Name: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Prequel: How to Train You Dragon
Release Date (in Singapore): 12 June 2014
Watched on: 14 June 2014
Summary:
The thrilling second chapter of the epic "How to Train Your Dragon" trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace – and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago.
Summary from: http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=65521
Personal Ratings: 3.5
So this was kind of the long awaited 2nd season. I'm not sure if they have planned to have a 2nd season all along, since the day they made the first movie, but this sure is worth the long wait. Usually for movies or series with an awesome 1st season, doesn't usually have a very interesting 2nd season. So I was actually kind of ready for them to throw nonsense at me for this movie, but they didn't (thank god). Though it's kind of lacking that impact from the first season, I still think that it's still good enough to live up to the "how to train your dragon" standards.
Since it's been like ages since I last watched the first movie, I didn't quite remember all the supporting characters. So the first part of the movie really kind of refreshes your memory of the supporting characters in the show, without having the boring cliche narrations. They also didn't waste anytime on filling us up with more information about how things has changed since the first season. In the first season, they started with a battle between the hunters and the dragons, while in season two, they started with a flying competition to see which one is the best dragon flyer. So that all pretty much sums up the changes between season 1 and season 2.
I also liked how they didn't put hiccup in the race, and sort of isolate him from the beginning of the show. It really gave a clear and more in depth explanation of the changes between him 5 years ago and now; especially since he's different from everyone, since season 1.
Love the constant use of the sheep and the grandma throughout the show. Really cute and funny.
The flow of the show was really good, and love the strong connections between the scenes, throughout the whole show. Be it about the how similar hiccup's mum and dad thinks about changing peoples mind, or the small little details and people in the show.
One thing that I thought it was quite a shame was probably the dragon showdown. I didn't think that it would be that pathetic. Judging from the scale of the whole fight, it should have been a lot more epic and fast paced.
I also didn't think that they work out the emotional part of the animation quite right. I didn't really feel anything when the dad died. That whole scene was just over powered by other things; about hiccup's relationship with his dragon, and the whole alpha dragon is under control thing was just too overwhelmingly a lot more important that the sad and emotional part of hiccup's dad's death. (or so they animate it to seem that way, I'm not sure if that was their intention). I'm thinking that it has something to do with the lack of development and cruelty of his death, because it's pretty cliche that parents die protecting their child from an incoming danger. (or well in battle anime it is kind of cliche.) It just happened to fast that there wasn't even time for the viewers to 'mourn' over his death, and also, toothless being 'abandoned' and 'mistrust' by hiccup came more to be as a shock than anything else.
I think that the build up of the main story was kind of incomplete. Because there was two main things to focus on; hiccup's mother, and the opposition of the villain (whose name I forgot, sorry). I think that there wasn't really much focus or time put into developing the plot for the hiccup vs villain story. More time was spend on hiccup's mother, which was (no offence), quite boring. You could hear the kids getting a little restless at this point, before the great battle between the dragons broke out.
All in all, this show is really good; it's cute, its funny and it's cool. Do look forward to the 3rd season which is said to be coming out in 2016!
Recommended for:
Gender: Both
Age: 10 and above
Ratings: PG
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