Or as I like to call it, How to Make a Sequel.
In preparation for seeing How to Train your Dragon the Hidden World, I have decided to take a look at the first two entries in the franchise. I have already reviewed the first one which is already up on my blog if you are curious, and now we are here to look at one of the best sequels ever made (man with this Kung Fu Panda 2, Shrek 2, and Madagascar 3, Dreamworks can really kick butt when it comes to sequels).
We are thrown right back into the world of Berk which now has become a peaceful place thanks to the friendship between the Vikings, and dragons. Hiccup, and Toothless are always flying to discover new lands, and maybe even new species of dragons. But he is still facing some new dilemmas like being the next in line for chief of Berk, after his father, Stoick, something that he just does not feel ready for. More problems arise when He and his girlfriend, Astrid, run into some dragon trappers who work for a mad man named Drago Bludvist who wants to control the dragons to assemble an army. Hearing this, Hiccup goes off on his own with Toothless to try and convince Drago to stop his plan, and make peace. On his way though he runs into a masked figure who takes him to a dragon utopia where they are safe from Drago. This figure just so happens to be his mother, Valka, who was long thought to have died from a dragon attack. They both then start to bond, and Hiccup gets to learn some secrets about dragons. But as Drago comes very close to enacting his plan, and Hiccups friends also getting involved, can the peace between vikings, and dragons last any longer?
Whenever I like to mention great sequels, this is one of the ones I refer to the most, and for very good reasons. This movie does things that any great followup should do. It develops the character we knew from the first one like Hiccup, toothless, and Stoick, while also introducing great new additions like Valka, and dragon trapper, Eret. It also raises the stakes, presenting a bigger, and more personal threat for our heroes to go up against in the form of the villainous (and very underrated) Drago Bludvist whose motivations are more believable than the typical wanting to take over the world cliche. The friendship between Hiccup, and Toothless is once again a highlight here, and it helps develop Hiccup into becoming a man learning not to run from his responsibilities but embrace them which I found to be a more compelling journey than the first one. There is also some great morals about using violence as a last resort, and always being ready to defend one’s people which was handled very nicely here. This movie is also not afraid to go into some dark territory here with a number of shocking, and brutal twists and turns (especially in the 2nd act) that really left a lot of emotional impacts (if you cry easily then bring your tissues).
But not only are the characters, and themes expanded upon, but so is the world. We are introduced to new settings, and creatively designed dragons that really show off this franchises excellent world building skills (I really have to check out the Netflix series one day to learn even more about this world). This skill is of course helped out by the stunning animation which is even better than it was in the first film. Not only are the designs of the dragons great, but even the human designs are rendered better here, and the backgrounds look beautiful capturing the films fantasy setting masterfully. The action is also something else to behold, as this film probably has some of the best big scale action in any film animated or not. The scale of these sequences is so huge, and the audience is able to see everything going on (the 2nd act battle is especially impressive when it comes to this), while also showing off the fighting abilities of the vikings, and dragons.
The voice work is also once again strong all around, with all of the returning players like Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, and much more, all fitting comfortably into their roles here, and are just as great as they were in the 1st. Even the rest of the Dragon warriors are much better utilized here, and provide most of the humor of the movie, which was really funny. The new comers are also great here with Cate Blanchett serving as a great motherly figure to Hiccup, and provides the movie with a lot of heart (she also gets to show off her skills during the action scenes). Kit Harrington is also a lot of fun as Eret son of Eret, who has a very compelling arc, and is responsible for some of the films funniest moments. But the standout among the newcomers is easily Djimon Hounsou (who really should do more voice work) as Drago Bludvist who makes the character feel menacing, and someone you do not want to mess with.
In the end this movie just knocks it out of the park in every single way. Its an amazing fantasy, a fantastic action film, a riveting drama, and of course an outstanding sequel. I really hope more filmmakers look at this movie as a great example of how to make a followup because it is just that good. It is not only the best Dreamworks Animation film, it is also one of the best animated films of the 21st century (it also is one of the biggest Oscar snubs in recent memory as it really should have won best animated feature that year).
Rating: A+
Leave your thought in the comments, and i’ll see you guys next time!
Review Time 