HOT TAKE: I prefer the TV shows as a continuation of the first HTTYD movie rather than the second and third movies.
I'm not saying the second and third movies are bad! Far from it! I love the whole triology, I was one of the kids that grew up alongside Hiccup and his friends, but I can definitely feel the limitations the writers put on themselves in their efforts to stay as close to the book canon as possible. The first movie was allowed to be its own thing with its characters sharing only some names and core traits with their book counterparts. There was no prophecy, there was no dragonese, and we see Berk as an enemy to dragons first.
Hiccup is introduced to us as a misfit who then meets Toothless and, through his new friend, "grows his wings" and realizes that he doesn't have to change. He is not a Viking, he's not "one of them", and that's a good thing! It's the rest of his village who ends up changing by learning from him, breaking those hard traditions and opening their minds to new and better possibilities. It's a story about friendship, personal growth, overcoming adversity and the impact of good individuals on the course of history.
Hiccup didn't need an arc on becoming Chief when his character already ended at a good point, but they gave it to him anyway. And, hey, they made it work! So credit where it's do.
But I'm not the only one that tuned in to HTTYD 2 and thought, in the first minutes of the movie, that Astrid would be the one to take on the role of Chief while Hiccup would continue doing what he truly loves: flying, finding new islands, discovering new dragons and "goofing off". In a way, you can say Astrid would be the Stoick to Hiccup's Valka.
Also, I'm so over the message that growing up means giving up the things you used to love as kid and eventually putting your family over your friends. That's real life. This is my whimsical dragon cartoon!
I love the second and third HTTYD movies but I'll always pick the first movie and the TV shows over them for a rewatch.
areudirty
titsay
prguitarman
