Reviewing - How To Train Your Dragon
There’s a lot of animated film franchises that I don’t particularly care for. Madagascar, Ice Age, Despicable Me, Kung Fu Panda, Hotel Transylvania…it’s not as though I can say that all of these are garbage, but it’s not the kind of entertainment that I’m looking for. By and large, Disney and Pixar are the only two animation studios who’ve consistently earned my trust.
How to Train Your Dragon is proof that Dreamworks Animation can still give Disney a run for their money. Ever since Hiccup and Toothless burst onscreen in 2010, we’ve been able to see an animated kingdom with real substance and permanence. Characters grow. They lose limbs. They die. It’s a franchise that bravely pushes itself forward where others simply look to drag things out for just a bit longer. And look – maybe you really like Madagascar. That’s fine. But Madagascar doesn’t have dragons.
How to Train Your Dragon (****1/2)
How to Train Your Dragon is a dream come true – it’s an exhilarating thrill ride with heart, boldness, and most of all, fire-breathing death lizards.
I can’t remember where I first watched this film, but I’ve never forgotten the shot where the Vikings are staring up into the sky, looking at dark clouds light up with silhouettes of Toothless and the ‘Red Death’ doing battle. I was so taken aback with the epic-ness of the moment, and re-watching that scene still gets me going even today. In a genre too often characterized by silliness and low emotional stakes, this film was willing to put its characters in increasingly tumultuous circumstances for the sake of a good story. That’s not to say that the film was devoid of silliness, but what I admire so much about HTTYD is its commitment to story and beauty first, followed closely behind by laughs.
How to Train Your Dragon is a visual marvel. Sure, some of the characters and dragon designs seem a little cartoonish – but every single scene with Hiccup and Toothless flying is enough to take your breath away. The idea of dragon-riding isn’t a new one, but I’d never seen it realized so beautifully up until this film. They’ve infused those flying scenes with a spirit of adventure and awe, and it’s no wonder that the film turned into a franchise after a moment like this. The final battle sequence against Red Death is one of the grandest animated battles I’ve ever seen, rivalling Mulan’s fight against the Huns on the mountain. Part of what made it so good was the fact that there was real danger. It was clear from the moment Red Death appeared that a lot of Vikings were probably going to die, and the sheer weight of that monster onscreen was enough to make your blood run cold. Every second of that third act was impeccable.
The score added a lot to the spirit of this film, and I have to give credit to John Powell for composing music as fun-filled and inspiring as he did. What really sells this film, though, is the story behind it. HTTYD is a coming-of-age story, a father-son story, and a friendship story all rolled into one. The way that Hiccup and Toothless grow to love each other is compelling and fun – mainly because they struggle so often to understand each other. Hiccup’s relationship with his father is a pivotal plot point that’s emphasized in their visual design; Hiccup is the shrimpiest shrimp you can imagine, and his father looks like he could stop a train if he needed to. The way their relationship develops over the course of the movie is both heartbreaking and fulfilling.
But even more than the visuals, the score, or that epic battle at the end of the film, what I’ve always admired most about this film is the fact that Hiccup loses his leg. It might seem like an odd thing to be excited about, but I love what it symbolizes. Firstly, now Toothless and Hiccup are both ‘broken yet whole’ in a sense. They have to learn to trust in others in order to succeed, and that’s a great message for a film to have. Secondly, it shows us that growing up hurts and you don’t always get there unscathed. Hiccup’s changed the fate of his kingdom, but it’s not like it didn’t cost him anything. I like that. Lastly, this kind of price is one that you can’t just undo. Much like Thanos’ snap in Infinity War or Luke Skywalker getting his hand cut off, this was a moment that would have real ramifications going forward. It means the world narratively for a story to have to live with its own consequences. There’s strength in accepting the past and learning to move on from it, and it’s a problem that television shows have all the time. You always want an episode to end more or less where it was at the beginning so that you can do the same thing all over again next week. But when you force yourself to change the landscape, it paves the way for new, deeper storytelling.
What makes HTTYD even more refreshing is the fact that it’s just getting started by the time the credits roll. The franchise continued to grow – and unlike so many others, it managed to maintain a high level of excellence throughout its run. Well done, Dreamworks!
Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (***)
I didn’t get around to reviewing this until a month or so after having watched it, and unfortunately there wasn’t much of the film that my brain felt deserved a place in the long-term memory department. I remember thinking that the Boneknapper looked pretty sweet, and that Craig Ferguson’s character’s stories were entertaining enough. A blend of traditional animation and modern computer animation could be chalked up to creative filmmaking, but it likely was more the result of a decreased budget. Either way, this is a passable piece of entertainment for the dedicated Dragons fan, but not much else.
Book of Dragons (**)
There’s not really much to discuss here. There isn’t much of a story at all – it’s almost more of a PowerPoint presentation on the different dragons that Dreamworks came up with for this franchise. Largely traditionally animated, this short will excite young dragon fanatics but there’s really no reason for anyone to seek it out.
Dragons: Dawn of the Dragon Racers (***)
It’s a glorified television episode. That doesn’t make it bad, but let’s not pretend it’s something it isn’t. It’s a short, self-contained story that doesn’t grow our characters or leave any significant mark on the franchise. Passable? Sure. Necessary? No way.
Dragons – The Series (***1/2)
This is 100% the kind of television show I would’ve loved to watch as a kid.
Firstly and most importantly, Hiccup is the real Hiccup. When you recast the voice actors, there’s an air of legitimacy that dissipates really quickly. I know that at least one or two voice actors were replaced for the show, but the fact that they kept the star in the driver’s seat is a great move – and really the only way to do it. Secondly, this feels like Pokemon or the Lilo and Stitch show in the sense that the episodes I watched revolved around exploring new places and finding new dragons around every corner. While as an adult it got old for me fast, I have to admit it’s a winning formula for younger audiences. That’s not to say that I was bored – I got to see more dragon riding, and that’s all I care about.
As is my usual path when reviewing animated franchises, I wanted to watch the first five episodes of the series to get a feel for where the show was headed. Tragically, Netflix only had season three onwards, so it’s the first five episodes there that I watched. One of the things that stood out to me was that there seemed to be a definite chronological progression embedded within the show – and I love that stuff. A villain presumably from an earlier season showed up. Characters set new goals with a visible end point. Learning how to end is something that television really struggles with, but from what I could see, Dragons had the right course of action in mind. I can’t say that grown-ups will get anything out of this, but this is definitely the kind of television that I would’ve wanted in my younger days.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 (****1/2)
Unyielding in its commitment to emotional resonance and real stakes, the Dragons franchise releases another fireball of action, humour, and heart.
Everything that I loved about the original film was brought forward to this sequel. Our characters have grown since we last saw them – Hiccup in particular isn’t the shrimp we once knew. They also continue to grow over the course of the film, with Toothless’ evolution being a particular moment of epic-ness at the film’s climax. I just about lost my mind the first time I saw him ‘level up’ Pokemon-style with the glowing spine spikes. Was it a little deus-ex-machina? Maybe. But whatever. It looked awesome.
Hiccup’s relationship with his father continued to be a pivotal part of the story, but what I also loved was Stoick’s relationship with Hiccup’s mom. The voice acting and animation came together beautifully to tell a compelling story about long-lost love, and I was there for every minute of it. Stoick’s sacrifice in this film was executed perfectly because of the growth we’d seen his character undergo up until that point. And again, I’m reminded of how unafraid this franchise is to make big steps. Killing off a character means that their story is over, and when it comes to multi-million dollar franchises, that can be very bad for business. So kudos to Dreamworks for giving us storytelling with real danger.
Ruffnut’s ongoing gag where she’s in love with the new guy was terrific, and I don’t think they milked it past its expiry date. I also thought the villain was wonderfully intimidating and a worthy opponent for our protagonist. And just like last time, we got to see a massive battle between men and dragons, and I absolutely loved that. I can’t say that this sequel improved upon the original, but it certainly met every standard that its predecessor set. If you liked the first one, this one is just as good.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (****1/2)
In which the young boy finds out it’s dangerous to keep fire breathing death lizards in the home
Defeating the curse of third-film-flops, How to Train Your Dragon 3 does the hardest thing a franchise can do – end well.
Although so many trilogies end in disaster, there realistically shouldn’t have been any doubt about this film. Both films that preceded it showed a real sense of respect for the idea that stories need stakes to be effective. And a story that never ends can’t ever have real stakes. This film also kept the director that had been with the franchise since the beginning, which sounds like a no-brainer but clearly wasn’t for franchises like Shrek or Jurassic Park. At the same time, setting out to write the final chapter of a story isn’t easy either. But man – they pulled it off well.
One of the things I love about this film is how it finally addresses the fact that Hiccup’s vision for Berk is absolutely ludicrous. Throughout the films and particularly in the television show, we see Hiccup’s plan to basically find as many dragons as he can and bring them to Berk to live in harmony with the people. If a few people in Berk had dragons, that would be pretty cool. If everyone in Berk had dragons, that would be pretty dangerous. If the dragons of Berk outnumbered the humans at least five to one, that would be positively suicidal. But it’s the Berk that Hiccup has been trying to build ever since the beginning, and it’s only now in this final film that his friends start telling him this might not be a sustainable path forward. The solution, then, is one that sees dragons and humans parting ways forever. It’s sad, but it’s logical and definitive. It’s a solution that clearly solves the issues of the world of the franchise, but it’s also heart-wrenching and a perfect way to close off the story.
Despite the bittersweet nature of the ending, it ended on such a good note for Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup finally took his formal place as the leader of Berk, and I wish they’d given the guy a beard sooner because he looked awesome. More than that, Toothless became a sort of leader of the dragons, so both characters had grown to be independent of each other. What’s great about that is how it’s a natural progression in any coming-of-age story. The first movie was about how Hiccup and Toothless learned to be inter-dependent. Now, they’ve gotten each other to the point where they can move on to their own lives. And yeah, it’s sad that their friendship concluded, but it’s beautiful the way that it did.
I need to take a moment and thank Kristen Wiig for her portrayal of Ruffnut. I didn’t realize until this film that it was her who was providing the voice, and now I understand why she’s been so hilarious from the very beginning. Her role in this film was just as entertaining as she’s been in the previous two films. There’s a lot of minor characters in this franchise, but I’d throw all of them away in order to get more Ruffnut. She’s fantastic.
How to Train Your Dragon continued to be a wonderful surprise for me. Whether it was the narrative, the visual design, the score, the characters, or the action, I was consistently impressed with the quality of work that Dreamworks was pumping out. This franchise can hold its ground against the other great animated franchises of our day, and I’m happy to have witnessed it. Thanks, Dreamworks.