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Friday, February 17, 2023

HTTYD in Live Action

 



About a month ago, news began to brew about a live-action project in development for the Dragons franchise. Since then it seems to have been confirmed that HTTYD will be getting a live-action remake helmed by Dean Deblois. I'm going to give my thoughts on this news, so click through to read more.


To put it simply, I am pretty much undividedly unhappy with the news. So, if you want to be excited about this project... that is fine. You don't need to keep reading. I am not really wanting to debate anyone out of being happy about new HTTYD content. However, from my perspective, this is an unfortunate development for a plethora of reasons. I will address them as best I can in the following post.

First, I want to discuss Dean's involvement. When I heard about it, I was honestly sort of shocked. The reason for this is that I had read an interview he gave at a panel back in 2020 regarding the current trend of remaking animated features in a live-action format. I felt the points he made in that interview were very valid. While he wasn't aggressive and didn't condemn other creatives working on these live-action remakes, I felt he gave a balanced perspective on the negative impact these movies have. The points I will make against this remake are, in many ways, in line with the points brought up in this interview with him. I will link the interview here:

https://variety.com/2020/film/global/dean-deblois-lazy-live-action-remakes-writing-quarantine-1234641876/amp/

I don't post that link to call Dean a hypocrite or attack him for working on a project he, in the past, referred to as lazy. Dean does not own the HTTYD franchise. DreamWorks does. More specifically, Universal Studios owns the film rights. It may have been a situation where they planned to make this remake and offered him a creative position. This project would probably happen with or without him, so given the opportunity to protect the story he worked hard on, earn a living, and hopefully steer this in the best way possible, I do not blame him for taking on the job. I think it is unfortunate that the remake is being made, and I do not believe his being a part of it will legitimize it or make it into something on par with the original, but I do understand why he is involved. 

So, as for my specific complaints against live-action remakes. There are several. I'll list them here and then move forward with more detailed thoughts. I will likely make one post per major point.

Live-action remakes:

Delegitimize animation as a medium

Are inherently dependent on the popularity of their predecessor

Stagnate creativity in the media landscape

Dilute the legacy of the original


So, firstly, one of my biggest pet peeves with the live-action remake is that it acts as though animation is an inferior medium. Animation is an incredible medium. It can be used to tell absolutely incredible stories. HTTYD works exceptionally well in animation in many ways, but one of the biggest ones that come to mind is character design. Look at Stoick standing beside his actor:

There is so much about Stoick's design that impacts our perception of him as a character. He is massive, imposing, and larger than life. And this immediately sells his dynamic with Hiccup. It helps the audience understand why Hiccup feels so inferior. It isn't just that his dad is a manly man, he is this MOUNTAIN of a man. The epitome of Vikingness dialed up to 11. And yet it isn't like Stoick is trapped in this body, unable to be anything else. During HTTYD we also see moments of tenderness, grief, and love from this man. Once again, these moments are made all the more impactful because we see that a man like Stoick has more tender feelings under his imposing surface. I adore Stoick's design, and his central role to the story of all three films is enhanced, not hindered, by the fact that he is an animated character with a design that does not conform to realism.


And, while we are at it, let's address the titular DRAGON of the franchise. I have made post after post discussing the sheer perfection I see in Toothless' design. He is the second most significant character in the franchise, and yet he doesn't have a single line of dialogue. But, thanks to his design and a very talented team of animators, Toothless is able to really express who he is and how he feels. He has won the hearts of many, myself included, with his multifaceted personality. He is fierce, terrifying, and proud. A legendary beast not to be taken lightly. And yet he's also loving, loyal, playful, and kind. He is even able to convey more complex feelings such as sarcasm! Toothless isn't just Toothless because of the role he plays in the story. He is Toothless because his expressiveness shows the audience who he is and how he feels. If a live-action version of this design is used, it will look incredibly unnatural if he is as expressive as we have seen him be in the films. Real animals don't work that way, and despite all his personality, Toothless still does come across as a real animal (especially in HTTYD1). Our brain accepts his expressiveness in animation because we've already accepted being pulled into a world that is whimsical. Toothless doesn't break from the overall style of that world, so there isn't anything jarring to knock us out of the immersion. In live action, one of two things will be sacrificed: Expression or Believability. He will either become a bland animal lacking most of the personality we love him for (see the 2019 Lion King as an example of how photo realism sucks the soul out of animal characters), or he will be this weird, uncanny thing that expresses like a human and looks like a cartoon green-screened into a live-action setting. 

Aside from these specific concerns about translation from animation to live-action, I do think it is a shame to act like live-action is the bigger, better, more mature genre. To act like every film aspires to be live-action. This just isn't true. Animation soars when it comes to telling stories in fantastical worlds because, once your brain embraces the fact that the world is animated, the visuals are seamless. The characters that are human blend in easily with environments and creatures who are far beyond what we would ever see in reality. In live action, my brain *notices* when there is something out of the ordinary. Something off. It isn't fooled by green screens or CG, even if those elements are handled super well. Animation can offer one single aesthetic. It can be expressive and wild. Just look at the most recent DreamWorks film, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, to see this playing out. 

The idea that animation is for kids and live-action is for adults is also utter hogwash. Japan has used animated media to tell stories acceptable for young kids (such as the Pokemon anime) or grim and dark narratives suited exclusively for adults (Attack on Titan). To act like animation is somehow incapable of appealing to a more mature audience is wrong, but it is a stigma projects like this one will continue to reinforce. And that is a tremendous shame. 

Animation is, by far, my favorite medium for storytelling. Above live-action. Above comics/manga. Above novels. I love how much control an animator can have. How each frame can be touched and perfected. I love how animation can bring you into the wildest worlds. Animation truly feels boundless, and in many ways, 2D animation feels timeless. This is not to say that live-action films cannot be outstanding on their own merit, or to act like animated films are inherently better. But animated films can handle certain stories in a way that live-action struggles to.

Another issue I have with the act of remaking animated features into live-action is that if a film is a masterpiece already (which I consider films like HTTYD, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King to be), then the story was probably crafted to be perfect for its medium. If a story is outstanding, surely time and thought were put into specializing it for the medium it will be told in. Great video games don't necessarily translate into great TV shows. Why? Because the narrative of that game is designed to be played as a game. Great animated films are designed for animation. There are strengths in every medium. The page turn in manga, the raw humanity of live action, the flexibility of animation, and the player input in video games. Dismissing these unique strengths is very dangerous. It is less dangerous if, say, the original story is mediocre. But if a story is fantastic... part of the reason for that is likely because it leans into the special strengths of its medium. Adapt that at your own risk.

So, yeah... that is my first major point against this remake. I do hate to see animation treated as though it is a lesser medium. An art form designed to pander to children. When in reality I think we have seen time and time again that animation is an incredibly strong and diverse tool for storytelling that deserves respect.

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