Worthy sequel

Rating: Null/10 (13 July 2014)

Five years have passed since the events of the first film and dragons still soar over the skies of Berk. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), still the most oddly named viking ever, and his trusty dragon Toothless have expanded the map of the surrounding lands, finding new lands and dragons for the village to enjoy. Yet new threats lurk around the corner as Hiccup and Astrid (America Ferrera) come across dragon trappers working for a mysterious warlord.
What How to Train your Dragon 2 gets extremely right is avoiding the usual sequel clichés. The story is entirely new, not just the original with a new villain, there are no aggravating wrinkles in the romance, no old problems resurfacing. The world of Berk has evolved due to the events of the first film and the characters have grown during the five years. Immensely satisfying and all of the characters, dragons included, still feel familiar and identifiable, yet you can see time has passed.
The technical aspects are also once again topnotch. The flying scenes are amazing, the world is full of details and nuances, the facial expressions look believable and smooth and even the 3D doesn't detract from the experience like it usually does. The score is also very impressive and supports the film perfectly. Some really hauntingly beautiful and/or uplifting melodies.
All that being said, it's not a perfect film. I applaud the film makers for having the guts to forward the story and take it to new directions, but it still has a few kinks. There are a few plot twists I could see coming miles away because they were foreshadowed so heavily and awkwardly. In addition, the villain is pretty weak. Djimon Hounsou gives him a lot of presence with his voice, but overall he's not that interesting of a character. His motivations are pretty see-through, his plan is clichéd and full of plot holes, and even his design is pretty basic.
On the other hand Cate Blanchett's character is superb. Warmhearted, capable, beautiful, a little kooky, wise, everything the character needed to be to shine. The scenes between her and Hiccup are easily the best in the film and I truly appreciated her inclusion, even though beforehand I had dreaded her based on the trailers. Fortunately I was proved wrong.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 doesn't quite reach the level of its predecessor. The first one had a tighter story and the novelty on its side. Its sequel is still one of the best Dreamworks films made to date and pretty much guarantees a sequel, which is great.