Slightly lesser sequel, but only by a little bit

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2015)

In this sequel to the 2010 smash hit, Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to even more dragons and come face to face with a villain who is amassing a dragon army. This time around, as is typical with sequels, they up the ante and the stakes are raised. There's even more dragons and not only that, but there's also a greater variety. But more importantly, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 has the same charm and heart that made the first one so enjoyable in the first place. We get a deeper look at Hiccup's relationship with his father, and he also meets and bonds with his long-lost mother who turns out to be a kindred spirit. All of the supporting cast is back, too, and funny as ever. My favorite running gag was Astrid continually being smitten by a dragon trapper, Eret (voiced by Kit Harington). Sadly, though, the villain was rather weak in terms of motivation and his actual presence in the film. He wasn't introduced properly until about halfway through, and the way in which he was defeated was a bit cheesy, making him seem like somewhat of a pushover compared to the villain in the last one. However, despite the weakness of the central conflict, there are some resonant themes which are explored. The primary one, and one which has been done before in other films, is that of finding your true self. Hiccup is torn between his father naming him as his successor and living a free life with the dragons like his mother. More relevant to the central conflict is the struggle for peace when those opposed to you have their minds set on war. Hiccup remains an idealist for much of the running time, but ultimately discovers that occasionally you do have to fight for what you believe is right. Both of these messages should appeal to the demographic this movie is aimed at, especially the first one. The film also takes a rather poignant turn in the third act (which I will not spoil) that should have people reaching for their handkerchiefs. Overall, this sequel, while not quite living up to its predecessor in terms of the central conflict, is still a rollicking, fun time for kids and adults alike. If you saw and liked the first one, there's not a reason I can think of that you wouldn't feel the same here.