How To Train Your Dragon 2

I honestly have never been so excited for an animated sequel to come out since Toy Story 3! For my thoughts on the first movie, I'll do a separate review, but judging my reaction, it'll be a pretty positive one! Anyway, released five years after the first film, clearly taking a leaf out of Toy Story's book, the characters have also aged by five years! Still directed by Lilo and Stitch director Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, this one has been an interesting film to look at for me as it features new actors like Cate Blanchett & Kit Harington (Jon Snow from Game of Thrones) as new characters & the trailers did reveal some pretty big spoilers like the identity of Blanchett's character. So now that we finally have the long anticipated sequel, will this soar high like the dragons of Berk, or will Chris still need a bit of training like this last movie The Croods? Let's find out


Story: Since this is a sequel, I did go in with a few doubts, since, well, animated sequels normally don't have the best of reputations (excluding Pixar not including Cars or Kung Fu Panda or Shrek). But with this one, I was amazed with the execution of the main plot. This one is the type where Hiccup wants to find out who he is, discovering his mother Valka has been saving dragons while a new threat wants to take their dragons for a huge dragon army. Not only is the relationship between them very well done and we get to learn more about Hiccup's past, but it's also easily the heart of the movie. Another thing I also love is how they fix up problems from the first movie, in particular explaining more about Alpha dragons as well as more about the conflict between dragons and Vikings before Hiccup managed to change their perspectives on them. Similar to the first film, they do manage to have the action and heartwarming scenes be equal, but in this case, it's cranked up to eleven thanks to the new threat of Drago & the fact that Berk is now a place for dragons and Vikings to live in peace! If there's something I should warn parents before taking their little kids to see it is, it can get quite dark and mature for them. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you're expecting a kiddie film with cool flying dragon scenes (which there is), you might be surprised with some of the undertones and keep in mind that it's rated PG! Anyway, this movie shows that Dreamworks have matured much more, similar to the characters, and this shows how capable they are of great storytelling without resorting to pop culture references!

Animation: Yeah, there's no denying that the animation in the HTTYD franchise is incredible! How the hell they managed to outdo themselves, I have no idea! The character designs are well done with aging the characters from the first movie by 5 years while still keeping the Chris Sanders style with being realistic while having a bit of a cartoon flare. The breeds of the dragons compared to the first are very creative as there is a much wider variety and they are all memorable whether it's the design or their personality. The backgrounds are also much more vast and broad compared to the first film, and honestly, they can be very beautiful to look at, especially Valka's dragon sanctuary and the updated Berk now that dragons have been integrated into the daily lives of the civilians. But what impressed me the most was the texturing and the character animation. With the latter, it turns out Dreamworks managed to incorporate some motion capture into some of the action scenes and it is done greatly, and thankfully, it's not so distracting like in Robert Zemeckis' films where they move way too realistically. As I said, the texturing on the hair, skin, water, fire and scales of the dragons is just incredible, especially since they used new software to make the skin/fat move like a real person, which is especially noticeable on Eret and Fishlegs as we see the former's biceps throughout the whole movie obviously with Fishlegs because of his design, but also when he rides his dragon. And speaking of dragon riding, the dlying scenes are still so beautiful to look at, and this time round, they are greatly well choreographed during the battle scenes whether it's the camera angles or the overall mood of the scene itself and you feel like you're on that dragon riding it. Obviously, the animation is the best thing next to the plot and it made me realise what Dreamworks is really capable of! By the way, am I the only one who noticed the outside of Valka's dragon sanctuary looked like the ice made by Jack & Pitch from Rise of the Guardians? Just a little Easter egg for you diehard Dreamworks fans!

 

Characters: Even if it's been five years and they've aged, I'm so glad to see them back! Hiccup is still the same likeable nerdy type of character from the last movie, but I particularly love how he matures throughout this movie as he has to learn to take the same responsibilities as his father. And his relationship with Toothless is still as strong as ever and is still very heartwarming to watch. Speaking of Stoick, it is very nice to see him embrace the restored Berk and be proud of Hiccupd after all of his prejudices against dragons five years prior, and his relationship with his wife and son is very adorable to watch! Valka, his mother, is easily the best out of the new characters as a vigilante who has been saving dragons and is kind of a badass! Also, Cate Blanchett does an amazing job voicing her. Eret, the villain's kind of assistant, does help the recurring characters with Drago's plan and may be a bit cliched, but he's still likeable and can be pretty funny at times, especially when it comes to Ruffnut! The villain of the film, Drago Bludvist, while not the most developed villain I've seen from Dreamworks, is still a very threatening and intimidating character thanks to his dragon army, motivation and his voice actor, Djimon Hounsou does an amazing job. Although the recurring characters Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut & Tuffnut don't have as much screentime, they still manage to contribute something to the plot and they are still very funny (especially Ruffnut with her crush on Eret) All these characters are still their same selves, which is how it should be, but they have still matured like the plot and the new characters are integrated really well into the HTTYD universe!

 

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is exactly how a sequel should be made! The story carries the integrety of the original without rehashing it, the animation is superb and all the characters are lovable old & new! This is a must watch for How To Train Your Dragon fans! They will love it immediately even with the more mature tone and animation fans must watch it on the big screen to see the gorgeous animation for themselves! This is probably one of the best animated sequels I've ever seen in a while and I cannot wait for the third film to come out in 2016, even if I'll be in my 20s by then! By the way, since this is out in the summer, then I also suggest you go and watch it as the only other animated film released this summer is Planes 2...and judging the trailer it looks awful with no plot whatsoever!
Story: 10/10
Animation: 10/10
Characters: 8/10
Overall: 9/10