Life Journey with How to Train Your Dragon

The wonderful world of dragons, that will eat you if given the chance, or will they? This is the premise we are lead to believe at the start of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. After three movies, 3 shows, and variety of other media; There has been a wealth of story behind this series.

Obviously coming from a series of books for children, but evolved into something that people much older would enjoy. Something I'll touch on later, but the idea that the main character grows up along side the viewer. Allowing for the viewer to really imprint themselves into the movies. Same thing happened with Avatar the last Airbender, while not aging up himself, the continued story of the Legend of Korra was aged appropriately for the main audience of the original show. I was essentially the same age as both main characters, while the show was running.

This mega-post is influenced by my previous one I did on the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, as both series really hit me to my core. Although for different reasons! The Kung Fu Panda Trilogy has quite a lot more video essays and reactions to build off of than HTTYD does, but I tried to go for the same quality of post!

I would sincerely hope you check out that post as well.

All Wrapped Up Nicely:

I'm going to start this post with a clip, and end it with a clip. Ones that I feel give the most frisson. Here is to hoping the clips aren't deleted in the future!

In this wonderful learning to fly scene, it combines Toothless' score, with Hiccup's track, with a dramatic flair when they fall. Something that still gets to me is the moment where he throws the cheat sheet, and then follows his instincts with the dragon. Allowing for a synergy not found in any other way.

The powerful booming bass, the bagpipes calling out to Toothless' theme, and even the perfect timing of the soundtrack to the events of the scene.

Optional Refresher:

This is a video that explains the timeline of the movies and shows in the HTTYD universe. It is a big long, but was very enjoyable.

Maturing with Your Audience

While the Kung Fu Panda trilogy I feel the growing up part is that of emotional intelligence, and philosophical understanding. Two areas that it doesn't matter how old you are, there can still be growth in those ideas.

As for HTTYD trilogy it was mainly a coming of age story, and each film adds a pivotal point to Hiccup's life. From the little bit of the shows I've seen, those too seem to follow the same mindset as the movies. Just a more diluted version.

The real beauty comes from the coming of age story you see in each film, where Hiccup has to face a harsh part of life. Either being scorned for being different and getting his leg taken from him in the first film, his father passing in the second, or his best friend leaving in the third. Time is a cruel mistress.

The fact that animation based movies take so long to create and produce, actually came into being a benefit. As the time delay between films helped to age up the characters through time jumps, and the shows filling in the gaps. Allowing for the audience to age at the same rate as the protagonists.

Using Mediums such as Movies to Find Yourself

We use books, movies, games, and other such mediums to entertain an idea. A central concept of those mediums, and that concept gets implemented into our lives in one way or another.

The first film is that of finding out who you really are, and coming to terms with it. Especially in Hiccup's case where he found he was more of an outlier. Something that Berk really needed in order to improve.

The second film finds him finding his mother, and the passing of his father. As if to say the universe is having them swap places in the roles of his life. His mother whom he thought was dead, is now teaching him new things. His father who was teaching him things in his youth, has now passed.

Finally we get to the final film, and one that is not as well received to be as deep. However still finds threads that hit to the core. Perhaps the film just didn't hit the margin as much, but the root of the theme is that of letting go. Letting go of their home land, letting go of the illusion of control, and letting go of his best friend/dragons.

Growing Up through Hardships

Hiccup was weak and feeble for most of his life, but his brain allowed for unique positioning. He crafted his armor, which superseded previous armors of the region. He crafted tools to help him tame and ride a dragon. He even created a flame-blade.

Through his hardships came great innovations, and being forced up against a wall allowed him the clarity he needed.

Sometimes you have to Let Go of Your Attachments

Actually it has been some time since I started this post around the beginning of Summer, and I felt that was prudent to add. I held off on finishing this post for two reasons, one was that I wanted to finish rewatching the trilogy, and two was that I was caught up in an emotional roller coaster.

I made a new friend that started out as a romance, and it caught my attention fully. I even made a long-form post like this to channel my thoughts. My point is that the friend eventually had to move away, and I had to let go the idea of being able to spend time with that person. We grew attached, but there was a limit on how far we could go together before moving on in life. Letting go of that attachment.

In reference to the movies, Hiccup had to let go of his father, and he eventually had to let go of Toothless to let him live his own life.

The Power of Music/Soundtrack

If I hear just a couple chords from the soundtrack I'll more than likely know who's theme or at the least the feeling I am supposed to be getting from the scene it is played in. Often times certain chords are repeated, twisted, or combined with other themes in order to achieve a certain feeling.

For example in the clip at the top of this post of the two's first flying scene together. It plays Hiccup's theme, as well as Toothless' theme, then when they find their rhythm it merges them together. John Powell truly outdid himself with the score.

A Test of Flight, or a Test of Unity?

In their world the two species had always been in conflict. However Hiccup being more of an outcast because of how he thought differently, and Toothless being the last of his kind. They both found each other in their lowest points, no friends (at the time), and no one to have their backs.

Since Hiccup was the one who damaged him he felt that he needed to help, and since Toothless would have died otherwise decided to trust in the human.

Eventually they start to spend more time together, and realizing that they have a lot in common. Despite the verbal conversation being one sided. The animators of the movies spent an ungodly amount of time making the dragon as expressive as possible. Compared to the books Toothless is completely and utterly different, but that is okay.

For what they achieved in the movie is nothing sort of genius.

Character Music

Akin to a video game where a certain character comes on screen, their music will follow suit. I know many movies do this, but HTTYD does it for so many characters. Even for some you wouldn't think were big enough for such a thing, and Powell does it in such a way that it is subtle.

When two characters share a scene, their themes often overlap, and at times can even merge as I mentioned before.

Romantic Flight

Even in this lovely scene of the two love birds getting to know each other. Hiccup learning to share his newfound life, and Astrid being able to trust someone. The music exemplifies the movie theme, combined with Hiccup's theme.

Check out John Powell:

The Heartfelt Melancholy Story

I didn't fully realize just how damn sad this story is until I rewatched it. As a kid or teenager I would watch these movies, and get caught up in the action. The coolness of the dragons, or even just the romance of the movie since I was a pretty mushy teen.

You may be able to see the romance between the two main protagonists, but you also see the sad tale of Hiccup's parents. How they were separated, and when they finally get back together; Only to be torn apart again by death.

In each film Hiccup loses something or someone, and it is really hard as the audience too because we felt that pain with him. In the first film it seems almost trivial, but he loses his foot in the battle. A huge problem at the time, but at least there was some comradery with Toothless at that point.

Then in the second film he loses his father, which is a huge step up.

Perhaps even worse than that, in the third film, Hiccup has to say goodbye to his closest friend... Toothless himself. To let him rule over the hidden world with his new mate.

The Underdog Character

The first movie is full of judgement, or practically hate, for the main character. He has to suffer through that only to in turn prove himself to his father and clan.

More than that he even has to prove himself to Toothless more than once.

As someone who as almost always gone against the grain of society, I resonate a lot with the underdog mentality. I loathed the idea of college, for me, and decided to not go (I did try a bit though). That has always been a challenge explaining to people, eventually I stopped trying to explain, and just created my own degree.

Hiccup did the same. He didn't want to become a warrior like the rest of his society wanted him to be. He was an inventor, a dreamer, and more importantly a new age leader. His father eventually saw that, and something clicked in his head that Hiccup was the next leader of the village. He may have always wanted him to lead, but once he saw that Hiccup's unique style was exactly what they needed he went full send into the idea.

The Final Flight

As I said at the start, I wanted to start with a clip, and end with a clip. This scene brings the joyous music, the teary eyed feeling of belonging, and that our character we grew up with is now grown. We are grown.

I was telling my roommate even last night the level of detail these movies have, let alone in this third film. If you look at how the kids look from the point of view of their genes, let alone their mannerisms they get from their parents.

The way that the girl is hesitant is akin to her mom, but her reaction after Toothless comes close is that of her father. How certain facial features change depending on the kid, but you can almost just tell which parent they came from. IN AN ANIMATED MOVIE.

I know when I first saw the third film, I think in theaters, I felt this overwhelming feeling of sadness. Once again it came from the concept of attachment. Not only was I attached to the idea that this series would go on, as it took a decade for it to conclude after all, but I also was attached to these characters. Now I had to say goodbye. Sure it is only a movie, and these characters aren't real, but they were real to me. Their stories were real to me, and that is the power of this movie series.

Additional Videos:

Don't skip out on these!

http://www.movie-wave.net/how-to-train-your-dragon/