On Saturday, 21 June 2014, Janice and I met Thomas K.Y. & Kai-Yin H. for How to Train Your Dragon 2 at the recently renovated AMC Burlington Cinema 10. We enjoyed the computer-animated fantasy sequel, which had character development and visuals that were at least equal to those in James Cameron’s Avatar or several recent Disney/Pixar films.
Plot: As with most sequels, viewers who skipped the first How to Train Your Dragon won’t appreciate the new movie as fully as they might. Loosely based on Cressida Cowell’s children’s books, the movies (and the Nickelodeon TV series) focus on Hiccup, a scrawny Viking who breaks with tradition in learning to ride dragons rather than fight them.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 picks up a few years after the events of the first movie. Hiccup’s hometown of Berk has learned to coexist with dragons, and we see a quidditch-like race involving his friends.
Restless Hiccup and his Night Fury steed Toothless explore ever farther from his home island and finds his long-lost mother (already “spoiled” in trailers), as well as ruthless pirates who share his gift for communicating with flying reptiles. As in the first movie, sacrifices must be made for the greater good.
Cast: Jay Baruchel returns as a slightly more mature Hiccup, with Gerard Butler as his gruff father and chieftain, Stoick. Cate Blanchett, who hasn’t gotten to interact directly with monsters as Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth movies, brings weariness and hope to Hiccup’s mother Valka.
Other returning voice actors include Craig Ferguson as Stoick’s counselor Gobber, America Ferrera as the winsome Astrid, and Jonah Hill as obnoxious Snotlout.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse is Fishlegs, who vies with Snotlout for Ruffnut’s (Kristen Wiig) attentions while her twin Tuffnut (T.J. Miller) looks on and scoffs. The dynamics among Hiccup’s family and friends are more fully explored in the television show, but there are many nods to them in the movie.
Newcomers include Djimon Hounsou as the pirate Drago and Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harrington as the swashbuckling Eret, who captures Ruffnut’s eye during one of several narrow escapes from the pirates. Everyone is well-cast in their roles.
Direction: Dean DeBlois, who also co-wrote the screenplay, does a good job of building up the action while also providing some character moments. Any lack of originality in the story is more than made up for by the appealing characters, heartfelt story, and strong visual designs. (No, I haven’t yet seen Frozen, but understand it’s one of Disney’s better recent efforts.)
Cinematography: Although I didn’t see How to Train Your Dragon 2 in 3-D, the regular visual effects have continued to improve, with human skin, dragon scales, choppy seas, and fire all spectacularly rendered.
Hiccup’s gliding scenes with Toothless early in the movie are particularly good, and even though the large-scale battles toward the end are familiar to fantasy fan, they manage not to completely overwhelm the viewer.
Soundtrack: The musical score echoes the themes from the first movie and the TV series, and it properly accompanies and builds with the action. As in Cowell’s books, there is a Scottish lilt to the music, and the opening and closing credits drew us into the superficially slapstick setting.
Rating: I’d give How to Train Your Dragon 2, which is rated PG for action and “some rude humor,” a solid 8 out of 10, four out of five stars, or a B+. I liked it about as much as its predecessor, if not as much as the TV show, which expands on all the characters.
Don’t let the relatively disappointing box-office returns dissuade you from seeing it. I’d recommend this movie to fantasy fans, children looking for their summer cartoon fix, and those looking for comedy and drama in lighter measures.
In other family-friendly animation, I thought the third season premiere of Avatar: Legend of Korra was strong, and I look forward to The Boxtrolls. Janice and I also joined Thomas & Kai-Yin for dinner at Noodles & Co., which just opened in Burlington, Mass.
Coming soon: More gaming updates, a Star Trek convention recap, and Byron V.O.’s visit…
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