I asked at what age the kids lost their American accents and switched to Scots, too. But I did love the movie.
Great flick. I know it’s a departure from the book, so I want to read the book now as well.
To add: I think the explanation that the kids are pretty quick to ride the dragons is there considering that Hiccup spent the time he was supposed to be fighting them in the arena, he was bonding with them in one way or another.
The Scotish accents on the Vikings amused me and I thought the best line of the movie was at the end when Hiccup says that their food is tough and tasteless as are the people.
I came to post the same thing. Rotten Tomatoes is a concensus based approval rating. Not a quality rating. It basically means 98 out of 100 reviewers give it an “OK”. It’s does not mean that the average reviewer gives it a score of 98 on a 0-100 scale.
I found the flying sequences to be on par with Avatar - had this movie come out before Avatar I think it would have taken some of the “magic” out of that movie. Some people would have noted the similarity and discounted the achievement.
I wasn’t sure if the rehabilitated dragon was grateful or just helpless without his rider. It left a somewhat odd feeling afterwards.
One issue I had at the end, regarding Hiccough after the climax
His foot, or lack thereof.
Why on earth did the movie have to go there? I mean really!
I’ve seen the same outcome in a Darren Aronofsky movie. And it was done right. That Movie was rated R, and remains in the IMDB top 250 and well within the top 100 on that list.
Great plot point for a Rated R movie, but a tad too dark for a kids movie. Then again, We had “Where the Wild Things Are” in recent memory as well.
It means that both he and his dragon are now similarly wounded. Both have been altered by trauma and have been fitted with prostheses, but can still live full, rewarding lives, drawn together perhaps even a little more closely by having suffered such losses. At least, that’s my take on it.
Toothless resisted and bucked first though, it was incredibly wary of Hiccough. It only became “his” dragon after he showed it he really did mean it no harm. It wasn’t that Toothless was forced. He was in a sticky situation and Hiccough helped, true, but there was a lot of stuff like getting it food and that that cemented the bonding. I never got the feeling that the dragon was just using Hiccough.
When the tiny fish stealing dragons snuggled up with Hiccough I took it to mean that the dragons are naturally friendly and when they stole the sheep they were acting partially on fear of the mega-dragon and partially in defense. When they came out of the cages they were belligerent because an enemy who has killed tons of them and kept them imprisoned just let them out, they were basically just escaping. I think when Hiccough started doing things with them other than axes and swords they became a little less wary when they were being let out because the person on the other side MIGHT be nice to them. The dragons even seem naturally nice, the final arena battle that Hiccough’s dad ruined even showed that a belligerent dragon could be tamed just by simply making NICE HAND GESTURES at it, even if it was trying to fry you 10 seconds before. From there it’s not too much of a stretch (by the movie’s logic) that when Hiccough released them near the end all he had to do was be nice for a few minutes and they were ready for riding by anyone who also agreed to be nice to them.
Heh, my friend and I called Toothless a “dragon kitteh.” Glad we’re not the only ones.
Nitpick, but it’s Hiccup. Not sure why several people keep referring to him as Hiccough…
The hamsters ate my response.
The analysis you make is easy to make. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I agree with you. I take issue with the fact that, that analysis is cliched, hackneyed and overdone. If Hic had had THIS happen to him earlier in the film, I would have less issue with it.
As it is, it is overdone, an investment that didn’t pay off, and based on it’s timing in the film, it can never pay off anywhere near where it needs to.
One gets the feeling that it was an 11th hour change to wrench out a marginal drop of emotion.
I did it because I saw everyone else doing it and thought I was wrong :smack:.
Hiccup is the character’s name, correctly spelled, but “hiccough” is an alternate older spelling for an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm.
All of that is probably true. But it’s a kids’ movie, when all is said and done, and I wouldn’t be inclined to think it goes much deeper than my own shallow level of analysis.
I just saw it today with Les Mini-ministres - we all loved it!
I watched Avatar first, but found the flying sequence in How to Train Your Dragon much better and moving. Perhaps it’s because I like the main character and the dragon-kitten better than some jarhead marine.
I thought it was cosmic justice, myself. Not only is victory never free, but the reason he lost THAT foot was likely because it was hooked too securely into the tailfin mechanism when he got clubbed off of Toothless’ back. Thus, his one act of aggression against a dragon (that caused that lost tailfin) comes back around upon him. He’s not as crippled as Toothless is, but it brings a measure of co-dependence and equality to the pair. Because of it, they’re more tightly bonded for the future beyond the end of the story, which is the entire point of putting it in the conclusion.
I adored this movie in every way. It’s fun, the characters are engaging, the story is tightly woven and the animation & soundtrack are superb. It’s the only movie I’ve ever gone back to the theater to watch again; and I’d still be doing so if Shrek hadn’t stolen all its screens in my city.
The commie pinko in me likes its themes too. Take a critical look at tradition when the facts contradict it. Take the time to understand those outside of your tribe instead of blindly categorizing them as Other. Compassion spurs a response in kind. Real bleeding heart kind of stuff 
The movie also does an outstanding job with the flying sequences. They clearly put a lot of work into getting the flight mechanics right. All the little details, like the pressure contrails streaming off of Toothless’ wingfingertips as he’s scooping into the foggy sea air during the crash plummet, make the aerial bits totally believable at a gut level. Definitely did a better job than Avatar. As a flying junkie I was eating up every moment of it.
My wife and I saw it last night. It was amazing. One of the best animated movies in years.
My daughter and I loved this movie. To us, Toothless reminded us of our dog… And it fits because we’ve always felt that Stitch was modeled on a Boston Terrier.
Funny you should say that. I’ve got two Bostons and Toothless reminded me of them also. That sitting real still with a dumb look on their face when wanting some of what you’re eating and then the unconcious tongue swipe of their upper lip.