Kids and their pets

It's occurred to me recently - perhaps in the thought of adopting a kitten - that the emotional bond that forms between a human and an animal companion is something so precious, delicate, and so unbelievably strong. I remember watching the film Marley and Me on an airplane without headphones one time, and the comical relationship I saw within the young couple and their untrained golden retriever was the one you love to hate, but you know you can't ever replace. In the end, that animal becomes a witness to the best and worst moments of your life, and probably gives you wisdom and encouragement to grow without even speaking to you.

This is what I love about seeing an animal interact with a human in animation - especially when they cannot speak to one another - because you know there's another sort of 'emotional' communication that keeps them close. I felt that way while watching Ratatouille some time ago, how Linguini and Remy worked together as puppet and puppet-master to get out of a tough situation, and even in Avatar: the Last Airbender with Aang as he puts 'saving the world' on hold to search for his giant fluffy bison Appa when he goes missing. It's those types of relationships that make a cartoon or animated film so much more intriguing to watch.

Yesterday, I went to see this film on an impulse, because I had a feeling that this kid and his new 'pet' would be the same classic story:


Let me just say, Dreamworks did not hold back in that childish curiosity for animals with this one. When you have a kid who's obligated to kill a creature for the sake of his village and his honor, and still hesitates to do so, you gotta wonder why. The main character, Hiccup, finally gets his chance to take down the most fearful of all dragons, but then makes the choice in setting it free. Once the level of trust is made, helps him out of an injury in order to fly again, and in doing so he becomes the first person in his village to fly on a dragon. He gives the dragon a name, and accepts the fact that he can't kill dragons. The cool part is, Hiccup no longer worries about the honor or the glory, because as the film goes on, you realize he's found something even more precious in this friendship with the dragon.

By the end of the film, you can't help but feel soft about it, too.