Hiccup finds the dragon, prepares to kill it and tell his father what he’s done.
Hiccup closely studies Toothless, as he names the dragon for his retractable teeth, and fashions a makeshift fin to eventually ride the dragon with a connected foot pedal.
Hiccup is of one mindset — that man and dragon can coexist — while the majority of Berk is of the other.
Though Butler said many of the same lines in the animated original, he still brings nuance to the battered father, delivering them differently as himself in the live-action film.
If anything, the parallel of what keeps Toothless from killing Hiccup after Hiccup refrains from killing the dragon and cuts the dragon free from his trap become more pronounced thematically.
15 years and a half after Universal and DreamWorks released the first of their three popular animated How to Train Your Dragon films, their live-action version, which features computer-generated imagery (CGI) dragons, follows in the footsteps of 2010’s first adaptation of Cressida Cowell’s books, which was nominated for an Oscar for Animated Feature.
While some dialogue was subtly changed and some details in certain scenes were changed to improve the story, the new version adheres strictly to the original plot’s three-act structure. Although some people might be hesitant to watch a film that uses real people and essentially tells the story exactly as it is, save for a cut scene or extra moment, there is solace in knowing what to anticipate while still witnessing the relationships, emotions, and general dynamics of human nature changed. Adding a line of funny or sincere conversation during pivotal scenes also makes the movie feel less formulaic.
The live-action film, which was directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders from a script they co-wrote with Will Davies, stars up-and-coming actor Mason Thames (Incoming, Regretting You) as Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel in the animated films), Nico Parker (The Last of Us, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy) as Astrid (voiced by America Ferrera in the animated films), and Gerard Butler, who reprises his voice role in the flesh (or Viking furs, exactly) as Hiccup’s father, Stoic the Vast, chief of the Isle of Berk.
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Hiccup has never felt the same need to kill the dragons that frequently attack his homeland and steal their sheep, despite the fact that he makes up for his lack of his father’s physical prowess with both logistical. During a typical beast raid one evening, Hiccup captures a Night Fury, a swift and crafty dragon that the Berkians are not very familiar with. Before telling his father what he has done, Hiccup locates the dragon and gets ready to kill it. But instead of carrying out the deed, he cuts the beast free, but not before his snare snatches off one of the dragon’s vital tail flaps, making it impossible for him to fly by himself.
As he names the dragon after its retractable teeth, Hiccup closely observes Toothless. He also builds a makeshift fin so that he can eventually ride the dragon using a foot pedal that is connected to it. While he is undergoing Viking training, he does all of this, and his father has seized most of the island in an effort to find the dragon’s nest and finally eradicate the animals. Whereas most of Berk believes that humans and dragons can coexist, Hiccup holds the opposite view. These conflicting opinions reach a climax when Stoic locates the nest and employs every method at his disposal to finally eradicate the winged, scaly animals.
Thames masterfully blends Hiccup’s sardonic humor with Baruchel’s tone, giving the lines a sense of urgency and earnestness while also making them uniquely his own. The knowledgeable viewer will be pleased and eased into the hero’s tale by the inclusion of accurate details such as Hiccup’s left-handedness and chin scar. He stands in sharp contrast to Parker’s aspirational Astrid, who has her sights set on the prize—the chiefdom of Berk—because of his curiosity and capacity for self-discipline. Ultimately, both of their types of dragon enthusiasm are required in the climactic third act, but Julian Dennison’s portrayal of Hiccup as Fishlegs makes Hiccup seem a little less nerdy or dorky. In addition to Hiccup’s arguments with Astrid during Viking training, Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn are also worth considering as Ruffnut and Tuffnut because of their quips and jokes that defuse tense situations between Hiccup and his father.
Despite saying a lot of the same lines in the animated original, Butler gives the battered father more depth and delivers them in a different way than he did in the live-action movie. The appearance of elderly adults as Gobber is completed by Nick Frost.
A lot of the movie’s changes, like the one between Viking training (in the live-action version, it’s called The Trial of Flame, and the winner is called Top Slayer), and Hiccup meeting Toothless, are already introduced in the animated version, but they still deal with the main conflict of the movie, which is the animosity between Vikings and dragons.
The parallel between what prevents Toothless from killing Hiccup and what happens when Hiccup chooses not to kill the dragon and frees it from his trap becomes more obvious thematically, if anything. Reliving the heartbreaking final conflict between Toothless and the enormous Alpha queen dragon also emphasizes the value of a straightforward apology and encouraging words, especially from Stoic the Vast, who had not previously shown much respect for his son’s mindset. The fact that Hiccup and Astrid share leadership is another minor departure from the original movie. Astrid assumes command when the six Vikings-in-training form bonds with their own dragons and defend the remaining islanders from the queen of the nest.
The denouement also highlights the obstinate love between father and son, and it’s interesting to consider who might play Hiccup’s mother Valka (originally voiced by Cate Blanchett) in the live-action sequel that is currently in development. In the end, this initial episode has established the framework for the subject of nature versus. nurturing and providing an answer to the perennial query of whether humans and animals can coexist. Animated or not, we could all use a story that centers on empathy and change of heart right now.
The scenes where Hiccup flies with Toothless are full of excitement and joy, and the bond between the boy and the dragon is heartwarming when Thames sobs at the prospect of losing his friend and when the Night Fury saves his rider from some terrifying situations that could have killed him. The story takes off when John Powell returns to compose the music and expand on his previously developed themes.
