Classic phoenix theme on an epic scale

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2014)

This deserves a round of applause. As some fellow reviewers have said kids as well as adults will have fun watching and re-watching it. I certainly will. Having seen the Dreamworks Dragons series as well as the first movie(multiple times), I believe I do justice in saying that this was a very apt culmination to the great build up. The emotions are more personal as all characters are grown up and allow the young adult generation to identify ideals such as sacrifice, leadership and love. At the same time, the maturity is shown only in glimpses to keep the realm still limited to childhood thereby keeping its younger audience spellbound. The decision to include such grand dragons and to include the lost hero like feeling in Hiccup gave the drama a very Arthur-esque touch. The bond between him and Toothless seems stronger than ever and is given ample screen time with enough ups and downs and the desire to perform that daring maneuver with perfection lasts till the end with a cliffhanger. While the last movie was about Hiccup changing others' views about dragons here he grows suddenly into responsibilities of a leader and is thrust in danger to lead his clan from its worst threat ever. Coming to the phoenix theme as we have seen in Harry Potter, Gladiator and Spartacus, the ultimate hero rises from the ashes of his loved ones. The resemblance is not lost here( for details watch the movie). But at the same time this serves a dual purpose as he also gains a new mission in life and finally understands his purpose. The finale of the whole extravaganza is not in hindsight. With an able captain at the helm a new script can maybe make this series a very successful trilogy.