Where are MY dragons!!

Rating: 8/10 (14 July 2014)

Quickie Review:
Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his loyal friend, a dragon named Toothless, over the period of 5 years after the first movie, have built a Viking clan at Berk that lives harmoniously with dragons. As Hiccup explores faraway lands he crosses upon the mysterious Dragon Rider, and learns about Drago Bludvist, a dragon hunter who is building a dragon army to take over the world. Hiccup and Toothless must face this madman before he ends the peaceful co-existence of humans and dragons at Berk. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (HTTYD2) is a great example of what a sequel should be. It builds upon the previous movie, further grows and develops the characters we love, and takes the story to places which most other animations would shy away from. A great, beautiful, and charming film for all ages, a must-see without a doubt.
Full Review:
When the first movie released I went in with low expectations and came out absolutely in awe and love with the movie. So with this sequel, my expectations were high from the moment I saw the first teaser trailer. Wow, HTTYD2 delivered in every respect, solidifying itself as a wonderful franchise in animation and film in general.
I love the fact that we see the characters as young adults now, facing new challenges in their lives. Most animations would have to the freedom just start where they left off and stick with what worked. In HTTYD2 the film takes a risk to age the characters, and yet they all feel their familiar charming selves. They are the strongest part of the movie because their interactions between each other is believable and of course hilarious. There is a new significant character that is introduced, initially known as Dragon Rider. I don't want to spoil who exactly it is (even though the trailers did so), but the first encounter between Hiccup and Dragon Rider is very well executed and felt natural. Throughout the movie there are many emotionally impactful scenes. Especially the strong bond between Hiccup and Toothless is something that everyone will relate to, more so if you ever had a pet. Also the story is not afraid to take some dark turns. I like when animations don't shield their younger audience just because they are young and instead treats them intelligently.
I should not forget to mention of course, the animation is gorgeous. I swear there were moments that felt like I was watching live-action scenes. It is that good. Every single flying scenes gave me goosebumps because it was so beautiful. Usually when I do these reviews I make short list of things I liked and disliked about the movie, and in the likes there is Toothless, in all-caps and multiple exclamation points. He was already an awesome dragon in the first movie, and somehow Dreamworks have turned him into an even more badass dragon! Why couldn't he be real!?
There is very little to complain about this movie, but there is one noteworthy flaw. I didn't really care for the villain Drago. He felt a bit generic in that he is just evil and wants to conquer stuff for the sake of conquering things. So that could've been a bit improved but it didn't detract me much from my enjoyment of the movie.
So if you are looking to have a fun adventure with great funny characters and emotional depth, look no further than How to Train Your Dragon 2. I watched it just few hours ago and I want go back and watch it again now. Do not miss out on this one.
Check out more on my movie review blog The Stub Collector: http://thestubcollector.wordpress.com/