Dragons return with rare worthy sequel.

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2014)

The original How to Train Your Dragon is a film that didn't quite make it onto my radar when it was released in theaters in 2010. Coming from Dreamworks Animation and featuring a cast of voice actors that didn't really pique my interest, the film just looked like another pale Pixar imitation. However, when I finally discovered it after its home video release, it was a revelation that filled a much-needed void in my movie- watching catalog that I hadn't even realized was missing: a pure and full-hearted family adventure.
Needless to say, I hold that film in extremely high regard and have endlessly pushed it on all friends and family who have not seen it. But How to Train Your Dragon was almost perfectly complete in what it was, so the potential for a sequel to sully this underrated gem seemed very high. Rest easy though, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is an amazing film that has matured with its characters while delivering on almost all elements needed for a sequel to outshine its predecessor.
One of the extremely smart moves made by returning writer/director Dean DeBlois was to take a page from the Harry Potter franchise by aging up its characters with each new installment. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and all his crew are full-on raging hormone teenagers, complete with early facial stubble and hopeless crushes on their female mates. Rather than waste a movie slowly developing the main romance, the film wisely starts out with Hiccup and Astrid (America Ferrara) already an item, comfortable in their adorable relationship.
Things get moving quickly when Hiccup, instead of accepting his now aging gray-bearded father Stoick's (Gerard Butler) offer to let him take over as chief, stumbles upon an island that houses unfriendly dragon trappers fronted by Eret (Game of Thrones' Kit Harington). After a brief altercation, Eret lets slip that their leader Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou) is coming for all the dragon riders so he can kidnap and add the happily integrated dragons of Berk into his ever-growing dragon army. Through his quest to warn Berk and peacefully achieve a truce between Stoick and Drago (who have a history), Hiccup encounters a mysterious woman named Valka (Cate Blanchett) with knowledge of dragons beyond even his own.
The story has plenty of twists and turns, and surprisingly goes to a few dark places that most family films normally do not tread. While this sequel definitely has a darker Empire Strikes Back feel to it, the film doesn't completely lose the wonder and adventure that made the first one so irresistible. The flying sequences are exhilarating, and Hiccup's extremely clever flight armor suit is one of the coolest things in movies this year. His relationship with Toothless is also the core of the film, and if you've ever owned a pet you can't help but have your heart melt whenever they interact. Toothless just may be the one of the best non-speaking characters in modern film history, and that's a true testament to the impressive work the animators did on this one. The Night Fury dragon is so expressive with his face and body language to a degree that he almost always steals the scene. Additionally, the landscapes are absolutely breathtaking, especially when paired with the vibrant impressive designs of thousands of dragons. Audiences will need to buckle up for the unrivaled visual feast with this Oscar-worthy output from the animation team.
The voice cast all do exceptional work, especially Jay Baruchel, who takes his portrayal of Hiccup up a notch with this coming-of-age version when compared to his ongoing work in the Dragons animated series. Gerard Butler will most likely have the most memorable role - he's given some really great material here and shines more than ever, bringing love, warmth and confidence as the steadfast chief of Berk. The enigmatic Valka is brought to earthy life by Cate Blanchett, but the real star of her performance is the grace and beauty of the character designs and her animation. When Valka's on the move you can't take her eyes off her, not to mention she has the most jaw-dropping introduction in the film. Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, TJ Miller and Christopher Mintz-Plasse all return to their respective roles, but are relegated to very minor spots for shaky comedic relief, while Djimon Hounsou is visceral and intimidating as Drago and brings as much weight as possible to a somewhat thin villain. On the other hand, Kit Harington has more personality and charisma than he has ever had on Game of Thrones as a welcome younger addition to the cast with his wayward dragon trapper Eret.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a fantastic sequel that dares to go darker and more complex with its family fare. Emotions run high, the action is intense and the characters and events all have weight. You won't find a more beautifully animated film this year and very rarely does a franchise get a follow-up of this quality. Some of the humor and subplots flat out don't work, and there are probably too many characters to juggle in one film, but this one is still well worth every bit of your summer dollars.