Article written by Samuel Burnett.
This article contains minor spoilers for How to Train Your Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon 2. Be warned.
So, by now you have probably seen the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the third and (allegedly) final film in the franchise and, if not, what are you doing with your life? Seriously, go watch it immediately and then report back when you’re done.
Are you still there?
Anyway, the first two films were both similarly acclaimed, both sitting above the 90% mark on Rotten Tomatoes and, as a result, this film needs to not only be as good as the previous two but to also finish the story that they started.
If the Hidden World can pull this off, it will join trilogies like Toy Story, The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future and a few more. What makes these trilogies stand out is that, while they are all beloved, successful franchises, the individual films that form them are all received equally positively.
No pressure, right?
But, the film’s release is over nine months from now (at the time of publication) so rather than talk about a film that none of us have seen (again, at the time of publication), let’s take a look back at these first two films and find out just what makes them work so well.
The Boy
First of all, Jay Baruchel knocked it out of the park with his portrayal of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. His voice could shift from awkward, to scared, to confident, to furious so seamlessly that he makes it look easy but there is more to a character than just an exceptionally talented actor.
Hiccup makes for a very likeable protagonist, he is awkward enough that we can empathise with him but smart enough that we don’t find him irritating. He is an idealist through and through, always believing that there is a better way out there.
He’s also really funny, putting Baruchel’s vocal talents to good use, one notable impersonation of his father being a stand out example: “Excuse me, barmaid, I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring! I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side! This here, this is a talking fishbone!”
It’s funnier when he says it out loud.
Unlike many other protagonists, Hiccup is allowed to have flaws, real flaws, not just the stock “needs to believe in himself” stuff that we’re all getting sick of. He is allowed to be wrong. In fact, in the second, his views in the second film on how to deal with the antagonist are completely wrong and he learns this lesson but, more importantly, he learns it without sacrificing his idealism. He grows as a character, constantly learning, never staying as just one thing.
While many child friendly franchises refuse to let their characters evolve lest they lose their marketability (looking at you Harry Potter), Hiccup’s growth as a person is constant, maturing like any real person. The clumsy, scared boy who uses humour to hide his feelings is an entirely different person from the man we meet in the second.
The Dragon
The 2006 film adaption, Eragon was widely panned for multiple reasons ranging from the stilted acting, the clichéd dialogue and the hackneyed plot but one thing that everyone could agree on was that the dragon was just… meh. While the effects were decent, she was given little to no characterization and her dialogue was expository at best, doing nothing to tell us about what made her tick.
In the How to Train Your Dragon films, the titular dragon has no dialogue and yet is possessing more of a personality than the other one could ever hope to imagine. From the way he moves, to the cat-like purring, to the face that is just as expressive as any human, we always know exactly what is going on inside his head.
The bond between Toothless and Hiccup is driving force of the franchise and it shines through every scene the two share. My personal favourite moment between the two is an early one from the first movie, often called ‘Forbidden Friendship,’ sharing the same name as the piece of musical score that accompanies it.
Hiccup and Toothless have only just reached an uneasy truce and are slowly, glacially beginning to learn more about each other. Hiccup has been observing the dragon, seeing how he moves and eats and has constantly tried to get close enough to touch him but the dragon has constantly evaded him, not yet trusting him.
The lack of dialogue, and what the scene becomes as a result, is a crucial factor of describing this moment and what makes it so beautiful.
As the boy, idly sketches the outline of the dragon in the dirt, Toothless, inspired, grabs a tree trunk and enthusiastically creates his own sprawling artwork in the dirt. Careful not to stand on any of the newly formed lines, Hiccup, effectively goes into a dance avoiding them, climaxing when he is face to face with the dragon. At that moment, Hiccup takes a leap of faith, averts his eyes and reaches out for the dragon; when Toothless, after a second of hesitation, leans his head forward, acquiescing to the touch.
It is an act of trust that will begin to change everything about both their worlds.
The Visuals
I’m calling it, DreamWorks might actually be better at animation than Disney. Yes, I know I can’t take that back but I’m standing by it because their animation is simply gorgeous in these films. The way the creatures, both human and dragon, move makes them seem so real that could leap out of the screen at any moment. The movements of the dragons never shatter your suspension of disbelief, constantly moving in a realistic manner, each beat of their wings propelling them through the sky.
The lighting in the film is inspired, especially whenever dragon fire is involved
The way that the “camera” follows them will always be appropriate to whatever is happening on screen, be it frantic and fast paced as it is during the first flight scene, or soft and unobtrusive during their quieter moments.
The Music
John Powell is a freaking god when it comes to musical composition. Every solitary second of music is essential to what makes these films as good as they are. To the soft melodious notes of the Forbidden Friendship scene to the chest pumping, brassy beats of the Test Flight scene, it will constantly keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know where it will go next.
Powell is the kind of composer that can make even a mediocre film worth checking out, if only for the music, but these movies are anything but mediocre. These movies combine flawless characters and flawless visuals with flawless music.
The Romance
If Hiccup’s relationship with Toothless is the soul of the franchise then his one with Astrid is its heart.
While just a teenage crush in the first film, by the time the second film rolls around, it has become a full on romantic relationship between two adults.
What makes their love story so believable, so wonderful, boils down to a palpable level of ease in their interactions. There is no real nervousness or hesitation anymore, and they don't even need to act outright romantic for one to see how in love they are. It’s hard to explain but one gets the sense they are "meant to be together" when watching them that wasn't really present before, a subtle way of showing how their relationship has matured.
To put it simple terms, they're obviously in love without needing to be obvious about being in love. You can see it in how casually they enter each other's personal space, leaning against each other for support or simply holding hands.
The fact is there's no one moment, outside of the explicit moments (the various kisses, particularly) that speak to their romantic inclination. It's the many small moments between the two that slowly reveals how much they love each other without ever making a big scene out of it.
Other, less talented, writers will often make their romantic leads constantly at odds, fighting, breaking up only to get back together again. They will often say it makes the characters more interesting but, in reality, it is because such writers are lazy, unable to put in the effort to create a compelling yet functional relationship.
Thankfully, the creative team behind these movies are anything but lazy.
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