How to Train Your Dragon 2
Jun. 18th, 2014 11:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nrgburstLong story short: it was really good and I will definitely pay to see it in theaters again. Visually SPECTACULAR, plus all the adorable Hiccstrid and Hiccup/Toothless BroTP moments were just :DDDDDDD But I have some serious reservations about it too?
Yes, it has a lot of mature themes in it that aren't touched on in the first film which were great to see: differing approaches to man vs. nature; taking on the burden of responsibility/leadership; death as a part of life. Plus the series long throughlines of the power of friendship, staying true to yourself and problem solving through creative solutions. But at the same time, deus ex machina and a lack of emotional honesty make the plot fall a bit flat to me. (And my sister, who came with me and kiddo.)
The thing that bugged me the most was the lack of impact after a major character death. Now I had been thoroughly spoiled for it, but still- I was expecting continued heartbreak for the rest of the film, not the dramatic insta-funeral putting a wrap on grief so one can be a hero plus obligatory poignant moment in the super-cheerful ending. Like I'm sorry: Kids, that is NOT what losing somebody looks like, coming-of-age plot irregardless. Yes, Hiccup was in tears for five solid minutes (unlike typical action dude) but there was no haunted feeling to him for the rest of the film? He just had dramatic change of heart, put on his hero hair and hero-ed. It might be what Hollywood (and little kids) expect, but made me go er...is that it?Plus who puts an understandably reluctant 20 year old in charge when there are actual village elders and other experienced adults around, I mean what is this Viking monarchy BS.
Also: how are there so few repercussions to abandoning a newborn preemie and husband for two decades? (Especially for a woman!) Like wow, talk about a society that forgives and forgets in a way that looks nothing like ours. *insert cynical eyeroll*
The actual deus ex machina will be too spoilery to post about, (although if you look at promo posters it is hinted there) but it was the one thing that was not in keeping with the usual Creative Solution Trumps Hammer approach that Hiccup usually takes in the first film and the series. Like it felt very My Little Pony FRIENDSHIP IS THE MAGIC SOLUTION!!! Unrealistic Sparkly Ending TM. Whereas Hiccup is a disabled scrawny dork who uses his brains, observational skills and others to help him reach solutions? So it just felt like a way to force Top Dog Titles- like are we all that uncomfortable with heroes NOT being awarded leadership positions? Why are the two always linked in our media? I just can't comprehend NOT doing something like deferring leadership until he's ready; mature enough NOT to run from responsibility first, you know?
Plus fandom: LOL way to be predictable and hate on Astrid while romanticizing Hiccup's and even Eret's actions. A+ on internalized misogyny, just WTF
On Astrid in particular: I was disappointed by her lack of character development. She did have an arc and it was: coming to accept Eret. That's it. Otherwise, she was basically Hiccup's LI, his "number one defender and champion". And while that has brought around a lot of the fandom from outright hating her, it just makes me really sad. Because she really had no motivations beyond doing what is best for Hiccup- even if it meant putting herself and the gang in danger. And while it is a realistic motivation to want the best for your boyfriend/fiancé, after two seasons of watching her be a supporting object more than a character with her own motivations (Flightmare ep aside. Like literally one episode.) I was really hoping for an arc like she had in the first movie. Sigh.
Yes, it has a lot of mature themes in it that aren't touched on in the first film which were great to see: differing approaches to man vs. nature; taking on the burden of responsibility/leadership; death as a part of life. Plus the series long throughlines of the power of friendship, staying true to yourself and problem solving through creative solutions. But at the same time, deus ex machina and a lack of emotional honesty make the plot fall a bit flat to me. (And my sister, who came with me and kiddo.)
The thing that bugged me the most was the lack of impact after a major character death. Now I had been thoroughly spoiled for it, but still- I was expecting continued heartbreak for the rest of the film, not the dramatic insta-funeral putting a wrap on grief so one can be a hero plus obligatory poignant moment in the super-cheerful ending. Like I'm sorry: Kids, that is NOT what losing somebody looks like, coming-of-age plot irregardless. Yes, Hiccup was in tears for five solid minutes (unlike typical action dude) but there was no haunted feeling to him for the rest of the film? He just had dramatic change of heart, put on his hero hair and hero-ed. It might be what Hollywood (and little kids) expect, but made me go er...is that it?
Also: how are there so few repercussions to abandoning a newborn preemie and husband for two decades? (Especially for a woman!) Like wow, talk about a society that forgives and forgets in a way that looks nothing like ours. *insert cynical eyeroll*
The actual deus ex machina will be too spoilery to post about, (although if you look at promo posters it is hinted there) but it was the one thing that was not in keeping with the usual Creative Solution Trumps Hammer approach that Hiccup usually takes in the first film and the series. Like it felt very My Little Pony FRIENDSHIP IS THE MAGIC SOLUTION!!! Unrealistic Sparkly Ending TM. Whereas Hiccup is a disabled scrawny dork who uses his brains, observational skills and others to help him reach solutions? So it just felt like a way to force Top Dog Titles- like are we all that uncomfortable with heroes NOT being awarded leadership positions? Why are the two always linked in our media? I just can't comprehend NOT doing something like deferring leadership until he's ready; mature enough NOT to run from responsibility first, you know?
Plus fandom: LOL way to be predictable and hate on Astrid while romanticizing Hiccup's and even Eret's actions. A+ on internalized misogyny, just WTF
On Astrid in particular: I was disappointed by her lack of character development. She did have an arc and it was: coming to accept Eret. That's it. Otherwise, she was basically Hiccup's LI, his "number one defender and champion". And while that has brought around a lot of the fandom from outright hating her, it just makes me really sad. Because she really had no motivations beyond doing what is best for Hiccup- even if it meant putting herself and the gang in danger. And while it is a realistic motivation to want the best for your boyfriend/fiancé, after two seasons of watching her be a supporting object more than a character with her own motivations (Flightmare ep aside. Like literally one episode.) I was really hoping for an arc like she had in the first movie. Sigh.
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Date: 2014-07-23 07:41 am (UTC)I had no idea anyone was going to die, I literally had tears streaming down my face when Stoick sacrificed himself for Hiccup. Then I was just happy it wasn't his mother who died because then I would've been pissed. But holy shit, having Toothless to be the one who kills him, even with him being controlled by the Alpha, it was heart-wrenching. And when he tried to touch Stoick afterwards when he came out of the trance and Hiccup told him to get away - it completely and utterly destroyed me. Idky but Toothless always gets me right in the feels, so yeah, that was so difficult to watch.
ITA with you about how much they didn't deal emotionally with Stoick's death though, it was kind of ridiculous how much of a non-issue it seemed to be. And don't even get me started on him being the new chief, I was sitting there like, huh? during that part. So silly.
I really loved Cloudjumper, his face was just so cute to me for some reason.
I'm not in fandom in the slightest so what the hell are people saying about Astrid? I seriously can't even fathom what people could be complaining about, but there's always going to be something for fandom to criticise with a female character so I'm unfortunately not surprised.
no subject
Date: 2014-07-23 08:45 am (UTC)Yeah, the non-issue death thing really gets me. Like why the hell are they so bloody HAPPY and doing dragon racing woohoo while half the village is in ruins? Like Hiccup seemed more unnerved about Drago returning in the future than grieving for his dad. And that, to me, just does not compute, you know?
Apparently that is actual Viking culture, so we should probably just be glad that Hiccup didn't force the succession by killing his dad, which is supposed to be quite common. LOL
Yeah, Cloudjumper is a cutie. :D
Fandom just likes to blame Astrid for things that male characters get excused for. So according to some of the Big Name Fans, she was to blame for Drago going to Berk, since she did her bragging spiel about Hiccup to try to get them released. Bitch should have listened to Eret, who was trying to get her to shut up. (But not to save his own skin, no, no. He's a male character, so he was trying to save them all, even before his super obvious change of heart.) Obviously shutting up would have done lots of good after Eret had thrown them under the bus. RME
I think they also missed the part where Drago was taking over the whole world with his dragon army. Yes, her actions probably bumped Berk to the top of the list of Places To Conquer, but I think even if Stoick had fortified the island and Hiccup hadn't gone on his mutiny mission, the bad!Alpha was something nobody was prepared for. Including, for example, Valka and her wild dragon army and Bewilderbeast.
I hate when fandom craps on my faves, can you tell? LOL