Almost As Grand As The First

Rating: 7/10 (17 November 2014)

When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
Director Dean DeBlois says that the animation programs used have made the intricate details of facial expression and whatnot more detailed. Frankly, this is not as obvious as DeBlois may like, but it is good to hear animation advancing... within a decade, perhaps the line between animation and real life will be blurred.
The overall story here does not seem quite as strong as the first, though it does add two important elements to the story. One, it expands the world of Hiccup. Apparently not much, as they seem to travel to different areas quickly, but this still opens the story up to more possibilities, including possible spinoffs.
And two, it balances the message of peace from the first film. Although the first film's idea not to see others as enemies is a very important and timeless message, there will also always be that evil inside people that just never listens to reason. Folks like Hitler (to use the classic example) could only be stopped by force, not reason. Such a character is introduced here, adding to the overall mythos of the Vikings.
Where will the story go from here? We eagerly await the next installment.