Well, DreamWorks dropped a bomb on us today. I've spent all day processing this poster, and I must say it made my workday feel extremely long!! Anyway, click the read more to here my thoughts on this new poster and new dragon!
First off, I really did not know whether or not I liked the white Night Fury at first. Like, I was immediately torn. She was SO far from what I was expecting. That initial shock made me hesitant to even form an opinion. The only thing I could say was, "Well, that was bold..."
However, after spending hours mulling over the image, the inevitable hype and AWE caught on. I started looking over this new white dragon, and I honestly think I'm falling in love with it. Sure, she is weird. I honestly still feel like she is a little bit offputting, but I almost like that about her. She is alien, foreign, unexpected. She is yet another slap in the face, a reminder that Hiccup and Toothless still have SO MUCH to learn about their world.
From a design standpoint, I can see a lot of positive aspects about her. I do believe she is a subspecies. I don't think the lack of spines and tiny ears are simply sexual dimorphism, so albinism is kinda out the window. However, if leucism was what initially triggered this mutation, that would make a lot of sense. I feel like we are looking at some bizarre, subterranean creature that has lived for generations hidden from human eyes. Her features are blunted, unaggressive, smooth. It's almost as though she is underdeveloped: a creature who doesn't need the spines or scales of a normal dragon living on the surface. The bioluminescent tint to her body is also another thing that makes her really feel at home in a pitch dark world, a world, unlike anything we have ever seen. I also really like the pink around her nose. It's almost like that tiny detail makes her feel real. She's not some white phantom, she's a living, breathing dragon... and she is unlike anything we've ever seen!
From a story-telling standpoint, I also see some really positive elements to having her be white. Sure, it still feels a little bit like she is someone's OC, but the distinct ways they have altered her design from Toothless's does make her feel more original. The thing I like is that having her look so distinct keeps Toothless feeling unique. I can remember back, WAY BACK, when RoB made us think that Toothless was going to find an island of Night Furies. I was excited, but I was also worried. I worried that he would get lost in the crowd. I was worried that he would not look unique, and in that, he would not feel quite as special. Now he easily keeps his individuality while paired against a potentially equally magnificent beast. Her being white may also make the two of them look very dynamic standing or flying together. Until we see the trailers, I can't say for sure, but the two dragons looking so different could even play a thematic role. After all, appearances in HTTYD often hold a deeper meaning than just looking cool (Hiccup's armor from HTTYD2 for example).
Hiccup's armor is still looking neat, but I will say his head is looking kinda big! Also, I've seen people point out (and I agree) that Toothless looks too glossy. I think before we make any hard judgments on this next film, we will need to see these characters in action. I am particularly interested in viewing the facial expressions of our new dragon. HTTYD kinda has a bad history with posters. They have not always been proper representations of the films. Not that they were awful, they just weren't spot on. So, I'm gonna assume that super glossy Toothless and big-headed Hiccup are the result of someone trying to make Toothless look cool, and trying to keep Hiccup recognizable in the background.
Speaking of the background, with a weird and wonderful world like that, you can begin to grasp how this new subspecies of Night Fury came to be. Imagine trying to adapt to such an alien environment. I wonder if the third film will have Toothless lead the dragons there, hiding them away from humanity until the world is ready for them. That would be very much like the books! We'll have to wait and see!
So, yeah, bring on the trailer! What do you guys think? I know our new dragon is pretty divisive, but I'm interested to here whether you like, dislike, love, or hate her! As I've said before, I'm pretty confident in Dean's story-telling abilities, and that is what is most important to me in the final chapter, but I do hope the film will be visually appealing as well! Still, I'm not worried... and it is good to finally see this dragon that we've been freaking out over for the last few weeks!
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