How to Force Your Dragon into Co-dependency

Over the last few months Dreamworks has been pouring a huge amount of effort into the promotion of How to Train Your Dragon, assuring the masses that it’s their best flick since Shrek. Personally, I was hooked from trailer one – no critics’ reviews necessary. It’s impossible to see the duo of Hiccup and Toothless onscreen and not be intrigued by their sarcasm and cuteness.

How to Traib Your Dragon (2003)

To my shame, I did not know at first that this film was based on a book series. It wasn’t until I started reading up on it over on Wikipedia that I heard of the books’ existence. Naturally, I had to go to my local bookstore before movie time and grab a copy. I didn’t finish it before seeing the film, but I have finished them both now and let me just say, they are dramatically different.

And, in a stance I rarely take, I must say that I liked the movie a lot more.

Firstly, Novel Hiccup is just over ten years old whereas the film hiccup seems to be in his mid-teens. Novel Hiccup and the other boys of his village are undergoing their initiation into the tribe wherein they have to capture a baby dragon and train it to the satisfaction of their elders. Their dragons are equivalent in size and use to hunting dogs, Hiccup’s ends up being the smallest and most common-bred of them all, despite the fact that he’s the chief’s son and should have a “worthier” dragon. On the other hand, Film Hiccup is thrown into initiation as a last resort wherein he must kill dragons. He captures a rare Night Fury by accident and their relationship grows from there.

Without getting too spoilery, Novel Hiccup and his class face being banned from their tribe but are presented with a last-minute chance to redeem themselves by saving the island. The same applies to Film Hiccup, but the circumstances vary. Cleverness wins out over brute strength and dorky kids everywhere find hope in Hiccup being accepted by his very Viking clan. Even the cantankerous Toothless (who talks throughout the books but does not, thankfully, do so in the films) finds a heart and comes to Hiccups aid, therefore redeeming himself in the end.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

The film, however, adds an element that I’d like to draw attention to. When Hiccup first comes across the fallen Toothless, the dragon has crashed into the forest – thanks to Hiccup’s bola-firing contraption. After some half-hearted attempts to slay the dragon, Hiccup sets him free only to discover that Toothless has an injured tail and can no longer fly, Through the ever-helpful use montage we see the clever and mechanical minded Hiccup craft a device that augments Toothless’ broken tail. The previously disabled dragon now has the power of flight restored to him by the same person that (inadvertently) took it away.

Here’s the really spoilery bit. After the climactic final battle, it’s revealed that Hiccup has lost a leg. A crude prosthetic has been crafted for him, though it is still very difficult for Hiccup to walk. Toothless props him up as he walks, and later Hiccup climbs aboard – his mechanical leg fitting perfectly into Toothless’ flight-control mechanism. Separately they have very limited mobility, but together they can fly.

All in all, I loved the film. This little addition is the only sticky wicket for me, as I’m not quite sure what it’s saying about disabilities. I don’t think it’s trying to send any kind of message on purpose, but I think the feel-goodness intended didn’t quite come across. Toothless could have suffered some more temporary type of debilitation and still made a bond with Hiccup, and we could have come out of this film happily-ever-after. As it is, our heroes are both crippled for life and must depend on each other to survive. And it’s clearly Hiccup’s fault.

Do the ends justify the means? Possibly. The entire village is now at peace with, and working harmoniously with, their neighboring dragons. Hiccup may have injured Toothless, but he got his karmic retribution and now everybody is safe. Clearly he’s got the girl as well, and Toothless is a pretty big deal himself. So, in a way, it is happily-ever-after. You make do with what you’ve got, and they’ve got quite a lot going for them.

Frankly, I don’t think kids are going to care. It’s a spectacular movie, and one I’d feel good about recommending to children and adults alike. It really is one of Dreamworks’ best offerings to date. The book is a great read as well, and I intend to pick up some of the sequels in the future. They may be full of crude (yet hilarious) drawings, but they aren’t written in a condescending way. They’re definitely on the strange side, but I can’t say I have a problem with that.