Smarter Than The Average Cartoon Blockbuster

Rating: 8/10 (26 September 2014)

How To Train Your Dragon 2
This film is deeper than it looks. If you've loved the Cressida Cowell How to Train Your Dragon series then it's probably best you leave your expectations at the door as you pick up the popcorn. This is good as was its predecessor, but nothing could ever be as good as those wonderful books. Cressida however is credited as one of the screenwriters, which means this quite different treatment of her stories for screen has the weight of her storytelling skill.
What remains from the books are the dragons and some of the deep themes and the fact that it is set on the mythical island of Berk amongst a Viking tribe. The names of the characters have also survived the treatment but the rest of the story is a made for movie affair, the antagonist from the books for example, almost comically evil - Alvin the Treacherous - hasn't made it through to the films yet but this is right and proper, as different media require different storytelling approaches. The story starts off fast-paced and frantic and initially you might be forgiven for imagining you're being subjected to just another Disney Frozen piece of candy-floss and colour-fest full of light and zaniness, signifying nothing. Howeverthis film has depth, emotional gravity and power. It hangs on a traditional five act structure and the point of no return is well tother side of the middle. Our hero has to face a deep tragedy (I will say no more as I don't want to spoil it) and how he copes with this and how the characters around him respond turns this film into something so much better than the normal cartoon blockbuster.
The story is lovingly envisaged, the characters are well drawn and not prettified. Disabled characters play a key role, both good and bad and even the very, very bad guy has a back story that offers us a way of looking at his evil from a redemptive perspective. This story has something important to say to children about the world and how it ends up the way it does. Evil is caused rather than made, which means, hopefully, evil can be transformed as well as being overcome.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 is moving and emotionally nuanced. Sitting amongst small people watching it from the middle third of the story there were lots of difficult silences and half- hidden snuffles. The stories final act is very well-played and it's all okay in the end but on the journey children experience the very real prospect that it won't be and that life vomits up terrible surprises that will challenge, upset and possibly change their lives forever.
A great family film in the tradition of Up, Finding Nemo and Wall-E. There are those fast-paced popcorn munching moments, but you'll need to take the tissues too!