#httyd3 talk

Here’s the thing

YOOOOOO! This would have been SUCH a game changer! I know I’ve spoken at length about httyd3 and how it’s a good story with not so great execution and while the end game was what I expected (most of us, given the books), it certainly didn’t go down in a way I, or many of us hoped for.

It was a good movie. A really good movie.

There’s so much to look at. So many details that I want to see it again and again just to see every interaction in the Mead Hall or admire how varied they’ve allowed the Berkian bodies to grow. But, most importantly:

The ending was absolutely justified. The problem (pentalogy!), if anything, was the execution; the decision in the way the story was told, not the story itself.

The movies are one telling of the HTTYD. There are the books, there’s the TV show, and there’s the movies: they’re all sibling stories. The movies are great in that they give nods to both in fun subtle ways... and in not-so-subtle ways. Such as concluding the way the source material had: where the dragons retreat into the seas, fading into nothing more than legends, waiting for a time when they could return live in peace with humans. It keeps that hope alive that such a time could still exist; that we’re capable of better.

The HTTYD movies are about how dragons and humans once occupied the same world, and how there was war. Constant war. Even when dragons are taken from the equation, war will continue. Because... well, humans.

The HTTYD movies are about how the war between dragons and humans came to an end. The most peaceful sort of end humans were capable of. Spoiler alert: it’s not a compromise.

The HTTYD movies---not just the third---are rife with examples of improbable peace. War with dragons was a way of life. An entire and widespread culture built around killing and controlling. The implied network of dragon hunting, and trapping, and utilizing for conquering is laid on thick. It’s a lucrative business to the point of ornate Warlords. Warlords who ran in deep with people like Drago and Grimmel and countless others.

Hell, Grimmel knew Stoick. Stoick was remembered in these circles as a Great Dragon Hunter. He probably still was to many. It had been barely half a decade since Hiccup defeated a nearby Queen and freed a hive of dragons that had been targeting his village in particular. The war had been going on for centuries before that, and even then I doubt that was the only Queen.

All through HTTYD2, Stoick did his best to keep Hiccup from venturing too far, from spreading his ideals to other villages, because Stoick knew better. Stoick worked with men like this before; he used to be one of them. Some were in it for the money or fame, and others, like Stoick himself, were in it for heroics and protection. Believing that dragons needed to be eliminated or cut off for the good of humanity.

And there were so many who had been hurt by dragons, who had seen the worst of dragons, that they’d never recover. They’d spend their entire lives waiting for the other boot to drop, so to speak.

Now, with Stoick gone, and his world-traveled vigilante mother in his ear, Hiccup was more focused on desperately saving dragons from an increasingly bleak future.

Hiccup knew, from the start of THW, that all he could do at this point was save dragons before he could even think of bringing about peace between them and humans. That Berk was an exception, no the rule. He was aware, again, from the start, that he was making Berk a bigger and bigger target, and that he needed a safe haven for the dragons. Quick.

Was there an unnecessary romantic undertone? Yes. They overplayed that hand in scenes where it would have been better to push the very real (and well acknowledged) threat to dragon survival. The Light Fury would have been willing to stay on Berk. Hiccup and Toothless certainly would have preferred to stay together. Toothless didn’t leave for her. Not. At. All. Again, they squished so much in too little time and didn’t emphasize the right points in the bigger picture, instead, it felt, they aimed to appeal the masses where they could.

Toothless was an Alpha, who could summon and herd dragons into the safety of the Hidden World. Hiccup was a chief who took it upon himself to protect dragons from his end, just as Toothless would do the same on his side, even if that meant keeping humans and dragons separate. It was heartbreaking, but it was right. There was no victory in sight should he do what he wished for and simply hide away with the creatures he’d come to love. The noblest thing he could do was let go.

The war between humans and dragons ended not though classic heroics, or elimination, or domination. It ended with the palm of a child and the nose of a dragon. From a leap of faith. From trust. From compassion. From love.

Because Hiccup chose to trust a Night Fury, and a Night Fury chose to trust a human. Because they worked together to unite their worlds, and came to care about one another, and the wellbeing of each other’s species. They loved each other enough to say goodbye, so that someday, somewhere down the line, they might meet again in peaceful times.

Neither Hiccup nor Toothless would have reached their full potential without the other. They never would have become kings or chiefs. They never would have risen to positions to stop a war.

That’s the story of HTTYD that the movies tell. And it’s fucking beautiful.

Guess what, kiddos? I LOVED GRIMMEL.

THAT’S RIGHT. I SAID IT. Granted, the promos didn’t do it for me. I saw him then and thought... ‘eh’. I heard people bitch about him long before I got to see the movie, so I went in... ‘eh’.

Seeing him in action? Phew. I loved his design, his accent, his movements, his entire character.

Much like how dragons definitely did not leave because Toothless found a girlfriend, they also did not leave because of Grimmel (mentioned here), as Grimmel wasn’t the GD threat what is wrong with people, but that’s not what I’m writing about.

Let’s start with his quick backstory:

He slew a Night Fury as a boy, and that earned him some effing honor. Like, praised in the streets sort of badassery. Had Hiccup been any more of a “Viking”, he could have gone down a similar path because that had been exactly what he’d been gunning for. He makes a huge deal out of it in the opening scene of the first film (hey, I even got a deviation for it!).

So a young Grimmel must draw is being praised from boyhood about this unimaginable feat---slaying a Night Fury---and that’s a status he needs to keep. There could be a whole montage (Forbidden Murder?) of his faltering attempts to kill his next Night Fury. How he had to learn the hard way. Had to study and out maneuver the beasts...

Gods, but when he did it again? And again? Presenting hides and heads and dorsal fins, being hired out by other villages? Who knows how old he was by the time he was being spoken of in all the right circles. Twenty? We know he was an “old friend” of one of the warlords. He knew Stoick and remembered him fondly at that (again, spoke about here)

Now, from the very first time I saw this movie, all I could think was that Grimmel grew up like some darker version of Humongously Hotshot the Hero--which is exactly what I imagine his reputation had become in his home village. Grimmel isn’t a bad guy. Not to anyone outside of Berk, anyway.

Which is why Hiccup’s whole agenda is infuriating to him. None of it makes sense.

Then, upon a later viewing, I started seeing the parallels closer to Hiccup. Grimmel thrived the same way Hiccup thrived: observing and inventing. Using dragon power against dragons themselves (*ahem* if we can remember when Hiccup killed his first and only dragon). Grimmel didn’t do things the ‘Viking Way’ but he made a name for himself because of that. He is a hero beyond the small shores of Berk. He made a name for himself, and a livelihood, and he grew to love it.

More than that, he’s got this hilarious Most Dangerous Game thing going on. He missed it, and said as much. He became more alive as the hunt went on, as Hiccup showed that he was willing to play as well (Hiccup didn’t see it like that, but you can imagine how delighted Grimmel felt having someone attempt to make intelligent moves against him). Hiccup went from “just a boy”, to an amusing irritant, to a real threat.

Even as he fell to his death, he couldn’t fathom what motivated Hiccup.

Ah, and poor Grimmel. A young upstart who made a name for himself as a Night Fury Slayer---the sort of title that erects statues and has your name passed on through word and parchment---died knowing he failed to actually achieve that title.

But, yeah, I really really really liked that character.

I guess my side point here is that everyone Hiccup encounters has a sob story regarding dragons. Or an ambition. Or a belief. Drago was one of hundreds, in the trade game. Grimmel was one of hundreds in the hunting game. Another would have come for the honing beacon that was Berk. And another. And another. Humans are as varied in their motivations as they are persistent---and the entire string of HTTYD movies has shown us that there are always humans out there. Humans with different strengths, who are being sourced by freaking culturally-diverse warlords... which implies this goes waaaaay beyond anything we’ve been shown in the movies...

I already spoke a bit about Furies in Love. My love/hate for her design, but how good she was for Toothless. Not from a romantic prospect or anything ridiculous like that, but from a behavioral and survival one.

But one part I particularly liked... then adored... more and more... was the scene where Toothless wooed the Light Fury. And Hiccup’s involvement. And the adorable miscommunication.

Hiccup follows Toothless into to a romantic, moonlit waterfront where he’s able to witness his boy awkwardly confront his love interest interest. Sound familiar?

He observes the Light Fury doing something he’d seen dragons do countless times before, each particular to their own species. Of course, this one’s new. This one’s specific to Furies.

Toothless seems momentarily lost. Toothless, who has been classified as a young adult, not unlike Hiccup. Who has been considered the “last” of his kind for, what we can assume, was over a decade. Who has likely been separated from other furies for the majority of his life prior to living among humans, doesn’t recognize his own species mating rituals.

But as an observer (and intellect) it clicks for Hiccup.

Catching Toothless’ attention, Hiccup attempts to mimic exactly what the Light Fury had just done. Do that! He tries to convey. Do exactly what she just did!

The message only translates halfway. Like playing a bad game of Telephone, Toothless tries to mimic what he sees Hiccup doing. It’s... bewildering. To everyone involved.

Again, Hiccup tries to, slower, deliver the same message. 

Again, Toothless misunderstands. He takes it upon himself to attempt every form of mating dance he’d observed in his short life. From the Nadders of yesterday to Birds of Paradise to... the odd viking? He tries everything until it’s too confusing, too offensive, for the Light Fury.

In a huff, she retreats into the bat cave. Another familiar parallel.

Unlike a gangly teen from years before, Toothless is determined and follows her right onto the branch. It’s not a very thick branch.

Hiccup mimics NO! That The branch will break!

Toothless interprets it as: Break the branch! Get her down!

Well the branch breaks. Only Toothless goes down. Dork.

Hiccup gestures wildly from above, trying to send another message. Toothless has had enough.

He doesn’t know how to be an adult Fury. He knows how to be a grounded dragon, and how to command other dragons, and how to integrate with humans. That last one is what makes him unique. He knows at least one way to get someone’s attention. Six years living with humans---one in particular---taught him as much.

So he grabs the branch and draws a likeness of the Fury. And just as it worked on a feral dragon so long ago, it worked again, as Furies are intelligent enough to recognize their own image. It was certainly a unique and creative way to get her attention, but Toothless had become a very unique Fury... and not because he was the last of his kind.

Just so everyone knows, I have seen the movie twice now, and within 48 hours at that. I have so much to say on it, though I may not get to say much until next week.

For the time being: Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. It was visually explosive and alluring and dazzled the shit out of my eyes. I could see it five more times just for the stunning details alone.

Did I find serious issues with it? Yes. And I’m am totally here to talk about them. It wasn’t an eloquently handled storyline, and the themes were subpar, especially compared the first film.

I also found a thousand tiny details that I loved. So many that I don’t know where to start. But that’s for another time.

The first HTTYD film was the best. Hands down. It was the best story, the most touching, it had the perfect pace, and the perfect theme. It was slower, but it didn’t have less. If anything, it had more. More nuanced characterization. More substance. More natural heart. Beautifully detailed by rich characterization and intuitive interactions. Actions and consequences that weren’t absurd.

And that’s one glaring point I’ve come to acknowledge as the source of... pretty much all my issues with this latest film:

The movies should have been a pentalogy. Not a trilogy. The last two films weren’t as satisfying because they were too big, too epic, and too truncated. If I watch THW movie five more times, I’ll be able to suss out all the subtle gestures and clues that help tie the storyline together. Which is a problem: It shouldn’t have to be that hard. It should have been as organic as that first movie. if they had split it up, slowed down the storytelling, and let it flow more naturally, I think it would have made a world of a difference.

I just wanted to get that off my chest first... because in my coming responses/posts that’ll probably be my number one reminder as to why [insert critique here] is an issue in the first place. Its too damn much in too little time.

Outside of a couple moments where I thought Toothless could have been a little more protective over Hiccup (though I acknowledge they’re both Big Boys now) I thought their interactions were stellar.

So the “forgetting about Hiccup” thing…at first, yes, that came as a slap in the face. Like, no. They don’t go from platonic soulmates to forgetting in ten years.

But then I grudgingly played with the idea that Toothless is not human. He’s highly intelligent, but he does not have a human brain, and he’s gone completely feral. And it was by design.

Hiccup made sure to wait ten years. He cut Berk off from dragons cold turkey… outside of rescue missions to free any stragglers. Not only to help Berk disassociate from dragons, but to further ensure Greedy Humans™ wouldn’t stumble upon the Hidden World. The war lords are still grasping, searching. Across the world there were hunters: those seeking trophies and glory.

So Toothless is immersed with dragons again, and this time not as a slave. The first couple years he’d venture out looking for stragglers (parallel to what allied humans were doing) and ensuring they could follow the call back Home. Then he sends others. He’s king. He’s mated. Little by little he’s swallowed by instincts that had gone dull.

When he first senses—then sees—a human ship, centuries of Ancestral Instinct (books!) rear up screaming danger!.

He leaps to the stempost of the ship for a confrontation, rattled by the alpha instinct to protect.

When Hiccup first holds out his hand, if you look, you’ll see Toothless’s pupils dilate for a split second, as though the flicker of a memory is triggered.

Then, all it takes is a sniff—a secondary source of sensory information—and it all comes back. It was buried, not forgotten. Perhaps an AI that he’ll pass down genetically; that humans are capable of good and can be worthy of trust.

I like to think that those first ten years were the longest Hiccup had gone without seeing Toothless in his life (not including his first fifteen). He and Astrid were the only two humans to ever see the Hidden World, as far as anyone knows, and they keep it in the family. They make it a family legacy to visit, and protect, the entrance to that world. And to tweak up the Dragon King’s tailfin every now and then.

Even now, today, there could be the sheltered remains of that lineage who still know the entrance, having it passed down from generation to generation.

Maybe, like the books, it was only for Toothless. That each generation of Hiccup’s descendants would continue to look after Toothless’ tailfin.

So... Eret and Gobber have, if nothing else, an Understanding.

We see that Eret has the chief’s back, he has his ear and his confidence. He’s up there at the head table when they address the village and it’s pretty cool that he’s becoming the Gobber to Hiccup’s Stoick. Maybe a little less crass, a little less blunt, but we can leave those to Snotlout... and Tuff.

Gobber sees this. He sees a reasonable young man who’s capable of speaking some sense into the gaggle of muttonheads Hiccup surrounds himself with (Astrid excluded).

Gobber also sees that Eret has the body of a Norse God. I mean, we all do.

I heard tell of their ‘flirting’ before I saw the movie. There’s eye contact.. in multiple scenes. Usually right over Hiccup’s head. Silent conversations. Eret catches the bouquet Gobber throws... it’s all pretty cute.

I wasn’t really into it---them, as a couple---from the start for one main reason: Gobber’s 56 and Eret’s 26. It’s that thirty year age difference. I know, I know, very agist of me, but it had me frowning before I even saw the movie.

I loved their interactions either way.

We know Gobber’s gay. It’s probably the worst kept secret in the village. If even that. And I’ve always seen Eret as being comfortable with his sexuality, among other awesome qualities. He’s, like, a genuinely supportive, cocky-but-gentle, useful friend to have in Hiccup’s corner. I think Gobber saw that too and, aside from eye-candy, saw how good he was. How good he was for the village and for Hiccup.

...And perhaps reminded him a bit of himself in his youth. A roguish flirt ;)

Lets think to when after Eret settled a little more on Berk and they started talking. I mean before silent eye fuckery conversations, but when they used real words. Gobber’s got some wild stories, and did some exploring, but he’s been settled in Hodunk Berk for ages now. Eret’s got some fresh tales from the seas, and not all of them darkened by Drago’s employment (I cannot for the life of me find my sexpiriences post about Eret). They’ve probably drank too much together and Gobber got to hear loads about what happens on ships that voyage a little too long. He’s maybe not so subtle in his appreciation of Eret six months into their friendship. And Eret isn’t responding, but he’s not recoiling either.

Beyond that, Gobber is mourning the loss of his best friend after meeting Eret. It’s really... nice. Having someone he can relate to, share exasperated glances with, drink late into the night with... He could do this with the current chief, but he half-raised the boy and can’t fully take himself out of that parental role.

Gobber knows Eret’s young, not much older than Hiccup, and maybe something will develop later on, maybe not...that doesn’t matter much. All he knows is that Eret’s getting coaxed into Berk was a blessing Gobber never knew he needed.

I think YES.

Valka spent more than half her life fighting with dragons, and even before that fighting for dragons. We can imagine that there are still dragons out there that had been separated from the horde for so long they wouldn’t know how to find the HW, or been in captivity for so long they’ve been desensitized to summons.

Hiccup had an entire village to rebuild; he’s grounded more than ever, but at this point is appropriately distracted as he slowly works through his internalized heartache. Valka wants to support him, to help where she could, but even Hiccup begs her to go. See if there are other dragons still in danger. Let him live vicariously through her.

It would put them both at ease to be more thorough, even if the sheer length of how long it takes to travel is already riding on their nerves. So Valka, a few other vikings, spend the next few years making excursions to ensure that all dragons made it safety out of human clutches.

(Don’t even get me started on the threat of War Lords and conquering and how humans so quickly turn to fight each other as soon as the “threat” of dragons is eliminated).

Even on Toothless’ end, I can imagine he’s sending his own dragon parties out, searching for stragglers.