HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
US, 2010, 98 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz- Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig.
Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean de Blois.
Alert to all devotees of Hagar the Horrible and his family – and wider audiences beyond. This is a very entertaining film.
While the village of Berk, somewhere up there beyond Scandinavia, is not that of Hagar, it looks as if it could be. And fans of 'Another Dragon, Another Day' will resonate with the plotline and themes of this fine animation movie.
How to... is very good to look at, especially in 3D, the craggy island, the brooding sea, the comic characters and fiery dragons, very good to listen to, with a witty script and fine voice cast, exciting to watch with the swooping dragons (lots and lots of them), the battles and the sheer exhilaration of dragon riding (like the rides in Avatar). The film reminds us of and appeals to the thrillable inner child most adults possess!
Based on books by Cressida Cowell (who surely must have been a Hagar fan when she lived as a child on an isolated island off the Scottish coast and was left to her imagination), the tale shows an isolated Viking community with a long tradition of fighting marauding dragons. They are led by Stoick the Vast (voiced by Gerard Butler with his own Scots accent and making Stoick a fierce warrior but a dismayed father). His son is Hiccup, a scrawny lad who does not want to kill dragons and, fortunately, finds one, Toothless, whom he has wounded – and, you know, children bond with pets and...
There is a gallery of eccentric characters, of course, Gobber, the peg-leg blacksmith and trainer, (Craig Ferguson, Scots accent too). Speaking of accents, it is very strange that the adults have Scots brogues and the next generation's accents are unremittingly American (Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, America Ferrera as the tough but tender Astrid)!
On the one hand, there is the rollicking life of the warrior Vikings – and, even though the dragons steal their bewildered sheep, they do not look as if they have ever fasted in their lives. But, Vikings like Hagar and Stoick should be bulky. On the other, there is the underlying theme that fighting gets you only so far and perpetuates prejudice. When you make friends with your dragon, harmony is possible and creativity as well. This means that, despite the oomph of the battle sequences, this is a peace-is-best story. It moves apace, with some welcome quiet and reflective moments. It is amusing. And it should appeal to children of all ages (even if we look like adults!).
1. The quality of the film? Popularity? Visuals? Vocal? Story? Values?
2. The quality of the animation? The 3D production? The island of Berk and the sea? The village? The dragons, the combat, the training? The lyrical sequences of Viking and dragon? The flying? The finale? The score?
3. The title and expectations?
4. The voice-over explanation, the traditional Viking life, the desolate island, the culture, eternally fighting the dragons?
5. The island, its peaks and forests, the surrounding sea? The sheep and their expressions, the dragon attacks? The fights? The Viking way of life? Life as a battle?
6. The visualising of the dragons, the great range of appearances, the swooping, the fire, the stealing?
7. Stoick the Vast? The patriarch, leading the Vikings, the warrior, the loyalty of his men? His disappointment with Hiccup? His hard attitude, talking and not listening? His friendship with Gobba? The training, his dismay, wanting to disown his son?
8. Hiccup in himself, scrawny build, the Viking expectations, trying to life up to his father’s hopes? At home? Gobba and his work? His being mocked by the other kids? Yet being inventive (and his fixing the artificial limb for Toothless)? The attack of the dragons, his wounding Toothless? Going through the forest to find him, Toothless unable to fly properly? Hiccup and his reaching out, the trust of the dragon, supplying him with food – and the jokes about fish and eating, Toothless having to eat the fish? Playing with toothless, flying? Hiccup and his talent for flying?
9. Gobba, his work as a blacksmith, confidant of Stoick, his wooden leg and the story of his losing his limb? Training the young kids? Astrid, the boys and girls, their parody of American teenagers? The variety of dragons, the various tests, the fears, the reaction to the dragons, running away? Hiccup, learning the reactions of the dragons, their fears? Able to tame them, put them back in their cages? Everybody amazed? Stoick amazed? Hiccup’s changing reputation?
10. Astrid, Hiccup’s attraction, her tough stances? Going with Hiccup, discovering Toothless, kissing him, slapping him? Flying and the bond between them?
11. Stoick and the decision for the expedition, Hiccup’s pleading that they not go? The ships, the sea, the danger, the storms, the battles?
12. Hiccup and Astrid, flying, discovering the nest of the monstrous dragon? Toothless and his abilities? The return, the explanation?
13. Stoick, the defeat, Hiccup and his flying, being forced to listen?
14. The Night Creature, monstrous, the dragons all supplying it with food, its emergence, the challenge, Hiccup and Astrid, Toothless and the destruction of the dragon?
15. The dragons and the Vikings, in peace? The film’s themes about fathers and sons and reconciliation, expectations, listening? Peace as more important than battles? Friendship and society?
