How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) 20th Century Fox/Comedy-Adventure RT: 102 minutes Rated PG (adventure action, some mild rude humor) Director: Dean DeBlois Screenplay: Dean DeBlois Music: John Powell Cinematography: Roger Deakins (visual consultant) Release date: June 14, 2014 (US) Cast: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Djimon Hounsou, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson, Kit Harington, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig. Box Office: $177M (US)/$618.9M (World)
Rating: *** ½
Rare is the kid’s movie that makes intelligent points about such weighty matters as war, conflict resolution and active environmentalism instead of condescending to its young views. Even rarer is the sequel that soars higher than its predecessor. How to Train Your Dragon 2 accomplishes both effortlessly with panache.
As you know, I’m not the biggest proponent of computer-animation. Even Pixar’s efforts have grown somewhat tedious with all their cash-grab titles. How to Train Your Dragon 2 is an exception. Amazingly detailed and colorfully vibrant, it could very well nab the Best Animated Film award at next year’s Oscar ceremony based solely on its aesthetics. At the very least, visual consultant Roger Deakins should receive some kind of special honor. Look at the way he renders life during the time of the Vikings. Everything from the village to the people that reside there to the natural surroundings (the forest, ocean, mountains and skies) is pure visual splendor. And the dragons that come in all shapes, sizes and colors …. WOW! The flying scenes are tremendous. When they breathe fire, it’s awesome. I actually regret not seeing How to Train Your Dragon 2 in 3D and you all know how I usually feel about that. That’s saying something.
The movie opens five years after the original with young hero Hiccup (Baruchel, This Is the End) almost a grown man (he’s 20). His friendship with Astrid (Ferrera, Ugly Betty) has blossomed into a romance. His village of Berk is now a peaceful place where men and dragons co-exist harmoniously. The creatures are now domesticated pets and companions. Owning one is like having a dog. They even love having their tummies rubbed. If it was up to Hiccup, he’d spend his life having adventures with his pet dragon Toothless, exploring undiscovered lands and mapping them out. However, his father Stoick the Vast (Butler, 300) wants Hiccup to succeed him as village chieftain.
One day, Hiccup and Astrid have an ugly encounter with a dragon trapper named Eret (Harington, Game of Thrones). He works for Drago Bludvist (Hounsou, Blood Diamond), an insane warrior bent on capturing all dragons in existence and creating his own army. Hiccup returns home to tell his father what’s transpiring and that he’d like to try and reason with Drago himself. Stoick forbids it, but his independent-minded son flies off anyway. En route to see the madman, he’s captured by a masked dragon rider, later revealed to be his long-lost mother Valka (Blanchett, the Lord of the Rings trilogy). She left home while he was still a baby after disagreeing with her husband over how to handle the dragon problem. She’s a staunch protector of the creatures, finding and bringing them to live on her island sanctuary. A family reunion is quickly followed by a fierce invasion by Drago and his men. Even worse, he has a secret weapon that will tip the scales in his favor.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 works on several levels. It’s a rousing action-adventure picture that’s sure to delight kids of all ages in attendance. It’s a funny comedy with the dog-like behavior of the dragons. When Toothless attacks and slurps his owner, it brings to mind Dino greeting Fred Flintstone at the door when he comes home from work. It also teaches a few lessons about preserving endangered species. It may get a touch heavy-handed with its stance on war and weapons of mass destruction. At one point, Valka says, “Good dragons under the control of bad people do bad things”. The analogy will be obvious to parents watching with their children. It’s only a small patch of turbulence in an otherwise smooth ride.
The voice talents do a great job. Butler roars like a lion and Hounsou projects tangible malevolence. Baruchel is the perfect choice for the role with his distinctive pubescent voice. He perfectly conveys a young man on the verge of adulthood and the uncertainty that accompanies it. Blanchett proves that her talent extends to the types of roles where she’s heard and not seen. The storyline is a solid one too. The two Dragon movies are based on the series of books by Cressida Cowell and I can only assume that she’s pleased with both adaptations. How to Train Your Dragon 2 flies high without crashing and burning. It’s a treat for all the senses, but the eyes definitely have it. It’s truly a sight to behold. It’s a definite must-see and the perfect way for the kiddies to kick off summer now that school’s out.
