DRAGON TALE INSPIRES
Love flows from molten heart of animated adventure
By the Chinese zodiac it’s year of the horse. But if we look at the glowing screens at the multiplex, it may as well be year of the dragon. Maleficent conjured one for protection and vengeance. The Hobbit gave us the desolate, gold- loving Smaug, and while Godzilla may be a mutant beast from deep beneath, he’s still a giant lizard that breathes fire.
They may be as real as unicorns, but dragons clearly evoke a part of our subconscious that craves an all- powerful avenger capable of reducing an enemy to ashes with little more than a fiery burp.
Indeed, there’s probably a scaly protector inside each one of us just waiting to hatch, which may be one of the more abstract reasons for the surprise success of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.
Created by Ottawa- area native Dean DeBlois ( Lilo & Stitch) and featuring the voices of Ottawa- born Montrealer Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson, the first film introduced us to a Viking village terrorized by dragons.
One of the local kids had a talent for shooting them out of the sky, but when he maimed a rare and dreaded Night Fury dragon, the boy and the beast developed a bond — which in turn re- created the entire world around them as they entered an era of peace and mutual respect.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 opens years later with a sequence showing the same Viking village in absolute bliss. The citizens are giddy and prosperous and play games all day long.
The dragons are now more like pets, but the dynamic between our hero Hiccup ( Baruchel) and his beloved Night Fury named Toothless ( Randy Thom) has a sibling feel: They are both the same age, and both suffer from a physical disability, since Hiccup is missing part of a leg and Toothless is missing half his tail stabilizer.
Despite their scars, they make an unbeatable team. Yet when they discover a remote community that hunts and traps dragons to serve in a dark lord’s evil army, they realize their whole peaceful way of life is at risk.
Hiccup tries to reason with the nasty dragon trapper Eret ( Kit Harington), but it’s no use. Eret’s master Drago ( Djimon Hounsou) wants his dragon army, and he’s going to get it — with Toothless becoming his personal dragon steed.
Things look dim, but just when Hiccup thought he was alone, he discovers a secret ice cave teeming with dragons, and a mysterious dragon whisperer who may help him overcome Drago — and keep the blissful peace.
Because peace, not winning a war, is the ultimate goal for Hiccup, the whole movie has a different vibe. You could even call it “Canadian” thanks to Baruchel’s presence in the lead role and DeBlois calling the shots.
A sense of tenderness caresses every sequence — even the most violent ones — because at the molten heart of this animated adventure lies the idea of unconditional love. Hiccup loves Toothless, Toothless loves Hiccup, and parents love their children.
DeBlois knows it’s easier to show dragon- boy bonding than communicate grown- up love in a cartoon, but the feelings are still there — and we feel them in every shot of Hiccup and Toothless together.
It’s in these extended looks and beautifully choreographed movements that How to Train Your Dragon 2 works its subtle magic because it constantly reaffirms the importance, and the power, of love and trust.
An inspired and inspiring piece of escapism, this one will get the kids cheering on their feet and the grownups blubbering in their seats.