Review 315: How to Train Your Dragon 2
It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favourite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the
Whereas the first movie was a smooth ride with wonderful characters and great morals, this movie is a non stop, action packed adventure and I mean that literally, the whole film is like really fast paced, there's literally never a dull moment, even the slower, more emotional moments don't feel dull because you are totally invested in what happens because it's really relatable and it's dealt with in a very mature and adult way.
Another really great thing about How to Train Your Dragon 2 is that it never forgets about the humanity of it's characters, even though it features gripping action as well as lots of traveling to lots of different locations, the real meat is still the characters, who still seam very real and who are still going through very real and relatable situations. Hiccup is beginning to take on bigger responsibilities, he's being chpsyed up to take over Stoik as the leader of the Vikings on Burke when he retires but Hiccup is not sure he wants the responsibility because he's nervous and thats a situation I think loads of young people can relate to.
Another wonderful thing about How to Train Your Dragon 2 is that it shows how important family is: Since the first film, Hiccup and Stoick have become closer together than before since Hiccup united Dragons and Vikings together and Stoick needs Hiccups to take over as the tribe leader when his time comes. Along the way, there's a surprise twist and through that surprise twist our belief in the importance in friends and family is confirmed. However pointless and embarrassing our families seem to be, we love, accept and forgive them for the mistakes.
And thats another great theme in How to Train Your Dragon 2: Acceptance: Accepting people and their weaknesses and mistakes.
Returning Writer/Director Dean DeBlois' direction is precise and excellent, the animation is astonishing (in the film, we go to all these well thought out locations resulting in a great bombardment of inspired designs), the scenery is breathtaking, the score by John Powell is wonderful and just as good as the first film, the production design is brilliant, the character design is inspired (we get to see more types of dragons and even they have their own individual personalities and weaknesses) the action scenes are relentless, it's fast paced, the scenery is breathtaking and once again the flying scenes are enthralling.
Once again the voice acting is great all round, Jay Baruchel once again is great as Hiccup, he's no longer the skinny little kid we knew in the first film, he is now a fine, strong and respected member of the tribe (a sign of good character development) and is starting to take on greater responsibilities such as becoming the next leader of the Viking community as well as he and Toothless discovering new locations and Baruchel conveys that in his voice very well.
Gerard Butler is mesmerising as Stoick, he and Hiccup have gotten closer since the first film and not only is he passing the torch to Hiccup, he's rekindling with an old flame and through that rekindling we see the inner turmoil he's gone through in the past, he has taken care of Hiccup on his own since he was a baby and his mother was taken from him and he loves him dearly and wants him to take over him as leader of the Viking tribe.
Kit "Jon Snow" Harrington is marvellous as Eret, a dragon trapper who captures dragons for the film's villain Drago (Djimon Hounsou), he's not a stereotypical henchman, he's just a mercenary who's in dept to a dangerous person and he is only loyal to him out of fear. Finally, not to spoil anything but his character kinda reminds us as audience members how great it is to take villainous characters and find a good side to them.
There is a fine villain in Djimon Hounsou as Drago Bludvist, he was so scary and menacing, he's a powerful warrior and someone who has been tremendously hurt by dragons in general, he has lost his family and his arm because a fierce encounter with Dragons resulting in him not just being a one dimensional character, he has seen the dark side of dragons and wants to control them. In some ways he's like a mirror image of Stoick in that he's a person who has a grudge against dragons but it's a grudge you can well understand.
Once again, America Ferrera is fantastic as Astrid, ever since the first film, she has grown up into a tough, independent and competitive viking plus she and Hiccup are now boyfriend and girlfriend, though they don't like to refer to them as that. They are incredibly supportive of one another and Astrid is like Hiccup's number one defender and champion but she is also her own leader in her own leader in her own right which leads to some great scenes with her acting as the leader of Hiccup and her group of friends.
Other great voice actors who return from the first film are Craig Ferguson as Gobber, Jonah Hill as Snotlout, Christian Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs, T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig as Tuffnut and Ruffnut respectively and Cate Blanchet in a surprise role which I will not spoil.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is emotional roller coaster ride - and I very much look forward to the third film which comes out in 2016, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
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