Excellent

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2014)

It is 5 years since Hiccup became friends with dragon Toothless and changed the way the village of Berk lived. And now he happens upon a community of dragons who live hidden away: there is a long-hidden secret and a menace to be faced.
The first film was an unexpected gem, and its sequel is just as good (albeit no longer unexpected). The real-time passage of time is interesting, the story works, there is some real emotion, and the visuals are terrific (and, again, the film is worth catching in 3D).
The voice work is very good, although Cate Blanchett affects an accent which hovers somewhere unidentifiable. I think she was going for Scots but, if so, she didn't quite make it.
But I will cut this film any breaks it needs, because it did something which few films do: it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There is a moment when a character who has been something of a victim in this film finally turns, and it completely blew me away - I loved it.
Highly recommended, and catch its predecessor first if you haven't already done so.