Not as good as the first, but still a worthy sequel

Rating: 9/10 (10 July 2014)

My Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
I missed the theatrical release of the first How to Train Your Dragon film in 2010, but I eventually saw it on DVD, and I loved it. It has since become one of my favorite animated films, and one of my all-time favorite films in general, and, in my opinion, it is a completely flawless film. So, naturally, I was a bit apprehensive when I found out that they were going to make a sequel. Not so surprisingly, I didn't think How to Train Your Dragon 2 was as good as its predecessor, but it is still a good movie.
The film is set five years after the events of the first film. Instead of killing dragons, the Vikings of Berk now welcome dragons into their village. The chief, Stoick the Vast, plans to retire soon and have his son, Hiccup (now twenty years old), take his place as chief, and even Hiccup's girlfriend, Astrid, thinks he has great potential for the job­. Hiccup, however, prefers flying around with his dragon Toothless and mapping new lands, and is rather averse to his father's wishes. One day while out exploring, Hiccup comes across a group of dragon catchers, who work for an evil warlord, Drago, who wants to assemble a dragon army. Hiccup, against his fathers orders, sets off to try and peacefully reason with Drago, but is waylaid by the mysterious Dragon Rider, Valka (voiced by Cate Blanchett), who turns out to be Hiccup's thought-to-be-long-dead mother.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is, for the most part, an example of a sequel done right. It further develops and expands upon its universe and underlying themes, and it actually takes the story in a new direction rather than essentially repeating that of the first film. Also, while it's still fun, endearing, and family-friendly like the first film, it's also darker and more mature, and a bit more complex. It doesn't shy away from some dark themes, such as war and death, and it doesn't have that feeling that everything is inevitably going turn out alright in the end. There are even few good twists in the film's third act (which I found to be the most emotionally powerful part of the film).
The first HTTYD film was a simple and straightforward but extremely touching story about friendship, loyalty, acceptance, and family. Its emotional core consisted of the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless. This relationship is still crucial to the story in HTTYD 2, but it takes a back seat until the film's third act. The primary core of this film consists of a couple different elements. One of them is the reuniting of Hiccup's family. The other, more important element is the coming of age element. Yes, more than anything else, HTTYD 2 is a coming of age film for Hiccup.
The animation in this film, as expected, is spectacular. The characters, dragons, and scenery are excellently designed and visually pleasing, and the flying and aerial battle scenes are very good as well. John Powell, who composed the fantastic soundtrack for the first film, has returned and composed it for this film as well, and he still did a very good job. The soundtrack even contains a very good song that ais worth mentioning: 'Where No One Goes'. Also, the voice acting is very well done, especially Jay Baruchel as Hiccup.
Unfortunately, while I thought the first film was flawless, I cannot say the same about this film. This film has some pacing and plotting issues, a few contrived moments, a one-dimensional villain, and some underdeveloped supporting characters (the main characters are well developed, though, especially Hiccup). Additionally, the film is a bit weaker than the first film in terms of comedy, and a few of the comedic moments fall flat. Nonetheless, the film does have several humorous moments that do work.
Despite its slightly messy pacing and plotting, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is, in my opinion, a good sequel, and a good film for anybody of any age, and I'm glad I got to see it in the theater (twice – and I actually liked it a little better the second time). It is emotional, heartfelt, and humorous in areas, with some strong messages about family, friendship, forgiveness, loyalty, coming of age, and living to one's potential. Kids will enjoy it as long as they can handle some of the darker and more mature content. There is also plenty of content in the film for adults to enjoy. HTTYD 2 is one of my favorite films of the year so far, and it may very well end up being my favorite animated film of 2014 – if nothing else, I hope it receives a nomination for Best Animated Feature.