Hey all! This is a blog for all sorts of fandoms and edits and etcetera. If I reblog some of your work and you want it out, say the word and it was never even here. NOT spoiler-free. Current phase: How To Train Your Dragon
To the users who have commented/messaged me regarding Night & Light Furies based on my comment in my I HAVE SEEN THE NEW DRAGONS MOVIE rant post, read below (spoilers present)
I realised the whole horse-and-donkey, wolf-and-dog, cousin-like species thing after I posted the rant, because a) she’s not called a ‘female Night Fury’, rather literally a different species, the ‘Light Fury’, and b) there are other Light Furies visible in the Hidden World, and it is only the Night Furies that have been hunted to near extinction. They have adapted to day and night, separate species, as said by @dragonsexcalendar. Just didn’t really think about it and edit what I was saying haha, but thanks to everyone who messaged/commented to help clear this up!
Just some stuff I missed in my earlier rant post, or new things I realised (tags are spoiler-free)
SPOILERS BELOW
- The true villain of HTTYD 3 isn't Grimmel the Grisly; it's adulthood. You'll know what I mean when you watch it, probably already do given the journey we've been taken on thus far.
- Astrid feeling like she and Hiccup aren't ready for marriage could also be her clinging to her youth and freedom, obviously not becuase she has doubts about Hiccup, but rather the permanence of marriage, especially as the chief's wife
- "With love comes loss, and it hurts, but in the end it's worth it. There is no greater gift than love"
- I have the feeling that Eret feels like he needs to atone for his years of dragon trapping and for getting in the way of Hiccup when he was trying to stop Drago and all that, and only having a year with the dragon riders and Skullcrusher and all that makes me vibe that he would perhaps struggle to forgive himself
- Berkians hunted and fought dragons for seven generations, 175 years (give or take), but only got to live peacefully with and ride them for 6 years. That ain't fair.
- Okay so Tuffnut's voice change is noticeable, but honestly the experience of the movie overall means that you don't even think about it
- Tuffnut's 'beard'
- So Ruffnut alludes to choosing Fishlegs as a husband because she "likes sensitive guys", but Snotlout is crying right next to her into Tuffnut's beard so I'd still call Rufflout/Rufflegs a tie
- I'd love to see how all the other riders became adults, their new looks and beards and KIDS and all that
- This movie passes the Bechdel test
- There's a lot more of the gang in this movie just hanging out in the dragon stables (doing chores and stuff obviously but still together) and stuff like that, and it's good to actually see more of their bond, them just talking about mundane things and making decisions based on each other’s input and all that. They need to rely on each other and their little family a lot more as they become adults with responsibilities and, of course, without their dragons.
- Eret and Gobber bromance
- Valka's hair is red now? Like proper Stoick-level red instead of brown?
- The gang's regular (non-dragon-armour) clothing updates are awesome too
- Why does everyone have a two-syllable first name? Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Eret, Spitelout, Dagur, Heather, Viggo, Alvin, Johann, Gustav, Mala...I know there are a few that don't, but still!
- A ‘Romantic Flight’ reprise playing as Hiccup and Astrid lock eyes and set fire to an entire ship is #couplegoals
- The music is incredible, especially ‘The Hidden World’ track itself
- The credits are a montage of all three movies, with important moments in chronological order, as if I wasn’t crying enough already
- I think I managed to cry more, if that's even possible
To the anonymous user who asked me a question about something in my Hidden World rant post: don’t want to do a public response because spoilers, your answer lies below:
They were super funny! Mostly a gag about how Hiccup is considered less ‘manly’ than other vikings, with Tuff targeting his voice, walk etc. Good to see their friendship development and Tuffnut being used as more than a joke (even though it was still funny, if you know what I mean)
I’ve just seen what might be the best movie ever (I don’t live in the States so earlier release!!) and need to process my emotions and discuss discussable points through this rant post, so fairly obvious warning:
PS: an edited, spoiler-free version may be posted later
THE HIDDEN WORLD IS AMAZING! Such a beautiful story, a more-than-fitting conclusion to the epic tale of dragons, vikings, love, loss, leadership, growing up, acceptance, strength, becoming who you were always meant to be, and, perhaps most importantly, learning to let go and stand on your own.
I’ll try and sort aspects of the movie by paragraph but this is pretty much just a therapeutic emotional outpouring so here we go.
First cab off the rank (although it may be obvious), the animation was incredible. The village, the Hidden World, every island and ship and dragon and outfit enriched with vivid colour and intricate detail. The outfits were a particular highlight for me (a la my post a few months ago about their battle suits - they look even better on the big screen); even the updates for characters like Valka and Eret were great. The obvious question I guess is: was the Hidden World itself worth it? A HUGE YES. I thought maybe it would remind me of another other-worldly movie (e.g. James Cameron’s Avatar), but it didn’t; all I could think about was how beautiful the world’s design was, with all the colours and lights, waterfalls and chasms and crystals and, of course, dragons.
Grimmel was a good villain, nothing ridiculously ground-breaking or whatever, but not a bad bad guy by any means in my opinion. There were also three warlords who had employed him whose roles were very minor and pretty much just a way for him to discover that (prank!) he hadn’t killed all the Night Furies after all. The movie isn’t really about the villain though, he’s more of a plot advancer, a catalyst if you will.
The Stoick and lil baby Hiccup flashbacks are gorgeous and serve almost as a form of conscience and inspiration for Hiccup: a monologue on love (sparked by a cute “are you gonna get us a new mom?”) that Hiccup recalls when considering letting Toothless go be with his love, the Light Fury, is particularly poignant.
The Dragon Riders are wonderful and hilarious once again, and a particular highlight of the movie for me was how they were learning to work together more, a la Race to the Edge, especially (sobs) without their dragons. Astrid and Hiccup have many great moments together once again. For those wondering who won between Rufflout and Rufflegs: Ruffnut says she can’t choose between Snotlout’s ego (“I don’t know if he’ll ever love me more than he’ll love himself) and Fishlegs’s meek nerdiness, but at the Hiccstrid wedding says (or maybe jokes) that she chooses Fishlegs because she “likes sensitive guys.” The replacement of TJ Miller is nothing to worry about: it’s noticeable if you listen closely, but definitely not a problem. Ruffnut’s prisoner monologue is a comedic highlight, Tuffnut’s “boy talks” in regard to marriage! (more on that later) are also great, Fishlegs is pretty much just Fishlegs and Snotlout’s banter with Eret and Valka are fun. Our teenage adventurers have grown up, and with growing up comes responsibility, something I’ll explore more in...
Mature Chief Issues (TM)! Hiccup is a young chief with many balls to juggle: raiding trapper ships and rescuing dragons, a dragon overpopulation crisis on Berk, managing viking and dragon priorities, his relationship with Astrid (and the possibility of marriage), threats from enemies across the seas (and the target he has inadvertently made Berk), the legacy of his father (considered one of the greatest chiefs of all time), and (perhaps most importantly) his own self-esteem, acceptance and self-worth, fundamentally the question of his worth without Toothless. This is one of the reasons why I (and many others I suspect) love this franchise so: it deals with mature issues like responsibility and leadership in a meaningful and realistic way. When Hiccup says they’re all going to pack up and leave in search of the Hidden World, he faces opposition and doubt, and as the film progresses he must further contend with the conflict with Grimmel (and events such as Ruffnut getting left behind at the base) and Toothless’s budding relationship with the Light Fury.
A lot of people have been complaining that the Light Fury has been ‘feminised’, and that she shouldn’t look like she does from a zoological standpoint. I read a particularly good post a while ago by a tumblr user who was a zoologist or something like that (no disrespect intended, just can’t remember exactly); if you can find it I recommend the read. I agree with the points made in those arguments, but can’t help thinking that her design is beautiful, and her personality is definitely not weakened. She glistens in the moonlight and fights with incredible strength and can turn invisible at will for goodness sake. Their love is sweet and wholesome and makes for a breathtaking flight sequence and a funny scene reminiscent of the Hiccup-Toothless bonding and drawing scene in HTTYD1. The dragon babies are cute (although I don’t understand why they’re each blotchy black and white when Night and Light Furies are apparently the same species, so therefore based on gender the kids should be one or the other, but anyway) and the Light Fury provides Toothless with someone to spend his life with in the Hidden World when the dragons go away.
Yes, it happens. We knew it would. “There were dragons when I was a boy” sent me into a flurry of tears, and Hiccup and Toothless’s reunion with their kids at the end of the movie was...I don’t really know what to say. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. The dragons go because, as Hiccup says, “The world doesn’t deserve you”. More enemies would rise to fill Grimmel’s place, and dragons will never be truly safe unless they disappear. I think most movie-goers will know deep down that humans and dragons aren’t going to end up living in the Hidden World together like Hiccup suggests; it is, quite simply, not meant to be. Toothless leaving allows him to complete his journey of becoming, in terms of being an alpha and literally standing (flying) on his own (with a self-functioning prosthetic tail). Toothless leaving is also the final step in Hiccup’s becoming, as he learns that he is strong, can stand on his own and lead, even without his faithful dragon by his side. It is hard, as Astrid says, but he can do it, because he has always been a great viking, and has the support of his friends and family. Letting go takes courage and maturity, but can sometimes be the only way you can become who you are meant to be. Hiccup and Toothless’s parallel journeys are truly something to behold. There is a lot more I would like to say on this, but at the current moment I believe I lack the eloquence to do so. In summary, the moment is beautiful and everything you don’t want it to be.
On a happier note, THERE’S A HICCSTRID WEDDING!!!!!!! Following much jest and uncertainty (aka foreshadowing) throughout the film, Hiccup and Astrid have a beautiful winter wedding with the whole village present. Gobber cries, Snotlout cries, Fishlegs cries, I cry, you cry, everyone cries. Astrid’s hair is left down, the bride and groom wear white (don’t think vikings actually did wear white but they look awesome so whatever), there’s a couple of traditional viking things and then comes love then comes marriage then comes BABY IN A BABY CARRIAGE!!!!
The auburn-haired girl, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, and the blond-haired boy, maybe 5 or 6, joined their mother and (bearded!) father on an unexplained boat journey to the entrance to the Hidden World, where they meet up with Toothless, the Light Fury and their children and we come full circle, with the kids holding out their hands and Toothless leaning in, an image we know and love all too well. They fly together, we the audience are promised that dragons did exist and may return someday when the world is worthy of them, and the movie ends.
One of my favourite things about this franchise will always be its maturity and the beauty in simplicity (aka a story of growing up and letting go). I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that this is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen and I literally feel privileged to have experienced this story. I cannot recommend it enough and intend to see it again sometime in the next week. More posts and analysis and etcetera will come (apologies for the hiatus - exams and Christmas and yes hectic), especially after it is released in more countries, and I hope everyone loves this film as much as I did.
So since Hiccup uses his bow like the rest, does this mean he uses a bow right-handed? Like he uses his Inferno with his right? Does this mean Hiccup could possibly be ambidextrous, like many lefties are said to be? Is it just that he has been taught to use mainly his non-dominant hand in combat, indirectly making him ambidextrous? When using his Inferno in the final battle with Drago, he did use his left as opposed to his right.
I have another point to add to this conversation, I’m Multihanded, meaning I use my left hand for more detail oriented things like writing, drawing, and eating, and use my right hand for a lot of sports stuff, I use a left handed bow, but for a lot of the other things I don’t really have a leading side. So that may be the case for Hiccup. I also feel like Hiccup may have trained himself to use his right hand for things due to the society he was raised in.
