How
To Train Your Dragon 3 (2019): Written and directed
by Dean DeBlois. Starring: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig
Ferguson, and F. Murray Abraham. Running Time: 104 minutes. Based on the book series of the same name by
Cressida Cowell.
Rating:
4/4
So
ends the story of a boy and his dragon; after nearly a decade of being one of
the most perpetually underappreciated film series in all of cinema, the HTTYD
trilogy concludes with a final installment that quite effectively throws down
the gauntlet for the rest of the year. Screenwriters,
take note; this is how you properly send off a franchise.
In
retrospect, very much like with Kung Fu
Panda, Dreamworks’ other perpetually underrated animated film trilogy,
HTTYD should not work nearly as well as it does. I mean, these are movies centered a toothless
dragon and a perpetually hoarse kid named Hiccup, for Christ’s sake. Yet, here we are.
It’s
been a year since Drago’s defeat and Toothless’ ascension as the alpha of Berk’s
growing dragon hordes. The gang has
taken to leading regular raids on fleets of dragon trappers to free their
reptilian prisoners, bringing each wave of dragons with them back to Berk, despite
the fact that this creates an increasingly large logistical headache for the
village. Meanwhile, the trappers they’ve
been raiding turn out to be connected to a gaggle of warlords seeking to pick
up where Drago left off. Frustrated by
Berk’s constant disruption of their plans, they enlist the aid of the legendary
dragon killer Grimmel to capture Toothless, who, as the alpha, would
effectively bring every other dragon in Berk with him. Their bait?
The only other known living Night Fury, a female.
If
this franchise has had one, persistent weakness, it’s been the villains, who
have never offered much in the way of depth; they show up, they are threatening,
they are beaten, rinse, wash, repeat. In
this regard, the strongest of the three films is easily the first, where the
true antagonist eventually turns out to be human ignorance. The others are, at least, memorable, and this
is very much thanks to the people brought in to voice them. Drago in Part
2 was voiced by the incomparable Djimon Hounsou, with Kit Harington
getting an assist as the initial red-herring bad guy, Eret Son of Eret. The
Hidden World gets extra points for having Grimmel voiced by the Grand
Master of Despair himself, F. Murray Abraham.
And he doesn’t just show up to phone it in, oh no; Salieri is here to play.
Ultimately,
though, the villains themselves are immaterial, because the franchise has
always focused first and foremost on the main characters’ relationships to each
other and themselves, especially where loss is concerned. This is where the emotional core and power of
the series resides. Each film revolves
around Hiccup, and often other characters as well, losing something and facing
huge change and uncertainty as a result.
In Part 1, it’s Hiccup’s leg and half of Toothless’ tail fin, and in
Part 2 it’s Stoick’s death and Hiccup’s rise to the chiefdom. In each case the film that follows builds on
these changes and shows us how the characters learn and work to cope with them,
and Part 3 follows this to a majestic conclusion that is pretty close to
perfect. I can’t imagine any other way
this story could have ended, which is exactly the feeling you want when
finishing your trilogy.
It’s
also of interest to note that these losses and changes, including those that
happen in The Hidden World, are
either direct or indirect results of actions and decisions taken by Hiccup, who
is consistently forced to confront his own weaknesses and either be ruined by
them, or learn and grow beyond them. How
wonderful to see a series of films, especially ones aimed at children, which emphasize
the importance of persisting in spite of one’s errors. All too often a movie sets out with such a
noble intention, only to undermine itself in the execution. HTTYD has never had that problem.
The
relationship between Hiccup and Astrid, which at first looks like it could fall
into the Princess-as-Prize trope, is another aspect of the films that I’ve only
recently started to fully appreciate.
There is a clear sense of equality and respect between both of them,
genuine admiration as well as affectionate love. Their love is sparked right at the very
beginning, and though they clearly fight and argue and disagree, there is never
any attempt in the subsequent films to create any fake “OMG will they break up???”
nonsense for the sake of creating drama.
They remain rocks for each other through it all. Again, what an amazing, positive example to
put front and center in an animated kids movie.
It
is a testament to how neat and tightly packed the screenplay is that it manages to fit a whole story, with enough final moments for all the major characters,
and still keep to a 100-minute runtime that feels much, much longer than that
(but in a good way). I found this all
the more impressive given how many important sequences there are between
Toothless and his new love interest, the Light Fury, that have absolutely no
dialogue, just visuals and music. There
is a tactile sense to every shot of the movie, a vibrancy to the color and
contrast that is absolutely stunning to behold.
The fact that this trilogy has played out over a decade allows it to
function as a time capsule of sorts, testifying to the advances made in CGI technology
over time; the quality and beauty of each film has improved noticeably and
dramatically with each new film.
John
Powell’s score remains one of the greatest musical creations of the 21st
century to date. Over the course of
three films and roughly 3.5 hours’ worth of composition, his carefully
developed and layered soundtrack deserves to be considered alongside other
legacy-defining masterpieces like Howard Shore’s LOTR work, or the collective Star Wars scores of John Williams. It’s seen growth and development on par with
any of the characters, and elevates every moment of the film, especially the
achingly beautiful final sequence.
In
the end, though, it all comes back to Hiccup and Toothless, one of the most
enduring cinematic partnerships of the past decade. Theirs is a relationship where both have
grown intertwined over years of learning to support each other, each respecting
the other as an equal. They are
inseparable in both our minds and their own, and inseparable they shall remain,
even if there are no more flights left for us to experience with them on the
big screen. Parting is such sweet
sorrow.
-Noah Franc
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