10. How to Train Your Dragon
So the three films I was talking about earlier when I mentioned I was having trouble figuring out which spots to put them in because my enjoyment of them was relatively close are all here. Those films were the Prince of Egypt, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and this film; the original How to Train Your Dragon.
It was a tough call and I feel that if I were to rewatch them side-by-side, I'd easily be able to make a different call. I have no idea. However, this one did win out for me in the end. I even had to look back over a few scenes of these films to make sure and I found myself blow away yet AGAIN by the flying scenes in this film. Good God.
This movie is a technical marvel, for certain, but I think what lands it at this spot for me is its heart. Genuinely, this is a very adorable film that relies, yes, on visual spectacle, but also on the bond between the people existing within it to carry itself forward. It feels like a really good case study on how to just be yourself. Unapologetically yourself.
Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is a kid who lives in the land of vikings and they’re known for fighting. Namely, they fight and kill dragons. Their entire society is based around it to the point where they have dragon killing classes. It’s amazing considering they know absolutely nothing about them. Hiccup uses an invention he creates to hit a Night Fury and instead of killing it, sets it free.
It spares his life and tries to go away but his tail wing is busted so it’s stuck in a gorge. It’s here where Hiccup visits him constantly and starts to develop a natural bond with him. He names him Toothless, even though he has his teeth retracted so the name is only technically true.
This is a very good use of the liar revealed trope to the point where it doesn’t even really read like one. In this situation, the secret he’s keeping is perfectly understandable. He lives in a society that doesn’t accept what he’s doing. If they were to find out about Toothless, they’d kill him. His dad, the leader of the village name, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) is anything but stoic. He definitely puts out there what his opinions and position is and it’s surprisingly easy to watch despite what he’s doing to his son.
It’s not out of any maliciousness that he acts the way he does to Hiccup but it is also very sad. Because he’s skinny, scrawny, and doesn’t take to killing dragons at all he’s seen as an outcast. The life this man has known and what he’s become has him at the highest escalon of what Hiccup comes to realize is trumped up nonsense that, despite the showy and rough exterior, is rooted in fear and cowardice.
They didn’t take the time to sit down and actually figure out what dragons were and how they actually acted. Hiccup was the first one to do so and it ended up changing their whole society. It truly is an inspiring story.
While the film didn’t make me cry or anything it definitely held my attention and it feels like the kind of film I could easily jump back into at any point I wanted. Because the premise is simple enough, the characters are simple enough, and the follow-through is simple enough there isn’t too, too much to say about it aside from the fact that it’s just really good. Solid recommendation, especially if you have a way to re-experience the flying scenes the way the theater intended them to be.
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1 month, 2 weeks ago
20 Apr 2025 02:42 CEST
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