Dark and Dramatic. A Fathers Day Ruined.

Rating: 7/10 (16 June 2014)

Here's where How to Train Your Dragon 2 failed (WARNING: Spoilers Ahead) I recently watched this movie with my father on fathers day, and I can honestly say that we were quite disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the stunning animation and beautiful scenery are by far the best to date, however, the writing and unexpected twist of events are utmost concerning. We'll make a list of what went wrong based on my opinions...
1. How the focus on certain characters has changed. In the first film we follow mainly the teenagers; Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Toothless above all. Now as the second movie progresses we begin to realize that other than Hiccup and Toothless, the focus on characters has shifted more towards Stoick, Drago Bludvist (The Villain), and Hiccups mother Valka, not to mention the introduction of a character (Dragon Trapper) who practically has no relevance in the film. You're probably curious why I consider this a fault, well, other than Hiccup and Toothless, the backbone of the first film had been supported more so by the teenagers previously listed and with the shift of focus in this film it almost feels like an alternative universe.
2. The seemingly dark and nearly hopeless theme. Drago is utterly ruthless and unforgiving, Dreamworks definitely achieved a dark, sinister, brutal character. Recall the first film once again as we are most likely going to make several references, the antagonist was a queen dragon, had a short but powerful voice in the film, her reveal is shocking and stunning. The battle which occurs at the nest is at first in the queen dragons favor, until the riders of Birk show up and change the tide. No one died (For what we know) and Hiccup only lost half a leg, which furthered the development of the bond between Hiccup and Toothless. From how whole hearted, magical, and uplifting the first movies theme was, this one was rather cold and serious, generally removing most of the magic and replacing it with a taste of reality and the unfortunate times it may bring. Coming from a Dreamworks film, I would expect a sequel to be far more engaging and far more potent than the original film but in the same themes, this sequel took a complete U-turn for the worse for any child who may bare to watch it.
3. (MAJOR SPOILER) The death of Stoick the Vast. They didn't even give him final words before his death, it was instant and by the hand of one of our most beloved characters, Toothless. This isn't something you do in what should be considered a kids/teenagers film BY DREAMWORKS, not to mention how high the benchmark for fantasy and beauty was set from the first film. Stoick had just been reunited with his recently considered deceased wife that he has not seen for the last 20 or so years, and almost immediately after they really get back on track, Stoick gives his life to save his son from his sons best friend Toothless, who was under the control of an Alpha dragon, who was under the influence of Drago Bludvist. It was one of the most painful sequences I have ever witnessed. It almost feels like he died in vain considering his previous feelings about dragons, he always hated them, but when his son proved him otherwise Stoick gave them a chance, and then he died by the very creature he set free and saved from drowning. All I Can Say Is Whoever Is Responsible For Setting The Release Date For This Film On The Friday Before Fathers Day Weekend Is A Moron And Deserves To Be Fired. My father and I were anxious to see this film, and when we left the theater it felt like fathers day was ruined. Stoick was a mighty warrior who always held his own and gave his life for his son... They wrote him out doing something brave, but they could have easily changed the circumstances so he did not have to die by Toothless's blast, whether or not he was being controlled. The directors reason for Stoick's death was so that Hiccup could basically grow up and become the chief of Birk and its people. They literally chose the most dramatic way to accomplish this! There was no need for Stoick to die and they could have easily, once again, changed the circumstances of how Hiccup becomes Chief! Fatally wounded, loss of limb, I hate to sound harsh but its better than a characters death, especially a main one.
I'd like to make it clear to anyone reading this that I could be overreacting and simply because of Stoick's death, a fathers death on fathers day, I am upset. I may have to see the film a few more times to conclude a proper opinion on the film, even though I believe the first impression can sometimes be anything's only impression. Still, you'd have to be blind to not notice the holiday around the date of your movies release which involves a father dying. Many children must be astounded and maybe in tears still trying to understand why Toothless did what he did, and why Stoick had to die. I watched the first film when I returned home and it felt nothing like its sequel. Calm, Inspiring, Enlightening, Brilliant, and magical beyond many other movies I've watched. My deduction of the first film and its moral is never judge a book by its cover, and from what I can deduce from only seeing the sequel once is... eventually you have to act your age, which is just disappointing, however, I can also deduce that another moral is present... never give in, no matter how dark it may seem, and that's sort of uplifting considering everything that happens in the sequel.