In today's world of cinema franchises, it appears that the need to make a sequel for everything is a requirement on most fronts. Sometimes those sequels are genius extensions of the original, other times they're just phoned in cash grabs for the kiddies because, hey, kids liked the first one so they decide, without hardly any common sense, to milk it to death (i.e.: Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Smurfs, etc.). And so, with most animated kids films, a sequel may seem a bit concerning for the adults taking them to watch it, however, other franchises that started off with a bang, such as Toy Story, beg to differ. And so, without giving too much away right off the bat, I will say that How to Train Your Dragon, despite initial skepticism from some that a sequel would do the original justice, really earned it with becoming a series the way it did. But does it completely surpass the original in every way? Let's find out in my newest film review/critique!
***SPOILER AHEAD*** (it matters for this one -- you've been warned)
Five years following the first film, a lot has changed in a world dominated by vikings and dragons. The village of Berk has changed for the better in the sense that the vikings and dragons now live together in harmony; a twenty year old Hiccup (voiced once more by Jay Baruchel) now explores the world on a regular basis with his pet dragon, Toothless, when one day the former's father, Stoick the Vast (voiced once more by Gerard Butler), nearly forces him into becoming the village chief. Not wanting to become his dad and live up to his legacy, Hiccup soon learns of the existence of a dragon army on the rise lead by the likes of a madman named Drago Bludvist (voiced by Djimon Hounsou) and vows to persuade him to see dragons differently instead of go to war with him like his father would want. Along the way, Hiccup unexpectedly runs into his long lost mother, Valka (voiced by Cate Blanchett), whose been in hiding for years extracting and protecting dragons from the likes of Drago and other dangers of the world. With the help of his returning friends and his mother, Hiccup must discover his true identity and learn to protect his own.
From a synopsis perspective, one can tell this absolutely isn't a phoned in cash grab as some may have feared. Any lesser kids film sequel would have likely separated the main players and sent them on separate journeys before they realized how much they truly need each other (or quite possibly rehash the plot of the first movie by extension). Instead, this movie is clearly an extension of an already good story that continues logically in a way that mirrors The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight, and Terminator 2 to name a few. For one, our protagonist has aged both physically and mentally, now sporting a more buff physique and improved upon his many skills, gadgets, and techniques since last time. Whereas the first film clearly paints him as a Harry Potter/Peter Parker protagonist, I'd say he's taken enough steps to be on par with Luke Skywalker at the start of Return of the Jedi in terms of characterization. Where one would expect Toothless to remain the static loyal pet this time around, there's quite a few twists that give him more development to work with (which I won't really spoil, but see for yourself). Sadly, the comedic side characters that had their fun little gags throughout the first film and continue into this one, including Astrid (voiced once more by America Ferrera) aren't as integral nor have they aged much like Hiccup, but they're still fun to watch nonetheless.
In terms of the audio and visual aspects of this movie, everything is very much on par with, if not more so, than the original. Everyone from the original cast as well as the new additions really sell the film with outstanding performances from everyone. Jay Baruchel has surprisingly improved as Hiccup, Gerard Butler's awesome voice is just as powerful, and Cate Blanchett really sells the mother role like I personally believed she could to name a few. And the score, done once again by John Powell, is just as impressive and really whisks you away to this other world full of dragons and vikings. Sure, there are no slow, gripping, dialogueless scenes with songs like "Forbidden Friendship" this time around, but John Powell manages to create gripping action and flight scenes with his music regardless. The graphics are very much upgraded to where everything looks and feels more real; the snowy mountain environments induce chills, the clouds make you really feel like you're up in the sky, and underwater scenes look... well, underwater. And lest we not forget the fact that they managed to squeeze in so many little animated figures in the big battle scene toward the end of the second act. Never before has there been so much crowd simulation in an animated movie that to witness such a technical feat was amazing at the time! The action in general was also more engaging as the dragons and vikings have clearly learned well how to combat others in the air and on land.
The movie may have a few faulty bits such as underused side characters and the lack of investment in the main villain aside from one bit of dialogue about his backstory, but I, in no way, hold it against the movie nor do I consider it that much worse than the first film as a result. As a matter of fact, the main reason why I like this movie much more so than its predecessor is the bold decision they made with its direction. Dean DeBlois clearly knew what he was doing in making this all about Hiccup's coming of age story where he must essentially give up his old, crazy ways of "goofing off" (according to Astrid) and be forced into leadership to protect his own. As much as I wish to talk about it in-depth -- save it possibly for a whole separate analysis -- I will say that it's much like The Lion King in terms of the way it goes a ballsy direction and impacts the audience hard in an emotional sense. In trying to defend this franchise from those who claim it's "just for kids", I use this movie and, if they're aware of what happens, the scene I'm referring to as an example as to why the How to Train Your Dragon films aren't just for kids and nobody else. The way it deals with darker, more mature themes than the first film (not that the first film wasn't completely innocent in terms of subject matter) is what really hits home for me personally for this installment and makes me all the more excited to see how they ultimately conclude the series when How to Train Your Dragon 3 (yes, a THIRD film IS in the works) hits theaters in a full year from now!
Based on what I've said now about this film, it goes completely without saying that I generally prefer this one over its predecessor and I absolutely enjoy it when an animated film franchise takes a step in the right direction for a change. Despite a few minor faults that don't truly affect the overall product, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a visually stunning, well-acted, excellently scored, emotionally investing logical continuation of an already awesome family-friendly film that more animated movies should follow by example. The way it delivers on so many levels makes for a thrilling experience that I'd be more than personally willing to share with anyone regardless of if they've seen the first film or not. All things considered, the film gets an A+ in my book and is on my recommend list for everyone!
Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!
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