Latest How To Train Your Dragon Movie Trailer Hangs On Dreamworks' Dubious Animation Legacy

I can understand Pixar trading on the legacy of the Toy Story films, Monsters Inc. and so on – even Cars, which I know many critics aren't so kind on  – but Dreamworks Animation trying to draw hype out of their back catalogue? Admittedly they've put the weight on the more successful Shrek and Madagascar franchises, as well as the actually-rather-good Kung Fu Panda, and not such cine-excrement as Shark Tale or Bee Movie, but isn't the consensus that the Dreamworks branding on a toon is best taken as a warning, not an encouragement?

Ah well. They're proud anyway, and so they've stitched together a few legacy clips and a self-aggrandising voice over of spurious exaltation for the top of the new How to Train Your Dragon trailer, which you can see after the break. It seems to be a leak, and not an official release so catch it while you can.

Here's the not-so-hi-res embed:

No idea where it leaked from or how, but there it is, for better or worse. Thanks to everybody who tipped me off via e-mail.

I continue to be confused by everything I see about this film. The whole thing seems rather generic and largley very predictable, even in respect of some of the tiniest details of the animation, design and framing. I can't honestly imagine there being any real surprises anywhere in the entire movie...

...though, on the other hand, it has been steered (at least throughout the last phases of its development and into actual production) by Lilo and Stitch's directing and writing duo, Chris Sanders and Dean De Blois. I can't help but be hopeful. These guys aren't dummies.

I've been doing some totally off-radar, under cover of night research into several upcoming Dreamworks Animation projects, some of which haven't been announced as yet. Stay tuned for my findings in the coming days.