combination of timeless storytelling (a boy and his misunderstood pet), physical comedy and awesome spectacle. The relationship between Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the young, gangly blacksmith’s apprentice who’s trying to prove his worth to his viking father (Gerard Butler), and Toothless, the mysterious black, blue-flame-spitting dragon feared by the entire clan, is one many kids will instantly warm to – it’s sweet, funny and moving (the scene where Toothless mimics Hiccup’s smile will melt your heart regardless of age). There’s also a thankful lack of lame pop culture-referencing wisecracks and more faith placed in its classic story, which helps prop this up above the likes of Madagascar and the entire sorry Shrek franchise. The film’s soaring, swooping dragon-flying sequences would have looked smashing on 3D, but speaking someone who missed it at the theatres, it’s exciting enough in 2D.