"How To Train Your Dragon 2" review

A superlative sequel in every way!

I regret missing the first “How To Train Your Dragon” film in theaters.  While watching the DVD was still an exhilarating experience, I knew that certain scenes would have had a much more memorable impact on the big screen.  The sweeping majesty of the flying sequences rocked me to the core, and the story and character development was equally excellent.  These elements combined to give the initial film a visual and emotional resonance that hit me right in the feels.

Sequels are a potential minefield.  How to balance audience expectations against moving the franchise forward in new directions?  Having a literary source is a big plus.  Having such talented artists and writers who are willing to take chances is also an advantage, for it is a rare skill to know when to execute the unexpected in a way that makes sense.  Finally, understanding the characters and how the story needs to evolve is necessary to achieve an ending that is resounding in its victory yet bittersweet because of the cost.  “How To Train Your Dragon 2” accomplishes all these things and more. 

 

The variety of landscapes and environments is a feast for the eyes, and the sumptuous visual design is jaw-dropping on the big screen.   The characters have grown from children into young adults.  Hiccup has become a steampunk inventor of Jedi-like talents, and his new contraptions are a delight to behold.  Astrid continues to be a leading lady of strength, skill and wit that makes the feminist in me pump my fist for girl power!  Hiccup’s relationship with his father faces a new test, and the outcome is yet another heartbreaking example of why this series continues to be so engrossing: risks.

As in the original film, there is a price to be paid for growth.  Hiccup survived his first battle, but lost a foot.  Like his dragon Toothless, Hiccup is now missing part of his original self.  Yet Hiccup is still expected to become chief of his village, and when the peaceful harmony of the dragon riders of Berk is threatened by a ghost from the past, Hiccup has to confront a much greater loss.  One story thread is snapped, and another returns to be rewoven.  I wept with joy and sorrow, and cannot wait for the next chapter in Hiccup’s journey towards adulthood!