BRO WHY DO THEY KEEP MAKING HICCUP LESS PATHETIC IN EACH PIECE OF MEDIA HES IN.
If anyone read the books, they knows he’s supposed to be the most pathetic, kicked dog, soaking wet cat guy ever. Then they made him in the movies, and sure in the first movie he’s kinda pathetic, BUT IN THE FOLLOWING MOVIES HES LESS PATHETIC AND KINDA HOT??? LIKE STOP BRING BACK MY SAD LITTLE MAN.
And then in the live action(either going to suck or be ok) HE DOESNT LOOK PATHETIC AT ALL. HE LOOKS LIKE RTTE HICCUP WHO ISNT PATHETIC IN THE SLIGHTEST.
BRING BACK PATHETIC MEN PLEASE BRING BACK MY USELESS LITTLE TWELVE YEAR OLD NERD WHO CAN SPEAK TO DRAGONS NOT THIS FLYING GUY WHOS ACTUALLY COOL FOR THE LOVE LF GOD.
So, I finally caved and watched the Live Action httyd (by less conventional means) after hearing so many good things about it on the internet.
I did not like it.
But most of all, I absolutely despise what they did with Stoick.
Little rant incoming, spoilers for the LA (and original) ahead:
Now, first of all. No hate to Gerard Butler. He did fantastic as Stoick and I have no complaints there. My gripes are purely with the writing and decisions made here.
They took all the care out of his character. In the original, Stoick was hard and he was not being the best of dads to Hiccup but you could tell he was trying. Most of all, you could tell how much he cared.
In the live action? It is gone. The story is the same and follows the same beats. But in trying to not make it 1-1 with the original, they either made line deliveries awkwardly placed or changed lines slightly to differ, which ruined the character in the end.
Let me bring some examples:
- In the arena, when Hiccup is trying to tame the Monstrous Nightmare, in the original, Stoick runs in when it goes wrong and rips the gate open, calling the kids over to run to safety. To which Astrid does and Hiccup tries before being intercepted. In the LA? He first stands by the gate unable to get through and calls only to Astrid to come back? Now, was he calling to her to help open the gate? Maybe, but that still doesn’t make sense to me why he would call over Astrid and not even mention his son, or call in any of the other vikings to help instead of the one girl in the way of his son and death. What doesn’t help either is Hiccup saying right before ‘if something goes wrong don’t try to help, my dad respects you’. It puts a different meaning and implication to Stoick calling to Astrid in that moment. (Now I do really like what they did in how Stoick kept the gate open in the end, very cool)
- In the final battle, right after Stoick saved both Hiccup and Toothless from the water, in the original, Stoick stops Hiccup from going after the Red Death, grabbing his hand and saying. “I’m sorry. For- For everything.” And the conversation that follows between them after is pivotal and tugs at your heart. It shows how much these two characters care for each other, and how they’re finally expressing it. Especially after the blowout they had before. In the LA? Stoick also stops Hiccup, but instead, he says “I was only trying to protect you.” The rest of the scene follows roughly the same with some omitted dialogue and dialogue changes. But the fact that Stoick no longer says sorry to his son. The fact that he tries to justify his actions instead of owning up to them? It upset me greatly.
- Lastly, after the battle, when Toothless saved Hiccup and Stoick is searching for him and finds only Toothless without his rider, in the original, Stoick falls to his knees, a silent moment passes where you can see how he grieves. Then, when Toothless opens his eyes, Stoick quietly apologises. Recognising how sincere he is, Toothless opens his wings and shows Hiccup. Stoick grabs Hiccup and exclaims in relief and disbelief “He’s alive, you brought him back alive” to Toothless. With the music swelling and everything, it is a moment that- oh, chef’s kiss, my heart can’t take it. In the LA, Stoick sees him, falls to his knees and says sorry to the air. Because Toothless is not awake. (Then Astrid walks up and comforts him? Which is also a little messed up because that’s not the dynamic they have or are supposed to have). Then when Toothless wakes up the dragon instantly opens his wings, no longer because Stoick apologised. And when Stoick checks Hiccup, he calls out, yells it even. “He’s alive. He’s alive!” To the villagers waiting in the back. It is such a small change. But it changes Stoick as a character so much. It is not internal immense relief, also making him warm up to dragons, it feels more like a show to the village.
Changing all those little moments, no matter how small they seem, it flips Stoick’s character from a dad who is in a rock and a hard place but trying (if not failing) to a man who is chief and has an incompetent son he doesn’t care much for. Their bond and reconciliation doesn’t feel earned or earnest. And in not having the basis for their relationship set up properly, I worry for how the live action movie 2 is going to go if that is gonna be a thing.
In the end, I’m just a fangirl of this franchise who loves the originals so much. And also has daddy issues. So seeing changes like this makes me sad.
If you liked this movie however, I am very glad! So long as more people get introduced to this amazing franchise, I’m happy. I just wanted to give my two cents ^^
I realized soon after my RoB/DoB rewatch that a scene in the LA Httyd was almost exactly like a scene in Thawfest. However the slight differences in how the Snotlout's react speaks volumes to me...
The biggest part of their relationship imoo is how self destructive Snotlout becomes due to it, his pure inability to show weakness in any way (not to say he hasn't or doesn't btww, most of the time they were just either about HookFang or when Spitelout wasnt there) and how he pushes others away
This ain't pure LA bashing, they didn't need to include it so its fair criticism. But idkk it just feels like they ruined what made it feel like it had at least some depth in the first place like...
One of the reasons I believe that Eret and Skullcrusher had an unnaturally strong bond for that ONE YEAR they were together, is how heartbroken they are during the goodbye scene, especially Eret.
Just look:
That's not the look of someone that just had a dragon, cared a bit and that was it. This is the look of someone whose soul is being torn apart. He looks more devastated than even Hiccup. Eret doesn't just see a dragon leaving away. He sees himself. He sees the life he chose, the dreams he had, everything crumbling down.
That's why, in my fic and mind, I highlight their bond as much as I can. They must've gone through so much in order to end up looking like this. And I consider it a crime that the movie didn't give just a little bit of more screentime together than those FIVE FUCKING MINUTES
Can’t find the post for the life of me but I saw someone the other day post about the dragon trainer/dragon master titles and I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks the emphasis on those titles is weird.
The point of Hiccup and Toothless’ friendship is that it’s symbiotic. They are direct parallels to each other and are equals. Hiccup didn’t “train” him, he earned his trust. They’re best friends. “Training” dragons implies a heavy amount of power imbalance, which simply isn’t true, especially between Hiccup and Toothless.
Also, even ignoring that, it’s plain wrong?? He didn’t train them. “Dragons will be dragons” is a sentiment echoed throughout ROB (and is an actual phrase repeated several times), and yes, they’ve had to learn how to live with each other — dragons more so, considering they’ve come to live on Berk and not the other way around, but those are compromises.
It’s been shown dragons are just as intelligent and complex as humans, idk why they insisted on toeing the line of allies versus steeds.
It’s kinda strange how I never see discussion surrounding the narrative mess that httyd 2 can be at times. Like, there’s a lot to criticize in regards to that movie (like, for one, the first 20 or so minutes being kind of pointless since its a back and fourth. Or how Valka’s reveal wasn’t built up to at all - the viewer has no true reason to care for her reveal anymore than “oh wow! Hiccup’s mom!”) but I never see that form of discussion anywhere. That’s why my hot take is that httyd 2 is carried by its cinematography and hype moments, because while it’s a good film, narratively it can be really messy and pointless to the point where I’m shocked no one mentions anything about it except when it’s to shit on Valka.
OKay. Am I silly for getting upset about a movie targeted for teens? Maybe.
But why the FUCK do the dragosn leave at the end of HTTYD 3?! Like, WHY?! Everything in the previous movies/other projects is constantly pointing at the connection between Hiccup and Toothless (what with all the symbolism of both Hiccup and Toothless loosing their left leg/tail wing, them treating each other as siblings, as BROTHERS) and then all of a sudden you want me to believe that Toothless agrees to leave?! That Hiccup just let him go?!
And another point; WHY did everyone else agree?!! Like Cloudjumper and Valka! They've been together for over 20 years! Cloudjumper CHOSE Valka. As in, the dragon chose her! Why the FUCK does he leave so easily??!?! No protest, no objection, just- Fucks off and LEAVES?!?!?
I might really be getting too heated, but this is not how I imagined this iconic series ending its almost decade long run...
hot take! (i know some may not care) but a female night fury would have been the same as the light fury!! just more toothless' species!! thw was made for fucking money, dont play with me <3 the light fury, techninally, was made to be a "pretty girl dragon", which was why people often change her personality, even i do that!! the light fury could have been a better dragon, and not get that much hate, if the dreamworks went off the first 2 movies and made her have a personality!! So, in conclusion, a female night fury would have looked the same and acted the same as the fucking light fury <3
