Over a year ago I posted about coming back to blogging about films. Annoyingly it's something that when I come to to I tend to over think and then I end up doing nothing, hence the serious lack of film reviews throughout the past year. Some of it comes down to confidence issues and a bit down to not having the time in the day to do anything. Anyway I am feeling more committed to doing this, however daft and unread this blog may be, onward with bravado to share my thoughts and views on films.
In the same post I published in August last year I shared a trailer for a How To Train Your Dragon 2. I didn't manage to see it in the cinema, so having just come out on DVD and Blu-Ray I thought it was a good opportunity to see it and very briefly share my thoughts.
The first outing was hands down one of my favourite films of 2010, it adjusted my disdain for Dreamworks Animation as out came this well rounded, exciting, funny and all around crowd pleaser that had genuine heart. So four years on the sequel is here and I'm pleased to say that spark and excitement is still there. This feels necessary, another step for Hiccup (and his dragon Toothless) as he grows into becoming a leader and an adult. In typical sequel style this is bigger, ballsier with heaps more dragons and characters. Most of these introduced characters stand up well in the story, although Hiccups mother voiced by Cate Blanchett is a little odd, you're never fully sure just exactly what that accent is. However her inclusion here is written in well and moments between herself and Stoic (Hiccups father) are great.
There's typical high jinx from the supporting characters that deliver entertaining back and forth's especially when Snotlout and Fishlegs are vying for Ruffnuts attention only to be out done by the roguish Eret voiced by Game of Thrones Kit Harington (John Snow). This time the enemy isn't the dragons as such, but a fairly paint by numbers bad guy in the form of Drago Bloodfist voiced ominously by Djimon Hounsou (famously in Gladiator as a slave) who controls dragons with fear (and a rather large alpha dragon) rather than compassion.
So you've got two leaders who have a gift with dragons, one is evil one is good, all the hallmarks of an easy to get on with kids movie. It really is decent though and what's delivered is something that is fun for kids whilst not being overly paint by numbers in the metaphor realm. There's a real gut punch at the end that's on par with the bitter sweetness of the end of the first outing.
You also have to appreciate the animation here, there is distinct improvement in quality and textures in comparison to the first film, like the skin on Toothless' scales and the fire and atmosphere effects. The human characters are better defined and the lip syncing which was a little off on the last one is improved. The soundtrack which stood out so proudly in the first film is back and just as inspiring and grand this time around, I hum the tune regularly.
In conclusion this a strong follow on from the first outing, it stands on it's own as good well rounded film and like all good films that warrant sequels it doesn't fish for that validation at the end. I'm aware there have a been a few books written in this series so obviously there will be more to come. This is as good as the first outing and if you enjoyed the last one then this is a no brainer.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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