Well, first off... Hallelujah for an officially released Soundtrack Album!!
Ok, I'll quit stalling. My overall opinion of the short is... I like it. Quite a bit actually! That being said, I do have a few minor qualms with it, so I'm going to make a list of what I liked and what didn't quite work. For the sake of ending on a positive note, I'm going to start with the cons.
Cons:
Suspension of Disbelief: This short, sadly, doesn't really shine out as well as its legendary predecessor, Gift of the Night Fury. The primary reason for this is because GotNF was a true sequel to the events of the first film. Its plot was built on displaying genuine character growth and showing the unbreakable bond between Toothless and his boy. In many ways, it's one of the most hardcore Toothless oriented plots in the series. His actions take the spotlight, he is one who drives the plot, even if he is absent for most of the run-time. Homecoming is a weird in-between plot. It's like the Clone Wars tv series along with RttE. It can't do certain things with its plot without clashing with already established future events. As such, the moments where Toothless and Hiccup interact, though extremely sweet, require a lot of suspension of disbelief. This is primarily due to Toothless not immediately recognizing Hiccup in the final (and imo potentially best) scene of the third film. Granted, Hiccup didn't speak loudly to Toothless in that third movie scene, and in the short Toothless doesn't ever get a clear look at Hiccup (due to the suit), but overall it feels kind of weird to have Toothless recognize an aged up Hiccup so readily at one moment, and then to not notice that it is him on the boat. However, I'm willing to argue that this can make sense without contradicting either scene. For a start, Toothless expects to see Hiccup at Berk, and when he is in the Hidden World, he is in Alpha mode. He is the protector, and it is easy to imagine that he has destroyed or frightened off many a Viking vessel. Toothless also, as I briefly mentioned, did not get loud verbal cues from the aged up Hiccup on the boat, while he did get those cues very clearly in the short. And many animals, especially those that are intelligent, do rely on sight and facial recognition to identify individuals. For Toothless to see a Hiccup with a beard (which Toothless may not have even comprehended how facial hair works), and wearing the garb of a Viking chief, it would have been odd and jarring. Meanwhile... Hiccup stuck inside a crazy contraption... well that's the Hiccup Toothless most definitely would know! So, though I feel it is the weakest aspect of the short, I do think it can be reconciled with the final film. I just wish they would steer clear of this awkward stuff.
Fourth Wall Breaking: I've said it time and again, but I don't like it when a show or film like HTTYD breaks fourth wall. It removes the realism. The moment in Homecoming is relatively minor, but it still bothered me. I am thinking of when Fishlegs spoke directly in Gerard Butler's voice. It's a moment aimed at comedy, and any long-time fan of the franchise will immediately realize that the voice actors have been swapped. But that is the problem: I really don't want to be thinking about voice actors and gimics during a narrative. It doesn't feel natural. Plus... this may sound silly, but I feel like that kind of thing disrespects Stoick as a character. After all, his life, death, and lasting influence are a huge part of the HTTYD story (as the short does admirably acknowledge), so seeing someone just straight up imitate him felt off. Also black plague Friday.
And that's it. That's probably all my complaints. I know that big paragraph at the top looks like a major gripe, but it really isn't... I've rationalized it in such a way that I feel both the short and the third film stand together, and that is great because I really do like what the short has to offer.
Pros:
Toothless Missing Hiccup: At the risk of sounding like I am contradicting myself (what with strongly defending the "Toothless doesn't recognize Hiccup" moment), I really, really loved seeing that Toothless did remember and miss Hiccup. The same is definitely true for Hiccup missing Toothless... but we already knew that was the case. We got to see that play out in Hiccup's actions in the ending scene of the third film. However, even with my strong belief that Toothless's reaction to finally recognizing Hiccup proved that he did miss him, seeing the scenes in this short really made that reality clear: Toothless misses Hiccup. Neither he nor Hiccup is miserable, but they do think back on each other fondly, and they want to be together again. This is honestly the number one thing I appreciated about the short: the simple scene of Toothless drawing Hiccup in the sand and wishing he was with him.
Not Breaking My Headcanon: I know this is silly, but I was super worried with the short coming out that it would break my headcanon. The particular reason for worrying about that is that I like to imagine that post-HTTYD3 ending, Hiccup and Toothless frequently schedule get-togethers between thier families. Now that peace has been achieved, New Berk is settled, and the dragons are a well-kept secret. That would leave an opening for Hiccup and Toothless to see each other frequently for the rest of their lives, and it would allow their families to grow up side by side. I really like that vision of their future, and I am glad the short didn't contradict it.
The Night Lights and the Kids: They were very cute and their antics were charming. I wish we could have names for them! It is nice to get more screen time of them! The same is definitely true for Hiccup's kids. I especially liked how Nuffink bangs his head against things. That very much felt like a call back to Stoick's monologue to Gobber in movie 1. Also... does Nuffink have a Scottish accent? The mystery continues.
Trout: We now know Toothless's canon favorite food. I made it Icelandic Cod in Dimension Splash... but I'm gonna have to retcon that now.
Warmblood: "Warmth of your friend's nose". Toothless is warm-blooded. I had assumed this for quite a long time, considering the climate he lives in, but it is nice to see this little detail.
Dadcup: Hiccup as a dad... is awesome. He is still a total DORK. That was very fun to see. I appreciate the maturity he was given at the end of the third film, the clear responsibility he was shown carrying, but it is nice to see that he is still himself. He's still making dorky contraptions, making plans that go awry, and struggling to change the minds of the people around him for the better (especially his own kids!). So I thought he and Astrid were splendid in this, and that was awesome.
Stoick: The focus on Stoick was amazing in this. I love that he hasn't been forgotten. In the second movie, when the film transitions from his funeral into the finale, it feels so jarring. It feels like we didn't get the chance to fully process what happened. But then the third film came out, and now even this short... and it shows us that the story of HTTYD isn't just the story of a boy and his dragon, but it is STILL a story about a boy and his father. Not a perfect man, but an extremely good one. And for that, I am always happy to see him given focus.
He's Beautiful: Such a funny thing... Toothless is really good at convincing Vikings that dragons are not monsters. And such a huge factor in that is his surreal grace and beauty. Definitely appreciated that aspect; he and Zephyr sharing that starstruck moment was lovely.
So, overall it was very sweet. It was a heartfelt short, and I appreciate that. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I want any more HTTYD stuff that focuses on Hiccup and Toothless. I am kinda of the opinion that the third film should be what Dean wanted it to be: the end of their stories. Of course I'd probably approve a spin-off that featured an older Nuffink and Zephyr riding Night Lights, but only if Hiccup and Toothless were limited to cameos. I really do appreciate when a story has the power to end well. I don't want more LotR. I don't want more Fullmetal Alchemist. Those stories ended beautifully, and I want HTTYD to end beautifully as well.
... haha, so yeah, I'm conflicted! What did you guys think of the short?
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