How to Train Your Dragon 2 Review: Dragons have feelings too!

Hiccup looking mighty in How to Train Your Dragon 2

Photo Credit: Dreamworks Animation

How to Train Your Dragon 2

A-

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

Dreamworks Animation seemed to be in a slump for a decent amount of time. The company doesn’t seem to want to produce any films with value, instead focusing on strange farcical animated comedies with little heart or emotion. The exception as of late was the surprise 2010 film How to Train Your Dragon, a film that hit all the right notes of humour and heart at all times and became one of my very favourite animated films of the last several years. Safe to that my expect say its follow up, the aptly titled How to Train your Dragon 2 were sky high, given both the greatness of the first film and the want for more amazing non disney animated films. Gladly How to Train Your Dragon 2 lives up to most of those expectations by continuing to play to the series’ strengths while going into darker and deeper directions with its plot and characters.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 opens with the city of Birk with Dragons and Vikings coexisting in peace. Our main character Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), son of the chief of Birk Stoick (Gerard Butler) is trying to figure out who he is and what his destiny is. His father wants him to take over as chief and settle down, but Hiccup has bigger ambitions of exploration and discovery. On one of his many adventures leads him to the sinister plot of Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou),a plan that could tear apart the very fabric of their world. Hiccup is torn between protecting his people and trying to convince Bludvist that peace could actually be possible.

The main strength of How To Train Your Dragon 2 are the emotional situations that the characters find themselves a part of. The film goes into deeper and darker places with these characters than ever before, providing some really dark plot points and some really mature themes. In the era of Dreamworks animated films being entirely farcical it’s both a surprise and a great reminder of just how interesting the first film was.

The film is also absolutely gorgeous both visually and from an audio standpoint. Like the first film this is one of those films that needs to be seen in 3D. The flight sequences are even more exhilarating in 3D as the layers really ad something as the characters are swooping through the air. Beyond the flight sequences the film amazes visually on so many different levels. From the creativity of some of the different landscapes that the characters discover to the size and scope of the battle sequences everything in this film looks very impressive. John Powell’s score also amazes the second time around as it really accentuates the events that it is under.

If How to Train Your Dragon 2 had a single problem it’s that the plot feels a little rushed through at times. The film doesn’t seem to slow down nor let any of the plot points (some of which can be quite heavy) set in. It’s not a big problem considering how well it does its character beats and themes, but the film could have used some more time in certain scenes. The film seems short at one hour and forty seven minutes and if it were not a kids film I would love to see a much longer cut of this film.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a great animated film with high minded ambitions. The film has a great emotional plot line a great maturity that makes it a winner for both parents and kids. Not to mention that this film is gorgeous on absolutely every level becoming more and more eye popping as the film carries on. With Dreamworks animation there is a lot of crap to endure but when films like How to Train Your Dragon 2 comes out it almost feels as though it.