How to Train Your Dragon 2: A Blockbuster Sequel Soaring High
Five years have passed since the events of “How to Train Your Dragon.” Hiccup, now older and more mature, is expected by his father to take his place as chief of the tribe. However, Hiccup doesn’t see himself as a leader. He’s far more interested in exploring the world on Toothless’s back, discovering new islands. During one of his adventures, he stumbles upon dragon trappers and learns that a powerful dragon master named Drago Bludvist is building an army of humans and dragons to conquer all lands within his reach, enslaving dragons in the process. Fortunately, Hiccup soon finds a new ally in his long-lost mother, Valka, who has spent years rescuing and studying dragons.
The artists behind “How to Train Your Dragon 2” drew inspiration from the landscapes of Norway, even taking a week-long excursion there.
How can one describe DreamWorks Animation’s new animated blockbuster? Perhaps in the same way we described movies as children, gesticulating wildly and sputtering with excitement: “Well, there’s this thing – a-a-a! And they’re like – o-o-o! And they fly, fly, fly! And then it’s like – whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! And they’re like – splat! And boom! Boom! Boom!” Of course, one could try to find the right words and talk about the stunning animation, the inspired graphics (so many new dragon breeds!), the captivating plot, the witty jokes, and the perfectly balanced combination of sweeping epic and intimate family scenes. But that would be too detached and too objective. Such a description would be full of facts, but lacking in feeling. And “How to Train Your Dragon 2” is a true emotional rollercoaster (in the best sense of the word).
DreamWorks Animation has already announced that they are working on a second sequel, which will complete the trilogy. “How to Train Your Dragon 3” is slated for release in the summer of 2016.
In an hour and a half, the film takes viewers through the entire spectrum of emotions, from admiration to sadness. And when you leave the theater, you realize that you didn’t just watch the movie, you experienced it – marveling at the breathtaking flights, marveling at new lands and new dragons, delighting in the first meeting of Hiccup and Valka, indignant at the cruelty of the dragon hunters, mourning the dead (yes, there are deaths in the film), and rooting for “our side” in the climactic battle. That’s why it’s better to talk about “How to Train Your Dragon 2” not in coherent and proper phrases, but in interjections and gestures. They are much more emotional and expressive.
Imperfections?
Does all this mean that the film is flawless? No, it doesn’t. If you step back from the overall impression it makes and break it down into its component parts to examine each one separately, you can find flaws like: “This joke is repeated too many times,” “This character should have been given a little more screen time,” and “Couldn’t they have chosen a slightly more elegant hairstyle for Valka?” But these would all be nitpicks that are even embarrassing to list against the backdrop of the monstrous blunders and missteps that regularly appear in feature and animated blockbusters.
A Colossal Achievement
Admittedly, there are enough of these nitpicks that “How to Train Your Dragon 2” cannot be equated with the fifth episode of “Star Wars,” which the creators of the film were aiming for. But how many films can even be seriously compared to this fantastic masterpiece? And the DreamWorks Animation film can be. And that’s already a colossal achievement. In addition, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” is aimed at younger viewers than those for whom Lucas was filming, and therefore the animators could not afford some of the things that were possible in “Wars.” If it weren’t for this self-restraint, the films might have been on par!
So don’t think about the film’s problems, grab your kids and friends and go to the cinema. If you’ve seen the first film and if you like fairy-tale fantasies about Vikings and dragons at all, you’ll get a huge amount of pleasure from “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” And don’t forget the tissues! Although the film is generally positive, it will be difficult not to shed a tear in some scenes.