How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2
I decided since I watched these only a few days apart to group them together in one post. These movies are quite awesome, even though they are technically for children. I think that the most appealing aspect of these movies, even better than the dragons, is that Hiccup is an outsider and an underdog. I find that no matter who we are or where we've come from, the unexpected hero seems to be the most relatable and loveable character.
Hiccup is a Viking, but he's not very good at Viking things. This upsets his father. However, when he attempts to do what he believes is expected of a Viking, his father gets equally, if not more, upset. His life is made worse by the fact that his mother died when he was only a child. This means that he was raised solely by his father and missed out on the experience of having his mother, but it also means that he is the only heir to the cheif. His life is stressful and all he ever wants to do is please his father.
I love that Hiccup has come to realize that he cannot do what Vikings do, and so finds his own way to fit in. What makes it even better is that he doesn't care for long that no one believes in his success in capturing a Night Fury. He quickly comes to the conclusion that he regrets his violent action when he sees the helpless look in the dragon's eyes that reminds him of his own fear. This is all made more amazing by the fact that Night Furies are supposed to be the most dangerous dragons, understandably since they don't just breathe fire the way the other dragons do. In contrast, toothless is a very gentle and frightened creature. His powers make him feared, but his personality does quite the opposite.
The scenes in which Hiccup and Toothless work together to learn how to fly are my favourite part (if I had to choose a favourite) because it is so cool to watch the way that the two become one and learn to get along and understand each other. It is also adorable because Toothless acts so much like a cat!
Hiccup's innovative way of looking at the world and his new relationship with Toothless allow him to have a new understanding of dragons. I love that he analyzes them from a viewpoint of interest and a longing for learning rather than out of fear and a need for a strategic advantage. It is for this reason that he is the most successful of all the young Vikings. And he could have proved so much if his final challenge hadn't gone so wrong. Of course, that was not his fault, but it was quite frustrating to watch all of his plans fall apart as his father and friends took Toothless and attempted to find the nest, despite Hiccup's warnings.
The ending was so dramatic and I love the sacrificial way that Hiccup and Toothless strove to win the fight for the sake of the dragons and the people of Berk. My favourite part of this: that he loses his foot on the same side that Toothless lost the part of his tail.
In the second movie, Hiccup and Toothless have brought great changes to Berk, and grown up a lot along the way. Everyone rides dragons, including his own father. Hiccup and Astrid have now formed this great relationship that everyone seems certain will end in marriage. The world is a much happier place, but Hiccup is still not quite sure that he wants to do what his father does. And despite all the good he has done for them, the people do not even seem 100% sure that they want him to take his father's place.
The other lands are amazing and so much more...expansive and picturesque than Berk, you could say. I wasn't expecting the main plot conflict to arise so quickly. On their first outing (on screen) Astrid and Hiccup come across the fort destroyed y ice and Draco's men attempting to capture dragons. Then they mentioned the existence of other dragon riders, having known nothing of those in Berk, and I was shocked! And it doesn't take much longer for Hiccup to find this other dragon rider and then the plot advances at a good, quick speed.
Hiccup's friends try to help him while he spends his time learning more about dragons with...his mother! What a crazy thing for a young man to deal with when he is already under so much stress: his mother faked her own death and ran away because no one else would agree with her ideas, which were much like Hiccup's. The place where the dragons live is like some frozen paradise lost. I must admit that despite Valka's success, I still find Hiccup's methods of dragon training better; more kind and effective.She has become a dragon master and she and Hiccup catch up and teach each other while his friends unknowingly enter danger to help their friend. They assume he is trying to talk things out with Draco, and end up with a lot of trouble.
The brave rescue by Hiccup's father and the family reunion were so touching. And then everyone converges and battle begins. Draco is absolutely crazy and I'm still not quite sure how him roaring like a mad man and smacking around a stick is enough to control the alpha. I have to add that I love the alphas being ice dragons rather than fire dragons. It's a very unique idea.
The clearly intense part of the movie is when Draco manages to get control of Toothless, who then kills Stoick while attempting to kill Hiccup. I balled when Toothless realized what he had done and tried to understand what was happening. Then Hiccup sent him away and my heart broke. There were tears down my face for minutes after the funeral had ended, but it had this sad, artistic beauty. Then in this state Hiccup and Toothless must compete with Draco one last time. Just when it seems that Toothless is going to lose his life doing exactly what Stoick had done, he discovers another trait he didn't know he had and the two succeed. Of course, their happy ending brings Hiccup together with his mother and raises him to his father's old position of chief.
Touching, funny, imaginative, amazing movies!
Hiccup is a Viking, but he's not very good at Viking things. This upsets his father. However, when he attempts to do what he believes is expected of a Viking, his father gets equally, if not more, upset. His life is made worse by the fact that his mother died when he was only a child. This means that he was raised solely by his father and missed out on the experience of having his mother, but it also means that he is the only heir to the cheif. His life is stressful and all he ever wants to do is please his father.
I love that Hiccup has come to realize that he cannot do what Vikings do, and so finds his own way to fit in. What makes it even better is that he doesn't care for long that no one believes in his success in capturing a Night Fury. He quickly comes to the conclusion that he regrets his violent action when he sees the helpless look in the dragon's eyes that reminds him of his own fear. This is all made more amazing by the fact that Night Furies are supposed to be the most dangerous dragons, understandably since they don't just breathe fire the way the other dragons do. In contrast, toothless is a very gentle and frightened creature. His powers make him feared, but his personality does quite the opposite.
The scenes in which Hiccup and Toothless work together to learn how to fly are my favourite part (if I had to choose a favourite) because it is so cool to watch the way that the two become one and learn to get along and understand each other. It is also adorable because Toothless acts so much like a cat!
Hiccup's innovative way of looking at the world and his new relationship with Toothless allow him to have a new understanding of dragons. I love that he analyzes them from a viewpoint of interest and a longing for learning rather than out of fear and a need for a strategic advantage. It is for this reason that he is the most successful of all the young Vikings. And he could have proved so much if his final challenge hadn't gone so wrong. Of course, that was not his fault, but it was quite frustrating to watch all of his plans fall apart as his father and friends took Toothless and attempted to find the nest, despite Hiccup's warnings.
The ending was so dramatic and I love the sacrificial way that Hiccup and Toothless strove to win the fight for the sake of the dragons and the people of Berk. My favourite part of this: that he loses his foot on the same side that Toothless lost the part of his tail.
In the second movie, Hiccup and Toothless have brought great changes to Berk, and grown up a lot along the way. Everyone rides dragons, including his own father. Hiccup and Astrid have now formed this great relationship that everyone seems certain will end in marriage. The world is a much happier place, but Hiccup is still not quite sure that he wants to do what his father does. And despite all the good he has done for them, the people do not even seem 100% sure that they want him to take his father's place.
The other lands are amazing and so much more...expansive and picturesque than Berk, you could say. I wasn't expecting the main plot conflict to arise so quickly. On their first outing (on screen) Astrid and Hiccup come across the fort destroyed y ice and Draco's men attempting to capture dragons. Then they mentioned the existence of other dragon riders, having known nothing of those in Berk, and I was shocked! And it doesn't take much longer for Hiccup to find this other dragon rider and then the plot advances at a good, quick speed.
Hiccup's friends try to help him while he spends his time learning more about dragons with...his mother! What a crazy thing for a young man to deal with when he is already under so much stress: his mother faked her own death and ran away because no one else would agree with her ideas, which were much like Hiccup's. The place where the dragons live is like some frozen paradise lost. I must admit that despite Valka's success, I still find Hiccup's methods of dragon training better; more kind and effective.She has become a dragon master and she and Hiccup catch up and teach each other while his friends unknowingly enter danger to help their friend. They assume he is trying to talk things out with Draco, and end up with a lot of trouble.
The brave rescue by Hiccup's father and the family reunion were so touching. And then everyone converges and battle begins. Draco is absolutely crazy and I'm still not quite sure how him roaring like a mad man and smacking around a stick is enough to control the alpha. I have to add that I love the alphas being ice dragons rather than fire dragons. It's a very unique idea.
The clearly intense part of the movie is when Draco manages to get control of Toothless, who then kills Stoick while attempting to kill Hiccup. I balled when Toothless realized what he had done and tried to understand what was happening. Then Hiccup sent him away and my heart broke. There were tears down my face for minutes after the funeral had ended, but it had this sad, artistic beauty. Then in this state Hiccup and Toothless must compete with Draco one last time. Just when it seems that Toothless is going to lose his life doing exactly what Stoick had done, he discovers another trait he didn't know he had and the two succeed. Of course, their happy ending brings Hiccup together with his mother and raises him to his father's old position of chief.
Touching, funny, imaginative, amazing movies!
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