Released: June 13th, 2014
Rated: PG
Studio: Dreamworks Animation
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard
Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse,
T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harington
Directed by: Dean DeBlois
Written by: Dean DeBlois
Personal Bias Alert:
mildly enjoyed the first
HtTYD, not a big fan of 3D
9 of 10
Let’s
talk about risks. Risks for the
viewers. Few things break my heart more
than seeing a much loved story expanded upon and expanded upon until everything
I loved about it was beaten out of it.
Watching the shell of what it used to be limp along fills me with a
nostalgic gloom, and I often wish that I could pay money to let the poor thing
die. “How to Train Your Dragon” was a
much loved film, and although I didn’t have a strong attachment to it like
others did, I was apprehensive about the sequel on behalf of those who did. Add in that it’s a DreamWorks Animation
product, a studio with a shaky reputation for quality, and a rare solo
writing/directing effort from Dean DeBlois, and the feeling dropped to
downright trepidation. I hoped for the
best, but I knew that as soon as I felt the film going off the rails I would be
the first to turn on it.
The
sequel picks up the story five years after the first film, with Hiccup (Jay
Baruchel) traveling far and wide to expand his map, find new dragon species,
and generally satiate his curiosity. He
ends up stumbling upon dragon catchers who inform him of a Viking named Drago (Djimon
Hounsou), a man intent on building an army of dragons to take over the world. The passive Hiccup opposes this idea, and
while trying to find Drago he is captured by a mysterious dragon rider. She turns out to be his long-lost mother, who
seems to be the genetic source for Hiccup’s dragon talents. With the family reunited, they work together
to thwart Drago’s march and free his enslaved dragons.
Too
often, sequels feel like entirely separate chapters from the original. The first movie is made with a contained
story, and if it is financially successful enough to warrant a sequel, then the
second film is put into production. This
leaves a bit of a chasm between the films, and it often feels like they exist
separately from each other. “How to
Train Your Dragon 2” avoids that pitfall.
It really feels like an extension of the first, with the characters
having grown as they would have in the five years between the stories, and the
themes from the first film being picked up and expanded upon. Yes, it’s darker and more mature than the
first, but it would seem a bit silly if Hiccup wasn’t dealing with bigger
problems now that he’s 20. It might be
too much for very young children, but most will have no problem with the story.
Now
I’m not a big fan of 3D. I find it
unnecessary in most films, considering that half the time you just end up
watching people standing around talking IN 3D!
Here, though, is an excellent example of when 3D really adds
something. Flying, or any instance where
the characters are moving in a 3-dimensional plane, is when the 3D actually
makes everything seem more realistic.
Much of this movie is spent with the characters flying around on
dragons, and those scenes looked amazing.
There’s one in particular where Hiccup and his mother (voiced
wonderfully by Cate Blanchett) are showing off to each other, and the
combination of the effects and animation really adds to the emotional
liveliness of the scene. The animation
deserves its own praise, bringing a variety of characters and dragons to life
and imbuing them with a great sense of personality. Pay attention to the background of the talky
scenes, because there’s some great jokes going on back there.
My
main problem with the first film was with how basic it felt. The story and the themes had been done
numerous times, and although it was told in a very pleasurable manner, it felt
very familiar to me. The second is still
a well-trod story, but it’s more filled out and moves along at a much better
pace. Some of the side characters are
still cardboard thin, particularly the bad guy, but at least they have the
excuse of being family film archetypes.
“How
to Train Your Dragon 2” is a rare instance where the sequel is better than its
predecessor. I may be going out on a
limb here, but I liken this series to the “Toy Story” franchise. The second HtTYD is just as good as any of
the “Toy Story” films, and both franchises have managed to attract an audience
far outside their target demographic.
But more importantly, they are both series that are/were intent on
growing and developing with its target audience, and that ingrains them into a
generation’s soul.
Other Notes:
Ø Another
scene where the animation impressed me was when Hiccup’s parents danced
together. The contrast between the
massive father and the angular mother was really enchanting
Ø Some
of the side characters, particularly Hiccup’s friends, get annoying and far too
jokey. Although, the running gag about
the girl’s arm fetish was hilarious.
Ø They
really got a better handle on Astrid. In
the first, she was a throwaway tough girl, but in this one she gets her own
personality.
Ø SPOILER: I cringed a bit at the end when Drago invited Hiccup to try to get through to
Toothless. I wish they had come up with
a better way for him to do it.
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