by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Welcome to Cross-Platform Partners! In honor of a new movie release, I have selected a TV show to watch to pair with the movie. Think of it as a way to get hyped for the new movie, a preview of things to come, a means to tide you over if the movie won’t be released where you live for a little while, or a change of pace if you’ve run out of related movies or sequels.
For June, I paired DreamWorks Dragons with the live action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.
The animated How to Train Your Dragon series is among one of the best out there, and not just for animation. It got better with every installment, even if the box office success didn’t always translate. Each entry continues to focus on the relationship between dragons and man, especially Hiccup and Toothless. I recall watching the first movie in theaters and feeling like it was a pivotal moment in my movie-watching life. After that film released, there were several spinoff series, but none gained the exposure and notoriety of Dragons.
The series takes place between the first two How to Train Your Dragon movies, with Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and friends helping Berk in their transition to coexist with dragons, instead of fighting them. There are three parts to the series: Riders of Berk shows the evolution of Berk as a dragon safe haven. There are several Vikings on the island — led by disliked local Mildew (Stephen Root) — who retain a hatred for dragons. Slowly, more and more dragons are discovered, and people start to develop tolerance for their former enemies. This installment is also where Hiccup establishes a dragon-training academy, and discovers several tribes out there are wary, jealous, and spiteful of Berk’s recent success with dragons.
This comes to a head with Defenders of Berk, which brings Berk to war with Alvin the Treacherous (Mark Hamill). Hiccup continues to increase his knowledge of dragons by updating the dragon book and becoming more like a leader each episode. In addition, we learn Alvin’s backstory: he was banished from Stoick’s (Nolan North) tribe, and became the villain who would wage war. He aligns himself with Dagur the Deranged (David Faustino). We are introduced to Heather (Mae Whitman), a mysterious girl who is discovered by the dragon riders of Berk.
Race to the Edge takes place three years after Defenders of Berk, and follows the continued feud between Hiccup and Dagur. A new threat appears in the form of more dragon riders, as everyone searches for the mythical Dragon’s Eye, a device that can only work with dragon’s fire and gives knowledge about lands and dragons.
Dragons expands the world for Berk and dragons. The series provides us with some much-needed insight into Viking culture, and how their feud with dragons originated in the first place. More tribes are introduced to help distinguish who belongs to which, and what each one stands for. In addition, Stoick and Gobber (Chris Edgerly) get backstory about how they became friends, and life events that shaped them into the people they are today. As for the dragons, we get a history lesson on the classification system, as well as expand the knowledge of what each classification can do. We also observe homelands for specific species of dragon, further enhancing our knowledge of each species.
The real treat of Dragons, though, is more time with Hiccup and Toothless. Their relationship blossoms as they learn to work together. Each relationship has growing pains, but what we get is two friends who are devoted to one another and would sacrifice everything for the other. Hiccup knows he doesn’t know everything, so he treats Toothless less like a pet, and more like an ally. Baruchel’s involvement in the series gives Dragons familiarity and credibility, something other How to Train Your Dragon series can’t say.
The other dragon riders are here for the series, and they all play a specific role. Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) teaches Vikings about dragons, Snotlout (Zack Pearlman) helps Gobber test weapons, and the twins — Ruffnut (Andree Vermeulen) and Tuffnut (T.J. Miller) begin to dedicate their lives to Loki, the God of Pranks. Astrid (America Ferrera) is Hiccup’s closest ally, and the strongest member of the group. All the characters have something to do, instead of just waiting around for Hiccup to ask for help.
Although not required viewing to understand the events of the franchise, Dragons helps bridge the gap between the first two movies. It is a rich tapestry of history for the How to Train Your Dragon fans, expanding the world in phenomenal ways. The series is an incredible addition to the franchise, and one worthy of the steep eight-season marathon.
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd