Dragons: Riders of Berk, Part 1

Based on the book series by Cressida Cowell (and the 2010 feature film), this well-produced Cartoon Network-aired action-adventure series retains some of the original voice cast, including Jay Baruchel as teen protagonist Hiccup, along with America Ferrara (“Astrid”) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (“Fishlegs”). Set on the mythical Viking Isle of Berk, this 11-episode spin-off compilation begins with “How to Start a Dragon Academy,” which illustrates how Hiccup comes to use his own pet dragon Toothless and his other friends' creatures to the advantage of the village, where residents are fed up with dragon mischief and chaos (such as the gross and always-punctual 3 p.m. poop-fest overhead). Other episodes include “Viking for Hire” (a blacksmith tries to find his place in the world after his weapons are no longer needed to attack dragons), “The Terrible Twos” (about a new baby dragon named Torch that Hiccup takes in, resulting in a touch of sibling rivalry with Toothless), “Portrait of Hiccup As a Buff Man” (Hiccup worries that his robust bearded father is embarrassed by his son's small physique and tries to impress him with a dangerous mission), and the two-parter “Heather Report,” featuring Mae Whitman (Disney's Tinker Bell series) and Mark Hamill as villain Alvin the Treacherous. Bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes and a music video. Also newly available is Dragons: Riders of Berk, Part 2. Sure to be popular, this is definitely recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)