06.18
Of all the scenes I remember in the original How to Train Your Dragon, it was the moment where Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is confronted by his father Stoick the Vast (Gerard Buter) about befriending a dragon. Eventually it comes to a head where Stoick declares “They killed hundreds of us!” and Hiccup retorts “And we killed thousands of them!” I was struck odd by the peculiar disparity of the casualty numbers between Vikings and dragons; as if Hiccup was insinuating that his Viking brethren were the bigger monsters. It coloured me uncertain about future installments being nothing more than Dances with Dragons or a more fantasy-based Avatar where Hiccup and crew save the innocent Dragons from the evil evil evil evil men.
Thankfully that’s not the case with How to Train Your Dragon 2; an animated sequel that I wouldn’t hesitate in saying is the new Gold Standard for such fare that doesn’t have the words “Toy Story”. It not only gave me a new perspective in seeing the human/dragon dynamic (in so much that they’re more value neutral, like dogs who can be bred and domesticated for good or ill), but expands its world and deepens its mythos, propelling the franchise forward without losing what made the original great.
The five-year gap between this and the original helps to give the characters the time to orientate themselves into top-flight dragon riders and as a result give us a top-flight aerial sequences. There are plenty a scene of flight in this movie and each one does not disappoint in showcasing the aesthetic and technical mastery of the production crew. There is exhilaration to be had in them, and the competence gained by our heroes to take new risks and fly with confidence amplifies our excitement even more as we are then left to wonder what crazy thing they will do next now that they’ve trained in dragon riding.
And boy is it necessary for them to do such, what with a rather ominous human villain (played with seedy, savage madness by Djimon Hounsou) and his plan to use dragons to conquer the world. It is a markedly procedural plot to be sure as this is the first cinematic event in the franchise to have a main human villain, but it is bolstered by the story’s ability to handle the arcs of the main players in an effective, compelling way around a humdrum plot. Hiccup while markedly more buff and toned than before (along with CG teen whiskers), still maintains his eccentric, sardonic, demeanor all the while finding out what he wants to do next now that he has his father’s love and acceptance. It feels like a natural plight in his stride towards adulthood and works alongside his struggle between having to fight Bludvist or politely parleying with him to stop without ever coming off as sanctimonious or forced. His interaction with Toothless, who remains ever so charming and wonderful, helps in that regard as well.
Even more impressive is Gerard Butler’s Stoick, who reveals a depth to his character through moments where Butler displays a certain touch of softness and sentimental feeling that was pretty much non-existent in the first. There is a poignant moment midway through the film where Butler has to sing, and once it gets going it becomes without a doubt the best part of the movie, despite the lack of riding dragons in the scene. Cate Blanchett does a serviceable role as a new Dragon Master, mixing tenderness, uncertainty, and poise in a role that could’ve been really obnoxious. These good performances are finally rounded out by Craig Ferguson’s ever so jocular Gobber who will always have your attention whenever he says a line and America Ferrara’s Astrid, whose hardiness for battle complements her unconditional support and love for Hiccup that surprisingly lasts throughout the entire film. That’s something really, you’d think in the second one they would be written as starting to have spats and an act-long fallout with one another, but it does not come to that at all. It is actually kind of refreshing.
Unfortunately the rest of the cast is not really given much to do in terms of interest. The quartet of Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Ruffnut (Kristien Wiig), Tuffnut (T.J. Miller), and Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) do a serviceable job with their vocal performances but most of it was in the service of unnecessary flirting subplots, one between Ruffnut, Snotlout, and Fishlegs and the other between Ruffnut and a new dragon hunter character (Kit Harington at his most procedural British rogue). The latter one is home to the worst part of the film: absolutely cringe-worthy, anachronistic dialogue from Ruffnut on the aesthetic appeal of her crush. What could’ve been used for more charming Gobber or Hiccup dialogue is wasted on the girl with a chin so pointed it could be used as a pneumatic drill.
Still you should probably watch How to Train Your Dragon 2, especially if you liked the first (duh). Great set pieces, great character arcs, great visual and oral aesthetic, and just a bunch of great everything except the awful flirting subplot. If this is any indication of how well the production crew fares in progressing the story of Hiccup and Toothless, who knows what amazing ideas will occur if they set the next sequel another five years down the line.
Small note: If you’re still on the fence on watching the movie and have yet to watch the trailers, please don’t. Too many spoilers and it ruins many a surprise. Just go and watch it, THEN check the trailers. You’ll thank me.