Summer movie season has arrived and it brought with it an insane amount of new movie trailers to keep us hyped all summer long. Among the dozen new trailers that dropped earlier this month include trailers for Bumblebee, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and the next installment in one of my personal favorite series, How to Train Your Dragon. The trailer for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World definitely evoked high levels of hype, so now felt like the perfect time to revisit an old favorite.
How to Train Your Dragon was released in 2010 by DreamWorks Animation, featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, and Kristen Wiig. I, for one, immediately fell in love with the film on first viewing. The animation and score are incredible, and I still find myself welling up with emotion during certain scenes, even after repeat viewings.
In the village of Berk, there has been a generations long war between Dragons and Vikings. Our unconventional hero, Hiccup, just doesn’t seem to measure up to his father’s expectations, and he struggles to follow in his footsteps on the path to becoming a fierce dragon-killing warrior. Of course, it doesn’t help that his father is also the village chieftain, who they call Stoick the Vast. As father and son, they are vastly different in size, stature, and demeanor, and it is a clear and present strain in their relationship. Even Stoick admits that his son has always been… different.
Hiccup is a meek and awkward teenager, still trying to find his place in this chaotic Viking world. He works as an apprentice to the blacksmith, Gobber, crafting tools and weapons for the Vikings to use on their dragon slaying quests, rather than taking part in the action himself. In the midst of another dragon raid, several Vikings are seen yelling at Hiccup to “Get back inside!”.
However, Hiccup is determined to prove that he is a true Viking. He someone manages to take down the ever elusive Night Fury by using one of his working inventions. And when he eventually tracks down the dragon, his determination is clear as day. He is going to kill this dragon, cut out its heart, and present it to his father. But as he goes in for the kill and gazes upon this helpless creature, he realizes that he can’t go through with it, more importantly, that he doesn’t want to. This isn’t who he is.
So in secret, Hiccup cautiously studies the Night Fury, a breed of dragon that the Vikings consider “the unholy offspring of lightning and death”. In Berk, they’re taught that a dragon will always go for the kill, but Hiccup’s interactions with this Night Fury, who he has named Toothless, show another side of these majestic creatures. Hiccup uses this gained knowledge and his innovative skills to fashion a mechanism to help Toothless fly again. It’s during these training sessions that Hiccup and Toothless start to gain each other’s trust, and develop an unbreakable bond that is the true heart of the film. As Hiccup learns more and more about Toothless and all his his traits and behaviors, he also realizes there is a clear solution to ending the war between their kind. If only the Vikings would listen to reason.
But in true Viking fashion, the villagers of Berk do not take kindly to Hiccup’s unconventional views. His own father feels completely betrayed by his son who has chosen to side with the enemy. We eventually see this conflict come to a head by the end of the film, and it is Hiccup and Toothless’ journey from zero to hero that make How to Train Your Dragon such an inspiring film. Hiccup and Toothless save each other, and they in turn save their own kind.
How to Train Your Dragon has a pretty secure spot on my list of top ten favorite movies, and it’s definitely my favorite animated movie from the past decade. How to Train Your Dragon 2 expands on this world of dragons and further explores the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless, and is equally full of action, adventure, humor, and heartfelt moments. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is set to release March 1, 2019 and will be the conclusion to this epic trilogy.
In a recent Reddit AMA with the film’s director, Dean Deblois said, “It was very deliberate that each installment of Hiccup’s growth features a rite of passage. The first movie was about learning to accept yourself, in spite of your weaknesses. The second movie was about the transition of youthful abandon to adulthood. The third movie focuses on — it’s about finding the courage to let go. That in itself is a universal rite of passage. Whether they are faced with letting go of insecurities, or those who follow their destiny.”
As heartbreaking as it is to know that The Hidden World will be the final chapter in this world that I adore, I have complete faith that the film’s creators will deliver a worthy finale and give Hiccup and Toothless the sendoff they deserve.
Have you seen How to Train Your Dragon? What did you think?
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