User reviews

Seeing the original 'How to Train Your Dragon' for the first time made me feel like a kid again and it has since become one of my all-time favorite films, so when I got a chance to see this, I was as much worried as I was excited. In the past, some of the films I have anticipated the most turned out to be the biggest disappointments, so I took a deep breath and tried to lower my expectations going in. I needn't have feared: I'm glad to report that Dean DeBlois has crafted a beautifully animated tale that loses nothing of its predecessor's sense of fun and adventure, while it enhances Hiccup's and Toothless' journey into an almost classic - and unexpectedly touching - "coming-of-age" story.

While still colourful, playful and visually all over the place (I mean that in a good way*), the tone of the sequel is noticeably darker and the predominant themes are more mature. The writers made some (for Hollywood movies) unusually daring decisions in having Hiccup face very tough realities in life; especially one about the danger of over-humanizing pets and forgetting about their animal nature. Small children had perhaps better stay away, since the film is also quite a bit scarier than the original. That's not saying that there isn't a lot of humour – but the wisecracks of Jonah Hill & Co. will most certainly be lost on the very young and are clearly targeted towards older children and teenagers.

*A word about the animation: This is among the most visually stunning animated films I have ever seen; at times, there is so much eye-popping spectacle on screen that you don't know where to focus anymore - this one definitely needs a second viewing.

My overall verdict: While the storyline may not be quite as straightforward as the original's, the well written, credible character development and the gorgeous visuals are more than satisfying. 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' could have played it safe by merely repeating the original's formula – it opted instead for the introduction of fascinating new characters while giving the ones we know more back-story and a chance to grow up and explore new territory. I would say that next to 'Days of Future Past', this is one of the best sequels Hollywood has produced in a very long time. 9 stars out of 10 (with the option of a straight 10 once I've seen it again).

Favorite Films: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054200841/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

I picked up my future wife for a simple dinner and a movie date. We hadn't picked out a movie yet as we had decided to choose at the theater. Upon arriving, we saw that How To Train Your Dragon 2 was selling it's 8:00-10:00 Thursday night showings. I'd completely forgotten it was coming out Friday, so both of us, ecstatic, decided on that movie.

I went in expecting a great film.

I came out blown away.

I can honestly say I've never seen a sequel better than it's predecessor, but How To Train Your Dragon 2 does nothing but improve and top the first one.

The music was the best I've heard in a very long time. The story introduced so many things that was simply another piece of master storytelling. The relationships in the movie, especially Toothless' and Hiccup's, were written to their absolute strongest.

After all the films I've seen, all the shows I've watched, all the books I've read, I have never come across a friendship stronger than Hiccup's and Toothless'. The way they write that relationship is just . . . it's never been done before.

The story itself is actually pretty simple and actually a really short story, but it's a story you could tell the writer fell in love with. And he brought this story to the best it can absolutely be. The villain was chilling, the characters' outcomes were emotional, and the climax will completely shake your soul.

I have no complaints. No complaints at all. There is nothing I would change about that film. Not a single thing.

I just really hope they saved the best for last, because I don't know how they're going to top it.

Unfortunately the marketing for this film is subpar and misleading, as it was for the first one. My best advice to you is ***AVOID THE TRAILERS AT ALL COSTS. They include major spoilers to some very emotional points in the film.

This is another level of animated film, one that gracefully crosses generational gaps and will speak volumes to any age group. Because of the critical and audience acclaim of the beloved predecessor, many are afraid that a sequel will not match the mastery of the first one, that this would be created purely as a money-making gimmick, like many Hollywood sequels. If these are your presumptions, you couldn't be more wrong. This film is worthy of all the hopes and expectations you are afraid to carry into the theater. DeBlois has told us a moving story, one that won't be soon forgotten, that so many of us will connect with. At Comic Con 2013, DeBlois said that this was "The Empire Strikes Back" of the trilogy. That is a hefty promise, which he has successfully delivered.

The world of HTTYD2 has been vastly expanded and explored, very little of the film takes place on Berk. It is much more of an adventure film. The film has taken everything from HTTYD to the next level: emotion, intensity, action, adventure, humor, and depth. It takes risks I have seen so few animated films take, full of twists and turns, that will keep you engaged and invested.

For me the film could have had a stronger beginning, a few less childish jokes, and a bit slower pacing (probably should have been about 10 minutes longer). Other than some very nit-picky notes, that is literally the worst that I can say about it.

HTTYD2 is a phenomenal film and will deservedly pick up the academy award for best animated film of the year. John Powell, will again be nominated (and hopefully win) for his inventively emotional score.

This was my most anticipated film of the past two years and it does not disappoint. The four years of work on it show, as it is a polished film. It is one of those rare films that inspires. And one of the few that you walk out of the theater feeling so much emotion and thinking "Gosh, I can't wait to see that again."

'How to Train Your Dragon' is my all-time favourite animated film, so when I heard a sequel was being made, I knew it was one I had to see. The last animated film I saw in the cinema was 'Toy Story 3' four years ago, so going to see this beautifully executed flick was a treat. This film truly lives up to its expectations and builds upon its predecessor's achievements like any good sequel should, and from this, the outcome is stunning. More mature and thematic than its predecessor, 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' is an emotionally resonant and heartfelt flick that expands upon the story of Hiccup and Toothless and their connection. With swooping and stunning visuals and epic animated set pieces, this is a sequel to remember, a modern masterpiece.

You know, this movie was just as good as it's prequel. I was afraid this would be a let down, but thank God. I'm looking forward for the next part.

This movie hits it out of the park regarding all the important factors . Storytelling, voice cast and animation is top class. The kids will get entertained and the parents even more so, because the movie is intelligent as well as fun.

The dragon's depictions are very amazing, you find yourself smitten by these creatures and also caring for the human characters.

Is it better than the first film? Yes, with improvements in the areas of emotion and magnitude. This one is also very different than the first one.

So, verdict.

YOU BETTER GO SEE THIS AS SOON AS YOU CAN!

How to Train Your Dragon 2 follows the common rule of sequels by making everything bigger, even though that isn't always enough to justify the series. In fact, it usually leads the franchise into a disaster, and thankfully this film is one of the rare which lives up to its promise. While it already provides the most breathtaking action and impressive visuals, it also able to expand the universe and give huge room for nice warmth beneath the bombast. Once again, the studio has put aside their recent style of broader gags and bullet speed pacing and settle down for a real storytelling that reminds us why animated movies are so appealing anyway. How to Train Your Dragon 2 has given all what you've wished for as a great sequel.

The plot sure does heightened into an epic installment, it could have been an easy throw away of cool effects, battle sequences, and humor, but the movie is smart to keep on following its own roots by settling more on the characterization of their world and Hiccup's life with his dragon and the tribe. To keep it from being a wheel spinning visual showcase, the story embeds itself with full of inspired emotions, example is when it explores the icy dragon cave. It wasn't only an exposition, it is mainly a developing relationship between Hiccup and his long-lost mother. The quieter moments of letting the once disconnected family reunite again captures the same heart of the boy and dragon friendship of the first movie, which certainly made it pretty endearing.

The film also spends its time exploring more places around and beyond the Isle of Berk. It's quite interesting to let the years pass by and make the young vikings grow mature, and how it depicts their maturity is pretty clever, like the hormonal attraction of Snotlout and Fishlegs to Ruffnut, in spite of fact their comic relief get a a bit way out of hand. The dragon species were also given enough intriguing details, essentially for the plot, which sort of recalls the book series of Cressida Cowell. This is a rich universe that makes the whole journey even bigger.

The voice acting is predictably great. Jay Baruchel still brings the same earnestness to Hiccup even when the character's new appearance has outgrown his voice. Gerard Butler remains to be perfect as Stoick The Vast, he lends more gravity to the character in this one. Cate Blanchett joins in and she appropriately gives a great amount of warmth to the role. The other cast did well enough at keeping things much alive. For the filmmaking, the direction handles a better pacing compared to the other quicker cuts of the last few animated films. It's an easier way to watch by concentrating each scene of getting know of the characters, either with or without any dialogue. The flying scenes have always been a tremendous ride with scale and fortitude. John Powell's score helps making it feel much powerful, and it gets even better with a Jónsi song in it.

Apart from Disney, these are the only animated films of Hollywood today that have a wider ambition other than selling off kids with cool visuals and absurdist humor. There is an actual story to be found here, even without following its source material. The typical elements of Dreamworks are still there, but is hardly noticed. It's nearly like the first film, except of course it's larger. It does justice to today's family fare, somewhat forgetting the current mediocrity and rather fills it with inspiration from the past. One thing that is missing in most of the genre's attempt of transcending their films is the sincerity to its heart. Every affection in How To Train Your Dragon 2 never felt forced and right there it soars way up high. And if we have learned something about training dragons from the past, then it is the same thing about sequels: You don't just yell at it.

I saw HTTYD 2 at the LA Film Fest on 6/9/14 in 3D with the director and America there in person.

While I am a "fanboy" of the original, I do think there's enough objective quality that anyone can recognize the dialog, acting, music, animation, character design (aside from Hiccup, darn it) were all higher quality than most would expect from a kid's film. In fact, I think it's quite nearly Pixar quality.

My expectations for HTTYD 2 were understandably high, but at the very least I just wanted it to be AS GOOD as the first.

Unfortunately, that's not the case so please adjust your expectations accordingly.

PROS:

• Even better animation, textures, and epic, awe-inspiring scale

• Same lovable characters, appropriately aged

• Toothless being Toothless

• Stunning 3D

• Solid acting (except for Jay)

• More great dragons

• SOME beautiful scenes/moments (not enough compared to original)

CONS:

• Messy pacing. Big things happen with little suspense or anticipation...sabotaging the drama and satisfaction of those scenes.

• Dialog can be cringe-inducingly cheesy.

• Main villain is barely even a character he's so undeveloped.

• Jay's acting (just wait for his last line)

Overall, it lacks the depth, refinement, dialog, and compelling pacing of the original. BUT, it's not a "bad movie"! It's head-and-shoulders above most kids films, but compared to the first one...it is a step down. Still very enjoyable and definitely not terrible - just don't expect the first one.

As unlikely as it may seem, it is a Dreamworks animation that we had most looked forward to this summer. Timed to coincide with the studio's 20th anniversary, the sequel to 2010's 'How to Train Your Dragon' could not come at a more opportune time for the studio - entertaining as they were, its more recent original works such as 'Rise of the Guardians', 'Turbo' and 'Mr Peabody and Sherman' have all underperformed at the box office, and it could certainly do with a hit to boost flagging investor confidence. But never mind that, the reason why we so eagerly anticipated this follow-up is simply because of how unexpectedly fascinating its predecessor turned out to be.

Yes, the story of a Viking teenager Hiccup who befriends the titular creature Toothless and manages to convince his village that they are friend not foe was not only a rare unadulterated crowd-pleaser, it also packed some genuine emotional heft with its bittersweet ending. Like how Toothless tends to do in the film, the big-screen adaptation of Cressida Cowell's young-adult book series came out of nowhere and charmed the socks off both adults and children alike, becoming one of the biggest hits in the studio's history. And so co-writer and co-director Dean DeBlois has returned to pen and helm this sequel set five years after the events of the first movie - though this time, he is going at it without his partner Chris Sanders.

Proving that two heads need not always be better than one, DeBlois' solo venture is no less compelling than the first film, and indeed sees the filmmaker demonstrate an imagination and derring-do which truly makes it soar. In a most literal way, that is exactly what the opening sequence delivers, which sees Hiccup's rowdy schoolmates - Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Tuffnutt (T.J. Miller) and twin sister Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig) - participate in a dragon-racing derby which resembles Quidditch but with dragons for broomsticks and lambs for Snitches. It's an eye-popping and heart-pumping prologue, followed almost immediately by another which reunites us with Hiccup and Toothless, whose flighty adventures have turned into discovering new lands.

It is on one of those explorations that both stumble onto a fortress made from shards of ice created by none other than a dragon - not just any other dragon though, but a Bewilderbeast, regarded as the most venerable of the species who can easily command the authority of his kind. Within that fortress too is a mysterious woman named Valka (Cate Blanchett), who has dedicated the last 20 years of her life freeing captured dragons and looking after them in the sanctuary under the care and protection of a Bewilderbeast - and in case you've missed the trailers, this woman also happens to be Hiccup's long-lost and presumed- dead mother.

Instead of his stoic father Stoick (Gerard Butler), the emotional arc here is between Hiccup and his mother, as well as to a surprisingly poignant degree, between Hiccup's father and mother. DeBlois reserves the tender quiet moments of his film for the reunion between mother and child as well as husband and wife - in particular, a dance between Butler and Blanchett around a fire to their wedding song is bound to leave you misty-eyed - and makes sure that his film loses none of the heart and humanity that made the earlier 2010 one deeply affecting.

The villain that Hiccup finds himself up against is a tyrant named Drago (Djimon Hounsou), who believes that dragons are meant to be enslaved and used against the opponents whom he oppresses. We leave you to make the judgment whether Hiccup is being naïve or determined, but suffice to say that he believes in his heart that he would be able to convince Drago - as he did with the rest of his village - that dragons could very well be man's best friends if we allow them to. DeBlois plays Hiccup's naivety beautifully, culminating in some difficult consequences that reflect a temerity for the sort of heavy dramatic choices which would ultimately seal Hiccup's character transformation and ensure it be a genuinely satisfying one for his audience. Take this as a warning if you're a parent of a younger tot - it does get pretty emotionally upsetting towards the end, but the payoff is also undeniably rewarding.

The same can be said of each one of the cast and characters, particularly for those who recall the earlier film. Without ever saying a single word, Toothless still manages to be ceaselessly endearing, embodying not only feline affection and playfulness this time round, but a canine sense of loyalty to Hiccup. Each of the other dragons, however brief their appearance, are also designed with attention to personality. It is just as delightful to be reunited with the human characters. Jay Baruchel captures nicely the transition of Hiccup from teen to adulthood, and is just as appealing with America Ferrera as his girlfriend Astrid. Butler brings tough and tender to Stoick and shares some lovely chemistry with Blanchett in their emotive scenes together.

And if there were any doubt that the action were spectacular, well then let us put them to rest. In two words, the film is visually dazzling, and we're not talking about the cornucopia of creatures and backdrops. DeBlois once again concocts some terrifyingly exhilarating sequences here, which make ample use of 3D for maximum elation. It is a thrill- ride all right, but more than just theme part excitement, this sequel packs an emotional wallop that is both moving and uplifting at the same time. If you loved the first film, you'll be sure that this second entry into what is now planned as a trilogy more than brings this animated franchise to new and exciting heights.

This sequel sucks, this sequel is inferior, this sequel is inferior. Yes, I once felt the same. BUT! It all changes after a ... R E W A T C H ... The reason? in the first watch .. you can't help but compare to the first one. The facing is too darn fast. So much thing is going on. It is very busy. In my first watch .. I too was disappointed to the movie. But, I give it another try and rewatch. Now that I know what will happen, Now that I know everything. I was able to keep up with the pacing and appreciate the beauty of this sequel. After I a rewatch, I finally see why people says this movie is an improvement. So, if your disappointed .. REWATCH IT !! I guarantee you, it will help a lot. and if your wondering Why am I doing this? because HTTYD community is freaking small. I don't want fellow fans to lose their hope in this series. It's not Frozen, It's not Disney, It's not Pixar. When Disney and Pixar release movies, everybody is excited. When dreamworks release movie .. WHO THE HELL CARES? .. I don't want HTTYD community to decrease. Who will support this series if the fans a gone? HTTYD is an amazing series and lets support it.

The Hollywood sequel is a fearsome thing. Most notably in recent years, we have seen an endless supply of re-hashes and cash-in's based on it's predecessor's success, commonly to disastrous effect. Animation especially - or even more so, Dreamworks animation - have churned out drivel with no heart; their only intentions being to offer something to parents that will keep their children busy for 90 minutes and to fill their own wallets. Take a bow, then, How To Train Your Dragon 2, which not only capitalises on the first film's charm, off-beat humour and dazzling dragon battles, but deepens it's mythology and expands it's world, while at the same time offering a visual spectacle to delight the kids and pose some extremely grown- up questions to the adults in the audience.

Five years after the townsfolk of Berk were given a lesson in allegiance and acceptance by unlikely hero Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the Viking village thrives with domesticated dragons. It's chieftain, Stoick (Gerard Butler), has named Hiccup his heir, but the one- legged adventurer is not ready for the responsibility and would much rather be exploring the surrounding areas on the back of his dragon, the Night Fury Toothless. His relationship with the feisty Astrid (America Ferrera) has developed into a romance, and his friends fight over the attention of Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig). While exploring one day, he comes across an island decorating in strange ice formations, and is attacked by dragon-catcher Eret (Game of Thrones' Kit Harington).

Eret tells them about the warlord Drago (Djimon Honsou), who is amassing a dragon army after learning how to bend the creatures to his will using violence and intimidation. Hiccup and Astrid escape and ride back to Berk to warn the others, and learn that Stoick knows Drago and that he is a madman not be reasoned with. Hiccup, however, feels different and rides off on Toothless to treat with Drago but instead comes upon another hidden island, where dragons live in harmony under the influence of a colossal Alpha dragon known as a bewilderbeast. Also living on the island is environmentalist Valka (Cate Blanchett), Hiccup's long-lost mother.

Cleverly written without heavy lessons on morality and impeccably voiced by a star cast, How To Train Your Dragon 2 stresses the importance of finding your own place in the world. The film could easily have been some kind of eco-crusade, but instead questions whether the human race reserves the right to bend it nature to our will, or if we are a mere significance who have a duty to preserve it, or even if nature is a tool which we can use to serve the greater good. This is startlingly darker than it's predecessor - humans and dragons die - and even questions whether war can be just. Drago is a psychopathic tyrant - can these men be bargained with, or should they simply be wiped out? Thrilling, emotional and extremely thoughtful, this beautiful-looking sequel is the possibly the biggest surprise of the year.

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Way back in 2010, a little gem from DreamWorks Animation - a studio previously known for comedic blockbusters like Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda - both literally and figuratively spread its wings with critics and audiences alike, and it unexpectedly made me a fan just like that. The original How to Train Your Dragon still remains my personal favorite DreamWorks animated movie of all-time, and tied for my favorite cartoon movie not made by Disney. In fact, I really regret not seeing the original movie in the theater, but this sequel more than made up for that. Four years of hype and anticipation surrounding this movie made the wait, for me, more and more antagonizing, but I can say with a big, fat smile on my face, that it was well worth it.

Five years after the events of the first movie, Hiccup (again played by Jay Baruchel) is now 20, yet he still retains the charm and spunk from the original movie. Hiccup not only has maintained his friendship with Toothless, the rare Night Fury, but has also strengthened it exponentially. Because of this new peace between Vikings and Dragons, the rest of the dragon riders from the first movie are now having competitions with their dragons, and these dragons have also become integrated into these guys' everyday lives.

Hiccup is being groomed to become the next chief of his tribe by his burly and brawny father, Stoick (again played by Gerard Butler), while his relationship with Astrid (again portrayed by America Ferrera) has also grown - they're now officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Hiccup and Toothless mainly like to explore new lands and discover new dragons, but one of their discoveries leads to them coming upon this ice cave, and then our young Viking hero gets to meet his mom...who happens to be a mysterious Dragon Rider named Valka (played by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett)! Valka shows her son some hidden secrets and abilities that Hiccup, until now, didn't even know they had, and she reunites with Stoick and they decide to pick up right where they left off from when Valka was whisked away from Berk by Cloudjumper, her dragon, which she likes to ride like a surfboard! Turns out that she's even more experienced with dragons than even Hiccup! But soon, the normal ho-hum dragon-integrated lifestyle of Berk is soon threatened by Eret, self-proclaimed "greatest dragon trapper alive" (played by Kit Harington from Game of Thrones), and also Drago (played by Djimon Hounsou), who actually is the elite Dragon Trapper, and the film's primary villain.

Drago has a plan - to control the humongous Bewilderbeast, and in turn, controlling the rest of the dragons so that he can destroy Berk. But all Hiccup wants to do is just talk some sense into him, but as we see in this movie, it's easier said than done. From that point, the battle lines are drawn, sacrifices are made, and relationships are pushed to the ultimate test in a movie that is sure to resonate with people young and old just as much, if not more, than the first one did way back when.

In a word, it's amazing how far DreamWorks has come ever since making the original hit, and you can clearly see why here. The visuals are top-notch, the decision to make our heroes older is risky but it pays off big time, the music that got John Powell an Oscar nod still retains familiar cues from the original movie and also ups the ante, and on top of it all, the movie still has the spirit of the original movie, along with, I daresay, a Dark-Knight-esque kind of atmosphere that really made the first movie work, especially towards the end of this movie.

These characters feel real - they have real emotions, and these actions that our main heroes take sometimes have real consequences, for better or worse, and you really feel like you're a part of their world. All of that is what made the original one work, and it remains here. Oh, and if you're wondering about the humor, it's still there to keep the kids giggling and engaged throughout, along with some funny lines provided by Gobber, again played by Craig Ferguson. Those moments are still there, even with the heavy emotional moments packed throughout the movie.

Overall, I expected big things out of number two, and it certainly does not disappoint. This is a movie that absolutely met my expectations...and also set them even higher for No. 3 in the summer of 2016. Go ahead and see this movie with your whole family, because I know they'll all have a, pardon the pun, high-flying experience.

I have a chance to see this in a early screening today. I can guarantee you, the wait is worth-it. For me it is as good as the first one (and if you prefer epic action, this one is definitely better), but my favorite is still the first one because it completely took me by surprise.

Animation? Superior !! but the proper credit to say is cinematography. 3D effects is easy to achieve today because of advancements in technology. But it takes great cinematography to capture your imagination. If you are tired of "lazy" 3D, then watch this one.

Story? The Best! I won't tell anything about the plot. But I will say that the story connected to me so well. It is about "Coming out of Age"

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WE ENCOUNTER A TIME IN OUR LIFE WHEN WE ASK, "WHAT DO I WANT TO DO?" "WHERE DO I WANT TO BE?" .. we usually ask those questions during graduations.

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This movie will definitely help you find the "inner you". I wish this movie is shown during the time I graduated. My transition from college to real world would have been a thousand times easier.

DON'T LISTEN TO STUPID TROLLS, or YOU'LL MISS A WONDERFUL MOVIE EXPERIENCE.

I LOVE the first movie. My favourite animated film, outside of Disney, of all time and I was worried that this might not hold up to the original.

I was wrong.

I'm still in two minds if it is better than the original though.

One thing that astounds me is the detail. The effects are absolutely mind-blowing and very thorough. There are some shots of Toothless where you can see the detail in his scales, including sometimes dirt and scars.

The original voice cast is back and still awesome, the story is amazing, the effects are jaw dropping and the score fits with the film perfectly.

This movie has everything in just over 100 minutes; action, adventure, laughs, tears for every one of all ages.

I just have one complaint…

… I DON'T WANNA WAIT JUST OVER THREE YEARS FOR THE NEXT FILM!!!

How To Train Your Dragon, now a franchise, continues to surprise. The sequel had another fine story that is smart and interesting, with plenty of emotions to go around. New additions (including the villain Drago) helped spark interest to what was going to be a tad stale character lineup. Props as well to the film for the animation and good ol humour.

I will often get dragged to the theater by the wife to watch a kids' movie, but after thoroughly enjoying the first installment of How to Train Your Dragon, I was looking forward to seeing the sequel.

After a slow start the film picks up speed with a few twists and turns. Some of these twists, while rather fun, are either predictable or poorly explained. Relationships between particular characters, are developed nicely, but other characters miss out. Without answering some big questions, the plot progresses to an enjoyable, but fairly clichéd, finale... one which leaves you with a warm feeling, but also one which you feel you've seen a hundred times before.

The animation was vivid and the music was excellent but the screenplay and general plot were inferior to the far more quirky and original "How to Train Your Dragon". Still, the film is worth watching and a great deal of fun.