How To Train Your Dragon 2
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
In 2010, I fell in love with Dreamworks studios' animated hit 'How To Train Your Dragon', and now - in 2014 - a sequel has arrived in movie theaters. To say that I was excited to see it is an understatement. However, there has been many a time when I was eagerly looking forward to something, only to be disappointed when the moment came. Thankfully, I can say that this movie experience is nothing like that. 'HTTYD2' (directed by Dean DeBlois) is a winner! Director DeBlois doesn't waste a second in re-introducing us to the visual splendor the 1st movie achieved. The film jumps off to a joyous, roller coaster-of-a-start with our hero Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) & his best friend, Toothless the Dragon, soaring around volcanic cliffs & skimming over churning seas.
5 yrs. have passed since Hiccup taught the proud Vikings of his seaside fantasy kingdom of Berk that dragons & humans can co-exist peacefully. Hiccup's burly father Stoick (Gerard Butler) is very proud of his once-hapless son, but tensions arise again when he tells his son that he is slated to follow him as leader of the land. Sounds nice, but Hiccup doesn't want to be chief -- he'd rather go out exploring with Toothless. Matters get complicated in the plot rather quickly as 3 new characters appear. 1) a fearful dragon catcher, Eret (Kit Harrington). 2) his leader, Drago (Djimon Hounsou), a cruel megalomaniac ("a madman without conscience or mercy") who is assembling a dragon army to attack the kingdom of Berk. And 3) Valka (Cate Blanchett), a dragon whisperer who lives in an ice-encased dragon sanctuary. All 3 characters have a deep history with Berk and with its leader, King Stoick. Adventure, humor, tragedy, & catharsis ensues.
The filmmakers behind 'How to Train Your Dragon' have done a great job making this sequel as fresh, invigorating, & emotionally satisfying as it is (how many sequels have we seen disappoint?). It also does what sequels should always do: take the protaganists into new adventures while also revealing/enrichening their continued growth as characters. Everything that made the 1st film so wonderful: gorgeous visuals, stellar parent-child dynamics, & humor (some of it too juvenile for my liking) ... are all present in this sequel, as well; as is the addition of a touching mother-son subplot. There is also a tender scene btwn. 2 adult characters that is beautifully-handled (where they sing a meaningful song titled, The Dancing & the Dreaming).
The voice cast is superb. Jay Baruchel's voice comes across as both modern, yet also timeless. He (along with the animation of Hiccup's face) inflects an awful lot of emotion, as well. And newcomer Cate Blanchett brings a deep-voiced, earthy mellowness to the role of Valka. As for the animation, well, it's stupendous. Not only are the various breeds of dragon a wonder to behold (still love Toothless' Night Fury best, of course), but the creation of the giant Alpha Bewilderbeasts, as well as the soaring flying sequences are just spine-tingling good. I also liked the attention to detail on the characters' faces, as well as the gorgeous luminosity of the blue/green ice shards in Valka's homestead. Probably the most impressive sequence (both cinematically, and from an animation standpoint) is the climactic, winner-takes-all-the-dragons Davis vs. Goliath showdown btwn. Toothless & Drago's giant Bewilderbeast. It's a "wow".
As a word of precaution, 'HTTYD2' also has its share of perilous/edgier moments that small kiddies may not be able to handle. Basically, no one is safe (there are battles, characters in peril ... even a tragic death). My only real complaint of this film would be that I wasn't wild about the bumbling characters of Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, & Tuffnut. They just irked me; though, kids will likely chuckle at them. The strength of the film (aside from the obvious visuals & charm) also lays in the portrayal of strong, capable women (dynamic fighter Astrid & dragon whisperer Valka). I also love how the film highlights strong 'disabled' characters in our 2 heroes, Hiccup & Toothless. Movies nowadays need role models of all shapes, sizes, genders, & forms. What else can I say? I'm enamored with this movie. 'HTTYD2' is not only a great sequel, but a wonderful, entertaining family film that progresses the franchise & makes me look forward to the inevitable part 3 already.
5 yrs. have passed since Hiccup taught the proud Vikings of his seaside fantasy kingdom of Berk that dragons & humans can co-exist peacefully. Hiccup's burly father Stoick (Gerard Butler) is very proud of his once-hapless son, but tensions arise again when he tells his son that he is slated to follow him as leader of the land. Sounds nice, but Hiccup doesn't want to be chief -- he'd rather go out exploring with Toothless. Matters get complicated in the plot rather quickly as 3 new characters appear. 1) a fearful dragon catcher, Eret (Kit Harrington). 2) his leader, Drago (Djimon Hounsou), a cruel megalomaniac ("a madman without conscience or mercy") who is assembling a dragon army to attack the kingdom of Berk. And 3) Valka (Cate Blanchett), a dragon whisperer who lives in an ice-encased dragon sanctuary. All 3 characters have a deep history with Berk and with its leader, King Stoick. Adventure, humor, tragedy, & catharsis ensues.
The filmmakers behind 'How to Train Your Dragon' have done a great job making this sequel as fresh, invigorating, & emotionally satisfying as it is (how many sequels have we seen disappoint?). It also does what sequels should always do: take the protaganists into new adventures while also revealing/enrichening their continued growth as characters. Everything that made the 1st film so wonderful: gorgeous visuals, stellar parent-child dynamics, & humor (some of it too juvenile for my liking) ... are all present in this sequel, as well; as is the addition of a touching mother-son subplot. There is also a tender scene btwn. 2 adult characters that is beautifully-handled (where they sing a meaningful song titled, The Dancing & the Dreaming).
The voice cast is superb. Jay Baruchel's voice comes across as both modern, yet also timeless. He (along with the animation of Hiccup's face) inflects an awful lot of emotion, as well. And newcomer Cate Blanchett brings a deep-voiced, earthy mellowness to the role of Valka. As for the animation, well, it's stupendous. Not only are the various breeds of dragon a wonder to behold (still love Toothless' Night Fury best, of course), but the creation of the giant Alpha Bewilderbeasts, as well as the soaring flying sequences are just spine-tingling good. I also liked the attention to detail on the characters' faces, as well as the gorgeous luminosity of the blue/green ice shards in Valka's homestead. Probably the most impressive sequence (both cinematically, and from an animation standpoint) is the climactic, winner-takes-all-the-dragons Davis vs. Goliath showdown btwn. Toothless & Drago's giant Bewilderbeast. It's a "wow".
As a word of precaution, 'HTTYD2' also has its share of perilous/edgier moments that small kiddies may not be able to handle. Basically, no one is safe (there are battles, characters in peril ... even a tragic death). My only real complaint of this film would be that I wasn't wild about the bumbling characters of Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, & Tuffnut. They just irked me; though, kids will likely chuckle at them. The strength of the film (aside from the obvious visuals & charm) also lays in the portrayal of strong, capable women (dynamic fighter Astrid & dragon whisperer Valka). I also love how the film highlights strong 'disabled' characters in our 2 heroes, Hiccup & Toothless. Movies nowadays need role models of all shapes, sizes, genders, & forms. What else can I say? I'm enamored with this movie. 'HTTYD2' is not only a great sequel, but a wonderful, entertaining family film that progresses the franchise & makes me look forward to the inevitable part 3 already.