The First was Amazing, This One's Better

Rating: 9/10 (28 June 2014)

Rarely is kid's movie sequel more than a soulless money-grab, but HTTYD2 is unique. Like the Toy Story films, it brings purposeful and legitimate storytelling to its franchise. The sweepingly astounding visuals we've come to expect are still here; throw in great characters, strong emotions, and thrilling fun, you have fantasy adventure movie-making at its best. HTTYD2 picks up five years after the first, with humans and dragons co-existing harmoniously, and Hiccup is struggling between his passion for exploring and his duty to take up the responsibilities of his father as village chief. All the brightly ranging characters we loved in the first are here, with Miyazaki-like creature and world building propelling them. The back story and lore is heart-wrenching, the adventure is inspired, but the core relationship between Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless, is the foundation: sweet, believable, and complex. Throw in the best score of the year, it was hard not to stand up and cheer with exhilaration at the truly surprising plotting. These elements are enough to highly recommend any movie, but HTTYD2 is more fearless than most children's stories. The emotional complexities of character decisions, the will-versus-destiny questions, the inevitability of war where peace should reignfar from what we see in most kid's fare. The first one swept us off our feet and the sequel does the same, while managing to burrow deeper into your core. It even got a little dusty in the theatre a couple of times. Manipulation? Maybebut when a movie is this close to perfection, it's hard to care or even notice.