About as good as films get

Rating: 9/10 (15 October 2014)

What an intimidating movie! I saw the first film and was impressed, but I was skeptical that the sequel would be anything other than a cheap and quick way to cash in a bit extra from the love of the first one. But my oh my was I mistaken.
From the very start of the film, you're gripped with the film's highly unique style; even after having seen it in action in the first How to Train your Dragon, I was still blown back by the visuals. And then, you're quickly taken with a plot that takes it time to unravel, with dialogue and characters that sound absurdly close to card-board cut-outs but never once become them. The brilliance of the writing ensures that there is never a scene that feels out of place, never a line that seems unnecessary or even out of character. I was particularly fond of Hiccup, someone who I am amazed again and again that I don't find insufferable. Toothless, it goes without saying, is portrayed fantastically; a mix between a cat and dog with wings. And the final sequence is truly heartwarming.
Without even losing a beat, the plot brings in new elements, new characters and revamps old ones, all of which are thought out really well, particularly the Dragon Thief. And yet, all of them hang onto the zany and hilarious humor that the first film brought with it.
But, like all amazing works of art, the flaws stand all the brighter with such a terrific rest. The villain is not as defined not as interesting as I would have liked, there's a rather long sequence near the end which seems a tiny bit odd and a handful of other things. That said, many other viewers of this film have disagreed with my issues and pointed to other parts of the film, so there's good odds you won't mind; I know I didn't care while I was watching.
Overall, you're missing out if you haven't seen this film, because it really is fantastic.