How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

Released:  June 13^th, 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.