Absolutely Stunning, Must Watch!

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2014)

I recommend this movies to families especially, but anyone can enjoy it with the exception being perhaps very small children (for mature themes). How to Train Your Dragon 2 manages to even surpass its predecessor, avoiding the sophomore slump in spectacular fashion.
The visuals and music were absolutely stunning, melding together without seams. You know you're in a good movie where sometimes, you don't even say to yourself, "Huh, this is good," but simply watch and enjoy. With this movie, I was fully enraptured. I watched in 3D, which made the cinematography even more breathtaking. Some movies are converted to 3D to make money, and I'm generally leery of feeding the cash-gobbling movie studios without compensation, but HTTYD2 has plenty of scenes to justify the additional cost of a 3D ticket. You'll still enjoy the film without the 3D, but it definitely adds to the scenes in HTTYD2, unlike in some other films.
The plot is noticeably darker, but the mature themes are handled well (with some tears might I add, and I'm a stoic person!) and leaves plenty of material for the sequel to explore. DuBlois makes a good choice to have Hiccup, the 20-year-old protagonist, face the realities of life here. Without such lessons, the film may have fallen into simply a visual stunner with no story. DuBlois' film ultimately succeeds because of a plot written for not just the visual thrills, but also the believable character development and world-building.
Summary: Must watch. I'm already considering watching it again and adding it to my DVD collection, and I'll certainly watch the third film.