^ You forgot one thing, landbeforetimelover: using a cutsie character with no personality to sucker people in. In the three trailers I watched, I found nothing intresting or cute about Toothless. Its design is uncreative and even a little ugly. Why not have just stuck to the original design? A small, green, talking baby dragon? That would have been intresting and even provided some depth between the protagonists.
The story may be good, but it's been told before and it's been told better. Hiccup is the generic underdog we've seen in many a movie. A nobody at the beginning with zero confidence but quickly becomes a hero, gets the girl, discovers his self worth and makes everything right in the world. If you've played RPGs or watched shonen anime, then you know exactly how this story will go.