Review: How to Train Your Dragon 2
HOW to Train Your Dragon 2 can confidently be ranked amongst those rare films that open up that old "sequel better than the original" conversation beloved of movie geeks.
You know the one: it generally make a passing, glowing reference to The Godfather: Part II.
So, there's the good news right there: the sequel really is better than the opening gambit. And that was none too shabby in the first place.
While Dreamworks is almost a byword for great animation, it's the quality of storytelling and some well chosen music here that raises Dragon 2 above its excellent predecessor.
Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) is still on the thriving viking island of Berk, a place where dragon racing is the contact sport of choice and where his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) is the larger-than-life chief. Vikings have made friends with their old fire-breathing enemies and everyone lives in harmony.
Until, that is, young Hiccup and his girl Astrid (America Ferrera) happen upon a secret and rather daunting looking ice cave during one of their frequent forays out into uncharted territory to make maps.
Not everyone is so keen on dragons, it turns out - and that spells very bad news for Berk.
Enter a new scary character to replace the dragons, Drago, voiced by Djimou Hounsou. If you think he's scary, wait til you see his 'friend'...
Thrown into the action you'd expect are some truly tender moments that beautifully develop relationships between the characters - not least Hiccup and his Night Fury dragon, Toothless. Hiccup, it turns out, is in a for a very big surprise...
Talking of which, the one downside of the film, if you're being really picky, is Cate Blanchett's shockingly variable accent in the role of Valka. Is it Scottish? Is it Irish? A wee bit Norwegian? Your guess is as good as mine.
The quality of the translation from book to film may be something to do with author Cressida Cowell's co-scriptwriting credit.
Without ever getting too gooey and sentimental, they do sneak in an unexpected love duet featuring Stoick, the most unlikely candidate for the job. And that's probably why it's so effective.
Bottom line: really good animated film that pretty much ticks the boxes for all the family.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is showing at Eden Court until August 7. Film times and details here.
