Doesn't Live Up to the Original

Rating: 4/10 (6 November 2015)

I was excited to see this movie. Considering it was a sequel with higher ratings than the original, I went in with high hopes. Sequels are rarely better than their predecessor, and unfortunately this one was no exception.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 wasn't great. It was unoriginal and followed the average formula that most movies do nowadays. The first movie was so much more original, and the second one lacked that originality. It was predictable and, although a wee bit darker (which is what I typically like), not any better.
The plot was pretty predictable: the bad guy threatens the main characters' way of life and the world and now the vikings have to stop him. Unlike the original, which was more of a story about the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless, this one tries to be bigger than it actually is and fails. It's too big for it's own good, and it ends up being no good.
The characters weren't anything special either. They didn't change other than the dragons being part of their daily lives from the first movie, so it lost points there.
The mother's introduction into the movie felt extremely forced and didn't make a whole lot of sense. And once again, it's predictable and unoriginal to throw in a long-lost relative for no apparent reason.
Overall How to Train Your Dragon 2 just isn't any good. It lacks the charm and originality of the first one, its very predictable, and filled with weak and forced characters. If your interested, then I'd say don't bother, but go ahead if you really want to. If you enjoyed it, then your not alone. I know plenty of people who liked this movie. Personally I would not recommend it.