Happy Feet and How To Train Your Dragon Comparisons

As I said in my last post, I feel that a lot of the reason why I love How To Train Your Dragon so much and why it is quite possibly my second favorite non-Disney animated movie under Happy Feet is because it's so much like Happy Feet. I've found it hard to explain for a while but I'm starting to see the connections more and more, so let's take a look.

In both movies, we see...
- One parent goes away for a period of time, leaving the main character under the care of another, which contributes to their peculiarities.

• Happy Feet: Norma Jean leaves for the fishing season, and while protecting Mumble's egg, Memphis drops it, contributing to his inability to sing and ability to dance.
• How To Train Your Dragon: Stoick leaves to destroy the dragons, and, without his supervision, Hiccup is able to spend time training Toothless. Gobber is technically his supervisor at this time.

- A kid, the main character, who does the opposite of what the society around him wants to do and is seen as the loser of the community. Every time he tries to share his opinion, it's shot down. He does not conform to the mold society wants to put him in. He can't conform to society even when he tries.

• Happy Feet: Mumble dances when penguins are supposed to sing. He's often called "fuzzball", "hippity hopper", or "freaky feet". When he tries to dance for the skuas' entertainment, for Gloria's love, or for the "aliens" to go away, society shames him and tells him not to. "It just ain't penguin, okay." Mumble tries to sing, but fails.
• How To Train Your Dragon: Hiccup trains dragons when vikings are supposed to kill them. He's called "the worst viking of all time." When he tries to tell others that the dragons aren't what they think they are, the others refuse to believe it. "You're not a viking." Hiccup tries very hard to kill Toothless, but can't find it in himself to do it.

- The father puts the main character in a particular class in hopes that this will make them into what they want them to be. It doesn't help at all, however.

• Happy Feet: Memphis puts Mumble in Mr. Astrakhan's class, who is known to whip singers into shape, but even with her instruction, Mumble continues to dance.
• How To Train Your Dragon: Stoick gives Hiccup a chance and puts him in dragon training, but Hiccup only uses this as a way to find out other ways of training dragons.

- His father is disgraced with his ways but eventually learns that they are the only answer and comes to have pride in his son again. They have conversations in which they express their disappointment.

• Happy Feet: Memphis is very disgraced by Mumble's dancing, but when he realizes that it's the only way to protect them from the "aliens" and that "it's like singing, with your body", he gives in and expresses confidence in Mumble, namely when saying "I think you'd better dance now." "Mumble, you must renounce your so-called friends, your strange ways."
• How To Train Your Dragon: Stoick sees no sense in Hiccup trying to train dragons, but once he realizes that Hiccup is right in that they aren't dangerous and they can be used for good, his pride is restored. "You're not a viking; you're not my son."

- An external threat arises and the only way to face it is with the main character's strange ways, and more people will have to cooperate with them for it to work. The ways of the main character become an integral part of their society after this. This threat is initially discovered by accident, and explains many of the problems facing their society.

• Happy Feet: The "aliens" taking the fish are only convinced to go away when all the penguins dance. They are all dancing in the end and continue to dance in the second film. When sliding around with the amigos, Mumble discovers a crane and begins to wonder if it has anything to do with who's taking their fish, which it does.
• How To Train Your Dragon: The Red Death is the one causing the villainy and desperation of the dragons, but can only be stopped by dragons, as vikings alone are not strong enough. Hiccup needs his friends to ride dragons with him to take it down, because he and Toothless can't do it alone. When flying with Astrid, he finds his way into the nest, showing why the dragons are so desperate for food.

- The main character finds friends in a foreign place.

• Happy Feet: Mumble in Adelie Land
• How To Train Your Dragon: The terrible terrors on the distant island. Toothless somewhat counts as well.

- A love interest from the beginning who at first is concerned about the main character's strange ways but eventually discovers their greatness. She has a skill that impresses him.

• Happy Feet: Gloria. On multiple occasions, she shows how strange she finds Mumble's dancing, but once she realizes they need it and that it can blend with her singing, she gives in to it. Mumble finds her singing beautiful.
• How To Train Your Dragon: Astrid. When first discovering Toothless, she thinks Hiccup is crazy, but when he shows her what he can do, she understands. Her ability to fight dragons initially makes Hiccup swoon.

- The main character admits to the fact that they couldn't change their ways even if they wanted to.

• Happy Feet: "Don't ask me to change, pa, 'cause I can't."
• How To Train Your Dragon: "300 years and I'm the first viking who wouldn't kill a dragon."

- He faces a near death situation and makes it out alive, but with a lifelong injury.

• Happy Feet: The leopard seal biting and scarring his tail.
• How To Train Your Dragon: Coming out of the fire with only one leg.

- He tries to find a place away from others to do what he loves.

• Happy Feet: Where he dances to "I Wish", and Adelie Land.
• How To Train Your Dragon: The glen and the skies.

- A character has a fatal injury (mental/physical) that drives the plot.

• Happy Feet: Mumble's egg dropping. This is the reason why he dances and can't sing.
• How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless' "half-tail." This makes Hiccup realize he needs him and leads him to helping him fly.

- Society begins to accept him until they realize what a heinous crime he is committing.

• Happy Feet: The Boogie Wonderland scene up until Noah suggests he is the reason the fish are gone.
• How To Train Your Dragon: They are impressed with Hiccup's "way with the beasts" until they realize he doesn't intend to kill them.

- His skill ends up saving him from a dangerous situation in addition to the larger societal situation.

• Happy Feet: His dancing frees him from the zoo.
• How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless saves him from the Nightmare.

- Even when shot down by all others, he makes a valiant effort to save his people.

• Happy Feet: When Mumble is banished, then jumps into the ocean to go find the "aliens".
• How To Train Your Dragon: When the ships leave but Hiccup flies out to their location on other dragons.

- He cannot move on when others of his age are able to.

• Happy Feet: Mumble is stuck at the back of the class and never officially graduates school.
• How To Train Your Dragon: In the beginning, Hiccup can't be in dragon training with the other teenagers.

- An "all-seeing-eye" wise person's decisions effect the journey.

• Happy Feet: Lovelace. Having to save him from his talisman helps Mumble find the "aliens."
• How To Train Your Dragon: Gothi. Her choosing Hiccup to kill a dragon allows Hiccup to show he does not wish to do so.

Besides this, of course we simply have the fact that they are both drama-driven epics with stunning visuals, engaging sequences, fantastic score (both composed by the marvelous John Powell, mind you), and a booming ending.