A truly magical ride

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2014)

There's no fun writing good reviews about movies that are commonly seen as good, or the other way around. It feels pointless, like repeating the obvious. But sometimes people seem to be mesmerized by the look-alikes and simply forget what it is to deal with something truly original and precious. So when i first saw How to Train Your Dragon back in 2011, i didn't find it necessary to say anything: anyone with eyes and ears would've understood everything without help from aside. Or so i thought. But after the excitement and praise the HTTYD's sequel received in 2014, with some even claiming that it surpassed its predecessor, it got obvious that eyes and ears are not enough: only with your mind and heart open you can feel the movie's "soul" if it has it, or notice its absence if it doesn't
Some details of the original movie might've faded in memory with time. But a single re-watch made them all vivid again. And, the most important thing, brought back that magical feeling that made me instantly fall in love with this movie back in the day. As if you are transferred from the cozy modern environment to a world full of scary and dangerous things and creatures, and the only thing that could compare with that fear of unknown is the curiosity and eagerness to finally find out the secrets it contains.
But HTTYD is more than just about exploring the unknown that's around you. It's also about the search of your own true self, about questioning the stereotypes based on fear and, above all, about kindness and compassion, and how such things can actually change the set order of things.
The protagonist named Hiccup, is a nerdy and tiny son of the gigantic and brutal chief of the Viking tribe, people who may pray the Norse gods but whose true god is strength and toughness. Being a total failure in his people's eyes, he desperately tries to prove himself worthy and to kill a dragon, only to find out, when he finally gets a chance to, that his heart goes against it. And so begins a story of a person who, in the world where people are taught to kill first and ask questions later and nobody bothers to think whether it's right or wrong, decides to take a different path. Which leads to things like accepting who you really are, standing up for it and finally making a difference. And finding things that you were so desperate to find, like love and approval, along the way.
In the world ruled by the machismo stereotypes, it's especially refreshing to see movies where silly and clumsy characters who, on the other side, have a soft and kind heart, may actually save the day and even be sexy. The same approach worked brilliantly in another Dreamwork's gem, Kung-Fu Panda.
But the magical spell would not be complete without amazing visuals and a truly beautiful score. Seriously, unlike the sequel's soundtrack that was borderline annoying, so excessively vigorous it was sometimes, in HTTYD we have a great mix of a whole variety of themes, from suspenseful to gentle to cheerful to really epic and fist-clenching, each of them perfectly complementing the actions we see on screen. And the scenes of Hiccup and Toothless just flying in the sky, free from everything that confined them on the ground... That was just an indescribable experience that only HTTYD and Avatar ever managed to deliver. As if you're up in the sky yourself, gliding through the clouds with no care in the world...
Alas, all the fairy-tales are bound to end sooner or later, and this movie was no exception. Still, i'm utterly grateful to the team behind HTTYD for creating something that, even for an hour and a half, turns you into a child again and lets you feel the magic long gone from our own reality.