Recollection Reflection Review: 'How To Train Your Dragon 2'

Continuing my series of How To Train Your Dragon reviews, today I'm revisiting How To Train Your Dragon 2 and I have my eyes set on soon sharing a review of How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Otherwise, you can expect my annual Oscar coverage, an Alita: Battle Angel review, and possibly my long-delayed review for Can You Ever Forgive Me? to all surface online over the weekend and beginning of next week (don't worry, I'll space it out appropriately)!

'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Review

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature.

Recollection- How To Train Your Dragon 2 Review.

Reflection- I first saw How To Train Your Dragon 2 five years ago when it was released in theaters, and I remember being quite impressed with it from the get-go! 2014 was a solid year for animation, and it was not only one of my favorite animated movies to be released that year but one of my favorite movies of 2014 as well. My opinion hasn't drastically changed, but I'm excited to further elaborate on what I love about it this time around.

Review-

Synopsis: Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting the nearby unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons and a mysterious dragon rider. Hiccup and Toothless then find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior named Drago.

Runtime: 102 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for adventure action and some mild rude humor)

Who should see it? Since there are darker story elements than the original, I'd recommend it for those ages 8 and up.

Serving as the follow-up to How To Train Your Dragon, How To Train Your Dragon 2 saw writer-director Dean DeBlois strike out on his own to continue the animated film series adapted from Cressida Cowell's best-selling children's books. In the realm of animation, DeBlois had previously partnered with Chris Sanders to co-write and co-direct the first How To Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch, but he'd never directed a feature-length animated film on his own before. Sanders stuck around as an executive producer, but he and Dreamworks let DeBlois take the franchise reigns. Given the success of the original, Dreamworks was eager to make a sequel, but DeBlois remained apprehensive because he was interested in creating something original. Eventually, DeBlois agreed on the condition the franchise be a trilogy. 

One of the more fascinating aspects of How To Train Your Dragon 2 is the decision to age up Hiccup and other Vikings of Berk with the audience. Doing so enables Hiccup to be a more believable action hero and also grants him a compelling arc as he faces the expectations of becoming village chieftain. Naturally, the grown characters demand a more mature narrative with higher stakes and large-scale action. Well, Dean DeBlois delivers all this and more by leaning even further into the series' action-adventure element. This sequel is epic in every sense of the word.

Additionally, How To Train Your Dragon 2 expands its world extraordinarily well. The new locations offer elaborate ecosystems that are visually stimulating. Given the four year distance from the first film, the animation also improved tremendously. Most notably, the character designs are more refined and detailed while the environment evokes a photorealistic aesthetic. It coalesces quite nicely. Elsewhere, John Powell's sweeping accompaniment consists of varied arrangements ranging from grand and heroic to intimate and personal. All of which is an auditory delight.

Reprising their roles, Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, and Kristen Wiig each provide excellent voice work while Cate Blanchett and Kit Harington join the ensemble. Of the bunch, I'd denote Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, and Gerard Butler as stand-outs since their characters are of greater importance, and all four actors step up to the task. All the while, Hiccup's dynamic with Toothless remains a highlight, as this sequel puts their bond through the wringer for the ultimate test.

Rounding out the cast, Djimon Hounsou's Drago is a formidable foil to Hiccup. Hounsou sells the gruff, barbaric nature of the character, but unfortunately lacks the necessary screen time and development to be a memorable antagonist when all is said-and-done. He's powerful and intimidating, but his motivations could have been further fleshed out.  

Animated sequels in the same league as their predecessors are hard to come by, but How To Train Your Dragon 2 flies awfully close to the original. Though it may not measure up on all accounts, How To Train Your Dragon 2 retains the heart, adventurous spirit, and constructive messaging of the first film. It is, by all means, a worthy sequel. 

Film Assessment: A