How to Train Your Dragon
As with some other fandoms, I came a little late to this one. I vaguely recall the commercials advertising this film first coming to theatres and ignored them. Then, I was bored on a break from college and decided to give it a shot…and instantly fell in love. And, really, should we be surprised? It involves dragons (fantasy) and Vikings (history). I also utterly fell in love with the soundtrack. I can listen to it on repeat for weeks. [There will be a separate post about the soundtracks for all three movies.]
I have actually already notated this movie [and not sure where the notecards presently are], because I have started an essay on this film following the hero’s path as laid out by Jospeh Campbell. Still need to finish the essay…
The film is actually based on a series of children’s books by Cressida Cowell, inspired by her summers spent on an uninhabited island in Scotland. I have not read the books and considering that the films have deviated from the books and how desperately I love the movies, I don’t think I will go back and read the books at this time. The movie features the voices of Jay Baruchel (he was in Sorcerer’s Apprentice with Nicholas Cage) as Hiccup, America Ferrera (known now for Ugly Betty and the Barbie movie [neither of which I’ve watched, but I have seen her speech from the Barbie movie] as Astrid, Gerard Butler (starred in 300 and Phantom of the Opera [see my post on that movie for my opinion]) as Stoick, and Craig Ferguson (the late night comedian of Scottish descent, who also voiced Lord MacIntosh in Brave) as Gobber. The cast is rounded out with Jonah Hill as Snotlout, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (he makes a brief appearance in Pitch Perfect, as well as other comedy movies that I am not going to watch) as Fishlegs, and David Tennant (the beloved Tenth Doctor, Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter, Crowley in Good Omens, he voices Scrooge McDuck in the new DuckTales cartoon, and other countless roles) as Spitelout [Snotlout’s father]. This also means that the Viking adults are Scottish [Vikings did settle in Scotland and some clans could trace their ancestry to the Norse] and the teens are American.
Toothless actually makes an appearance in the DreamWorks intro; if you look closely, the shape of a Night Fury blocks out some stars for a second. Then Hiccup starts narrating that “This is Berk…” We learn that their pests are not like other places; they have dragons, who are in the middle of raiding their village. This is why the Viking tribe has been on Berk for generations, but every house is new. “We’re Vikings, we have stubbornness issues.” Hiccup rushes outside to help, but keeps getting told by the villagers to get back inside. Even the chief, Stoick the Vast picks up the scrawny teenager and orders him away from the action. Gobber, the village blacksmith, takes the lad to the forge, where Hiccup is his apprentice. Again, the teen is desperate to go out and attempt to kill a dragon so his life will get better, just like the other teens: Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Astrid (note the romantic swell in the music when Hiccup sees her in front of a fireball). As Gobber puts it, the lad has already made an impression, in all the wrong places. Hiccup uses mechanical inventions to make up for what he lacks in typical Viking toughness, but they end up backfiring. Gobber tells his apprentice, “you need to stop all this.” “You just gestured to all of me,” Hiccup bemoans. He’s then ordered to stay put while Gobber helps the village.
Once Gobber leaves, Hiccup sneaks out the back with his bola catapult and starts searching for the elusive Night Fury to shoot down. Hiccup is actually able to track the outline of the dragon in the fireball that the dragon sets off, pulls the trigger, and actually hits his target! But the only one to see him is a Monstrous Nightmare. Stoick has to rescue him from the large dragon, and once the beast has used up his shot limit, takes it on barehanded. But Hiccup has already caused enough damage and the chief is not impressed. Oh, and Stoick happens to also be Hiccup’s father. Gobber once again takes hold of the lad and leads him back to his house so the other Vikings can clean up. Hiccup is aware that he is a disappointment to his father (mimicked in a hilarious accent); all Hiccup wants to be is one of the Vikings.
Stoick plans to take several other adults to search for the dragon’s nest, to put an end to the raids once and for all. When they hesitate about joining their chief, he states that those who stay behind will have to look after Hiccup; then everyone joins in. Stoick asks his friend Gobber to remain behind and start training the teenagers. Gobber also insists that Stoick finally give in and allow Hiccup to train as well. Stoick points out that since the boy could crawl, he’s been different. Gobber comes back with the fact that Stoick can’t stop the boy, only prepare him. Hiccup’s probably already out there now, into mischief.
And in fact, Hiccup is out there, searching for the downed Night Fury. (Notice that the boy is left-handed.) What’s more, he finds the dark dragon. With his little dagger, he’s ready to kill the dragon and present its heart to his father, finally earning respect and acclaim. But the dragon’s green eyes pin on Hiccup for a minute, before closing and accepting its fate. After that, Hiccup can’t go through with it. He cuts the ropes that have entangled the Night Fury. The beast quickly pins him, once again glaring at the small lad. With a roar, he scares him, then takes off.
At home that evening, Stoick informs Hiccup that he is leading another expedition and Hiccup will finally get his wish to be put in dragon training. Only now, Hiccup knows for sure that he can’t kill a dragon. Stoick doesn’t listen to Hiccup, insisting that his son “walk like us, talk like us, and think like us (meaning the other Vikings). No more of this.” “You just gestured to all of me.” Stoick wheedles a deal out of his son and leaves.
Hiccup is not terribly enthused to enter training and the other teens aren’t enthused to have him, but Gobber attempts to put knowledge in their head. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, are a few yaks shy of a herd; Snotlout is boastful and keeps trying to impress Astrid; Fishlegs is knowledgeable, but frightened; and Astrid just wants to complete training and join the fight. She even points this out to Hiccup; it is time he decides what side he’s on. But now Hiccup starts thinking. Gobber told them that dragons always go for the kill. So, why didn’t the Night Fury? Hiccup goes searching for the dragon again and finds him in a cove. The dragon is having trouble flying and Hiccup realizes, when he goes to sketch the beast, that he’s missing part of his tail. When Hiccup reads the dragon manual that evening, the only information on the Night Fury is that it’s believed to be the “unholy offspring of lightning and death itself,” and never engage this dragon. Your only chance is hide and pray it doesn’t find you. Meanwhile, all other dragons are termed extremely dangerous, kill on sight.
Hiccup goes back to the cove again, with a peace offering of fish. The black dragon is imposing as it approaches the Viking teen and growls until Hiccup tosses away his dagger. Then sits there like an adorable black cat waiting for its treat. Hiccup notes the dragon appears to be “toothless” when it approaches, then teeth appear as it swallows the fish. When the dragon notices that Hiccup has nothing, it regurgitates half the fish and stares at Hiccup until he eats it, then even attempts to mimic Hiccup’s lopsided smile. But he scampers off when Hiccup attempts to touch him. So Hiccup patiently follows him, hoping to wear him down. Then Hiccup starts sketching again and the dragon is interested, again, mimicking the human. Hiccup carefully backs up over the large squiggle and ends up right in front of the Night Fury. Hiccup holds out his hand again, and turns his head away, hoping that the dragon will trust him. He hesitates for a second, but bumps his nose against the human’s hand. Then scampers away again. [All over the wonderful Forbidden Friendship track]
Training continues and Hiccup continues to get more ideas. When he’s told that a downed dragon is a dead dragon, he knows he needs to help Toothless fly out, so he designs a new tail for his new friend. More fish helps calm the dragon down on his first attempt to put on a tail fin. It works…sort of. It won’t stay open and they eventually crash. This does nothing to dampen Hiccup’s spirit; it’s just back to the drawing board. While he’s with Toothless, Hiccup learns more about dragons, which helps him in the training ring. They don’t like eel. They have a spot they loved to be scratched. There is grass that is like cat nip to them [it’s called dragon nip in the subsequent series]. The other teens are happy to hang out with him now, though Astrid is suspicious. Even the rest of the villagers are starting to pay attention to Hiccup, so he has to sneak off in order to work with Toothless. He eventually devises a rigging system, saddle, and vest so he can use foot movements on peddles to help Toothless’ tail.
Stoick returns with the other adults, unsuccessful. The villagers are pleased to tell him they don’t miss the nuisance Hiccup was. Stoick asks Gobber if Hiccup is gone. His friend eventually tells him that yes, Hiccup is gone most afternoons, but it’s to get away from his fans and his parenting troubles are over (because yes, Stoick probably wonders for a minute if Hiccup ended up dying).
Meanwhile, Hiccup is going on a test flight with Toothless [again, the soundtrack is amazing!] He’s got a little cheat sheet, which works until the wind tears it away. The two become separated, but Hiccup manages to get back in the saddle and now it’s up to instinct to fly together. And it works. They make a great team. Hiccup remarks to his friend when they take a break, “everything we know about you guys is wrong.” Stoick surprises his son in his workshop that evening, pleased that with Hiccup doing so well in the ring they finally have something to talk about. Except not really. So Stoick gifts his son his first Viking helmet [yes, they have horns, which historically they didn’t, but this is a fantasy world with dragons interacting with humans and a young lad creates a catapult, so we’ll forgive them], which had been half of his mother’s breastplate. That’s of course, after Stoick claimed that Hiccup had been the worst Viking for years and he’d almost given up on him.
Exam day comes for the teens and it’s down to Hiccup and Astrid. Hiccup really rather not win the competition because the prize is to kill a dragon in front of everyone. But he also won’t let Astrid hurt the other dragon, so he accidentally wins. Afterwards, Astrid comes across Hiccup, who is getting ready to leave Berk forever with Toothless. Astrid and Toothless frighten each other and Astrid gets ready to run back to Berk and tell everyone: “da-da-duh, we’re dead.” Toothless picks up Astrid and drops her on a tree while Hiccup attempts to explain. She’ll listen to him only if he gets her down. So she climbs aboard and instead of taking the Viking girl down gently, Toothless teaches her a lesson. Hiccup’s not pleased, at one point dryly commenting, “and now the spinning. Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile” [that part is my text notification on my phone]. Once Astrid apologizes, Toothless slows down and takes the pair up into the clouds (the soundtrack changes to Romantic Flight, and the artwork is stunning.)
Toothless hears something and they soon find themselves in a herd of dragons all flying somewhere…their nest. Which is ruled over by a gigantic queen that eats all the food that the dragons bring back to her. And the occasional dragon as well. She’s as large as a mountain and almost captures our heroes, who manage to fly away in the nick of time. This complicates matters. Hiccup manages to stand up to Astrid and tells her he’ll come up with an idea because he won’t kill a dragon, but he’s also got to protect the other villagers from the gigantic dragon at the nest. Astrid punches Hiccup first for kidnapping her, then gives him a quick kiss on the cheek “for everything else.” (This echoes her finding Hiccup earlier and twisting his arm for the lies and then dropping her axe handle on him for everything else.) She stands by Hiccup’s side when he gets ready to enter the ring the next morning. He pleads that she keep Toothless safe in case the worst should happen to Hiccup.
Stoick jokes to the crowd how Hiccup was a hiccup, though he’s the most surprised and most proud of his son. “Today, my boy becomes a Viking. Today, he becomes one of us!” Hiccup then enters the ring with his large shield, helmet, and pulls out a small dagger. But he soon sets them aside once the dragon is released and slowly approaches the Monstrous Nightmare, telling the dragon he is not one of the Vikings and trying to show everyone, including his father that these beasts are not what they think they are. But Stoick is worried for his son and shouts for the fight to be stopped. The loud bang sets off the dragon and Hiccup has to try to run away. Astrid manages to get in and distract the dragon. Stoick gets her out, but Hiccup is always a step behind. In the cove, Toothless hears Hiccup’s shouts and claws his way out, running to the rescue of his friend. He blasts his way into the ring and takes on the Monstrous Nightmare (remember, Toothless can’t properly fly without Hiccup to help with his tail). Eventually, the other dragon backs off and Toothless protects Hiccup. Then the Vikings start descending in and Hiccup begs Toothless to leave. Stoick runs towards the dragon and his son, armed and ready to kill the black beast, but Toothless takes him on. Hiccup shouts “no!” to his friend, and the dragon swallows his blast, but is soon pinned. Astrid holds Hiccup back from going after Toothless. Stoick throws his son into the great hall to have a talk.
Again, it’s one where they don’t really listen to each other, though Hiccup admits he should have told his father the truth earlier. He begs for his father to be angry at him, but spare Toothless. Stoick is more concerned about the Vikings who could have been hurt. Hiccup finally yells at his father that while dragons have killed hundreds of Vikings, Vikings in turn have killed thousands of dragons; they defend themselves. He also lets slip the knowledge of the nest and the queen, and that only a dragon can find it, but pleads with his father that this is not a dragon he can win against. “For once in your life will you please listen to me!” Stoick shoves his son aside and declares “you’ve thrown your lot in with them. You’re not a Viking. You’re not my son.” Both are shocked at the way the conversation went, but Stoick presses on, chaining Toothless and gathering the ships so they can wage war on the dragons’ island.
Astrid approaches Hiccup, not exactly giving him a pep talk, but demanding an answer on why Hiccup was the first Viking in three hundred years who wouldn’t kill a dragon. She points out he’s the first to ride one [some of this will actually play into the second movie]. Hiccup admits that when he looked at Toothless, he saw himself; the dragon was just as scared as the Viking. She asks what will Hiccup do now. “Probably something stupid.” He’s done that. Then something crazy. And crazy being getting one of the other dragons out. Astrid brings the rest of the teens who agree to follow Hiccup.
Stoick soon finds out, once the mountain is cracked open on the island and the other dragons have dispersed, that Hiccup might have been right about this dragon. Everyone starts to run, but the large dragon (the Red Death according to other material) burns their ships. He sends Spitelout with the rest of the Vikings to the other side of the island while he distracts the dragon. Gobber joins him. Then there’s a flash at the dragon; Hiccup has arrived with the teens to save everyone. He gives orders like a leader [note how the animation takes into account the wind in Hiccup’s hair]; even Gobber admits to Stoick that his son is as stubborn as his father. Astrid drops Hiccup to free Toothless, but the pair are soon sent into the water. Stoick dives down to save his son, then goes back for Toothless. The two eye each other for a second, but Stoick is able to break the lock. Toothless pulls them both up and goes over to Hiccup, who quickly sets about mounting the Night Fury. Stoick apologizes to his son and tells him he doesn’t have to go fight the dragon. “We’re Vikings, it’s an occupational hazard” (calling back to a line Stoick said earlier in the movie). Stoick admits he’s proud to call Hiccup his son, and lets him go.
They save Astrid from falling (the other teens are rather funny at this point) and set her down, then race into the sky, drawing the Red Death up. Toothless’ blasts in the dark clouds look like lighting down below. One of the Red Death’s blasts begins to take out Toothless’ new tail. Hiccup settles on diving down, tearing up the Red Death’s wings, then blasting into her open mouth at the last second. Which works…until they’re trying to escape the aftermath. Her large tail knocks Hiccup out of the saddle and Toothless’ tail isn’t working properly. We see Toothless dive after an unconscious Hiccup as he falls into the fire. [This sequence is all-around brilliant, including the soundtrack.]
When the ash settles, Stoick goes looking for Hiccup. He comes upon Toothless, eyeing the damaged rigging. With tears in his eyes, Stoick apologizes to Toothless in place of his son, admitting what has happened is his fault. Toothless opens his wings to reveal Hiccup wrapped in his legs. The boy is alive! Stoick is grateful and Gobber makes a comment about Hiccup being mostly there. We next see Hiccup waking up, with Toothless bounding around the house. When he goes to rise, something makes him pause. The bottom of his left leg is now a metal foot. Toothless helps his friend to the door (and there’s a poignant scene for a second showing that Hiccup’s loss now mirror’s Toothless’). He opens it to discover dragons have made Berk their home alongside Vikings. Everyone joyfully greets Hiccup. Turns out they just needed a bit of this, Stoick gestures to his son. Astrid even hits him again for scaring her, then a longer kiss. Gobber gifts his apprentice with a new saddle and tail for Toothless so Hiccup can continue flying. His new foot, which Hiccup may tweak a bit, hooks into the pedals to control the rig. The other teens cheerfully join Hiccup in flying around Berk (even mimicking the flyby scene from Top Gun with an adult Viking spilling his mug as they go by). Hiccup’s narration bookends the movie, recalling that “this is Berk,” though now it’s their pets that are different. “We have…dragons.”
Overall, this film is beautifully written and beautifully animated. The characters are very lifelike, particularly with the way they speak. I adore Hiccup because he’s utterly sarcastic. There are also so many depths to this film. It’s a film about family, about friendship, about discovering one’s self and accepting it. It’s an underdog story; the least Viking-like kid saves the day. His inventions are actually good; he just needed the chance to prove it.
There is the poignant friendship between Toothless and Hiccup. Just think about that; a dragon befriends a human. Befriends the human that shot him down. Then spared him. Then saved him. No wonder Toothless dives in to save Hiccup. And Toothless is utterly adorable. He has a lot of cat qualities. And by the end, you just want to hug him. A little tidbit…the hesitation Toothless shows in the “touch” scene was actually an animation error. But it looked so perfect, it was kept in the film.
There are other little shorts that follow the first movie, like “Legend of the Boneknapper,” where the teens go on an adventure with Gobber to save him from the scary and possibly mythological Boneknapper dragon. It ends well, with Gobber’s belt buckle being the missing bone for the dragon. There’s the “Book of Dragons” feature that explains how the Book of Dragons came to be written. The dragons they name will be shown in the subsequent series. There’s even a feature on “How to Find Your Dragon,” where the host shows that there is evidence that dragons are not as far-fetched as many people fear. Elements exist in nature and many cultures spanning the globe have myths and legends about dragons. [It’s a topic I want to research at some point.]
Then there is “Gift of the Night Fury,” which was actually released on DVD. It’s a cute Christmas-type special, with the Vikings celebrating “Snoggletogg.” It’s the first year with dragons around and everyone is excited. Until the dragons leave. Hiccup decides to make a tail for Toothless that doesn’t require Hiccup around. Toothless takes off and all Hiccup can do is hope his friend will return. Fishlegs hid Meatlug, but Hiccup discovers the dragon and is taken to a crescent-shaped island where the dragons have gone to lay and hatch their eggs. Back on Berk, the teens discover that Meatlug also laid eggs. Astrid decides to distribute the eggs to cheer everyone up. Then discovers that eggs explode (her just repeating “the eggs explode” several times is hilarious). Everyone is disheartened until Hiccup arrives with their dragons and the new babies. But Toothless wasn’t among them. Toothless sneaks in during the celebration and pukes up Hiccup’s helmet, that had been lost to the ocean. The next morning, Toothless also smashes his new tail and wants Hiccup back with the old style. Very heartwarming for the holidays.
Up Next: Cartoon Network started a series Riders of Berk (oh yes, we’re covering the whole fandom here)
Dreamer in the Mirror 