Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, America Ferrara, Kit Harington, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou
Certificate: PG
Running Time: 103 minutes
Synopsis: When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons, and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the centre of a battle to protect the peace.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON started life as a book series written by Cressida Cowell before becoming a smash animated movie for DreamWorks in 2010. The film followed peace-loving Viking Hiccup as he forged an alliance with a loveable dragon called Toothless.
Now four years later Hiccup and Toothless are back. Set five years after the first film ended we rejoin a restless Hiccup who isn’t sure where he should fit in his newly formed world. His father wants him to be Chief, but Hiccup isn’t ready to leave his airborne antics behind. Whilst out exploring the two friends stumble across a dark world of dragon smuggling and cross paths with the villainous Drago, a driven individual who wants to rule all men and dragons alike.
With the story set several years later the animators have aged all it’s computer creations subtly, which might sound odd to say of an animated film, but it makes it seem all the more believable and realistic. The landscape of home village Berk has also changed, at the start of the first film is was a dark and dirty place made into a fortress in hope of protecting villagers from marauding dragons. The Berk of the sequel is whimsical and brightly coloured, with Dragon-fighting having been replaced with Dragon-racing.
As everyone is now living in harmony with dragons, we are treated to a greater amount of far away landscapes, meaning more of the standout flying sequences of the original. Second time around they are even more breathtakingly beautiful with Hiccup now capable of flight himself thanks to his tinkering. The vistas of the pair as they soar through the clouds and over oceans are hypnotic; the 3D element and occasional point-of-view shot making the audience feel like they too are riding the back of a dragon.
The bond between boy and beast will melt everyone’s heart though it is Toothless of course who steals the film once more, his pixels morphing into the cutest film creature since that Mogwai, Gizmo. Playfully mischievous and fiercely loyal, Toothless is the best-friend / pet that everyone wishes for. You will find yourself drawn to his antics every frame he is in, even those that take place in the background of others. So believable is this creature portrayal that every pet owner watching will notice at least one element from their own beloved.
A fantastic fun for all the family film, and yet another great case of a children’s film that adults can also enjoy. The characters all feel tangible, with even the sidekick characters getting their own little subplot – turns out Ruffnut has become the most sought after maiden in the land. There’s plenty of silliness to entertain the youngsters and also more ‘mature’ nods that will be picked-up on by the grown-up minds.
A film for anyone with an affinity for their pets HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 will once more have adults and children the world over wishing they had a Toothless of their very own.
[usr=5] HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 is released by 20th Century Fox and in UK cinemas now.
