How to Train Your Dragon 2: Movie Review
In my opinion, 2010’s wildly entertaining “How to Train Your Dragon” was one of the best non-Pixar computer animated films to date. It was funny, clever, sweet, beautiful, and tons of fun. Here we are, four years later and the follow-up “How to Train Your Dragon 2” has descended upon us and it is even better than the original.
Five years have passed and Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) along with his dragon Toothless have been spending most of their time taking to the skies, in search of new lands. Hiccup’s father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) wants his son to take his place as the Chief of Berk but the young dragon rider has more important things to do, like putting the stop to dragon trappers. It doesn’t take long before Hiccup discovers a mysterious masked dragon rider who is also trying to stop the trapper.
When the masked rider brings Hiccup and Toothless to an ice covered island inhabited by all types of dragons, the rider reveals herself as Hiccup’s thought-to-be-dead mother Valka (Cate Blanchett). Hiccup’s happy reunion with his mother is put on hold as together they must stop the ruthless power-hungry villain Drago (Djimon Hounsou) from controlling all of the world’s dragons.
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” brings back the first film’s writer/director Dean DeBlois and the 4 years it took to release the sequel was worth the wait. It is very apparent that DeBlois wanted a great story to tell and not just simply cash in on the success of the original. The supporting voice cast which includes America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, and Kit Harrington, all bring life to their characters and Hounsou makes for a fantastic bad guy. The animation is stunning, and the flight sequences look fantastic in 3D.
Toothless is as loveable as ever and the bond between Hiccup and his dragon remains the heart of the story. If DeBlois puts as much love into the third film, I say bring it on and take all the time you need to make it as good as this one.
By: Marc Ferman