"The Empire Strikes Back" for the "Dragon" Trilogy!

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2014)

In a squeaky voice I hear Hiccup screaming to the top of his lungs "ARE YOU READY BUD?" and I end up replying in a soft whisper, "Not sure yet." The shivers of anticipation and fear trembled throughout my body. The fact is the first "How to Train Your Dragon" was so amazing (then again, that is opinion but mine stands) how can it possibly be topped?! Well I found the answer to that question and to Hiccup's question after walking out of the theater. Boy I wasn't ready for it but "How to Train Your Dragon 2" brought it big time. Needless to say, I was in awe with how fantastic this movie was.
We begin five years after the first movie ended. Hiccup and his friends are living the good life with dragons for pets being the new norm. However, this new paradise seems to disappear with the emergence of a vicious enemy who aims to create a dragon army for the sole-purpose of world domination. Then of course comes along a mysterious dragon rider causing all types of trouble (if you've seen the previews then this will not be a shock but I shall be kind just in case you have not). Hiccup ends up working with Toothless once again to bring down this enemy and in the process change everything they've ever known.
The way this film builds upon it's predecessor is by simply doing the one thing most sequels do not like doing; continuing the story in such a way that it could stand on its own as a stand-alone film. This film is not the first film, in fact it dives even deeper into the story and world the first film brought us.
A sequel, a great sequel knows how to broaden the story and mature it as it goes along. And that is exactly what they do here. We find Hiccup realizing that maybe he has been naive with certain ideals he carries, he realizes maybe it is time to grow up. Now-a-days coming of age stories are almost ubiquitous, but "Dragon 2" knows how to make it feel fresh. In the first one Hiccup was trying to find himself, he is still doing that here but it is more from a desire to find his place in a grown up world than to be accepted for who he is. The transition between the Hiccup we met in the first movie to the Hiccup of this movie is very well done and completely believable.
And just as Hiccup has grown, the story grows with him by becoming darker and more mature with it's themes. Here we deal with a new form of family discord not really seen in animated films. We find teen romance on the bloom. And the idea of diplomacy over war. This film deals with such complex issues that it can be easy to forget this is a kids film about dragons.
Which leads me to comment on the visuals of the movie. The animation is absolutely breathtaking. From the very first scene showcasing the dragons on Berk to the final epic fight sequence. This is a film of the highest caliber in regard to how animation should look. The clouds mixing with the red and orange of a setting sun, the mountains that touch the sky, and even the giant ice fortress that looks like something from a far away dream. This movie is huge on spectacle but it never forgets the heart of the story.
The characters are just as endearing as they were when we first met them. Some of them have grown up some considering the time-span but this is to be expected. Jay Baruchel is, as always, fantastic as Hiccup. This time he brings a maturity to the role while keeping him goofy and good-natured. The same can be said for the rest of the all-star voice cast. Gerard Butler, America Ferrara, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, and even new cast member such as Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) are all fantastic.
Amazingly, they manage to keep all of these different factors under control when it could have so easily gone wrong. Once again this films backbone (just like the first) is the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless. This simple, yet vital, relationship could've been lost in the franticness of the plot and the wide range of characters. However, Director and Writer Dean DeBlois nimbly moves around these issues as if there was no problem at all. It is expert filmmaking to the highest degree.
"How to Train Your Dragon 2" put my fears to rest by giving us a story that is darker and more mature than the first. They expanded on the world from the first movie and gave us even more wonderful character moments. Filled with great, sly humor and breathtaking visuals. This movie is filled with spectacle but it never forgets the quiet, tear-jerking moments that made the first movie such a hit. Since both movies are so great there is room to debate for either one. Both have valid points for being better than the other but I would have to say "Dragon 2" is better than the first (as hard as it is to believe). This is "The Empire Strikes Back" for the "Dragon" Trilogy and even (as of right now) the best animated movie of the year. Kids and adults will both be walking away saying one thing "Can we go see it again?" and I'm sure you will.