How to Train Your Dragon 2: Another Animated Treat

If 22 Jump Street was a good example of how to make a self-deprecating comedy sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a great example of how to make a sequel to a hit animated franchise. Developing old characters, throwing in some very interesting new ones, playing with dramatic conflicts while tossing in jokes, and wrapping everything up neatly in 2 hours. Who could resist?

The story picks up five years after the first movie. The Viking villagers of Berk are huge fans of dragons now, using them in every aspect of their daily lives, and happily co-existing with the previously feared creatures. Our hero, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), is flying about on his dragon, Toothless, trying to find more species of dragons and map out the unchartered territories around the village. He is also trying to tune out his father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), who is urging him to take over as the chieftain of Berk. Things seem to be grand, but of course, trouble is on the horizon.

Hiccup and his fiance Astrid (America Ferrera) run into some dragon trappers, who try to steal their dragons. When confronted, they are told about a mysterious man named Drago Bludvist, who is collecting dragons to form an army that will be able to take over Berk. Stoick the Vast is terrified of Drago and believes there is no way to reason with him. But Hiccup believes that just as he was able to tame dragons, he will be able to reason with the murderous Bludvist and reach a compromise. Against his father's wishes, he sets off on a quest that will lead him to make unexpected discoveries about his family, dragons, and himself.

As with the original film, the animators have painstakingly rendered each dragon with a set of unique characteristics that delineate their species and abilities. Each human character is also lovingly rendered and voiced by extremely capable actors (though as ever, I find it confusing that all the adults are Scottish and the kids are American). The supporting characters provide a great deal of comic relief (Kristen Wiig is particularly hilarious as the weird Ruffnut) and the movie contains as many jokes as it does moments of heartfelt family drama or pounding action. There's also a very touching romantic interlude in the middle, which takes advantage of the fine score by John Powell and will appeal to a lot of the adults. A few female characters get to play rescuers instead of rescuees, which will be welcome to any young girls watching the movie, and overall, care has been taken to make a creative movie that still caters to a wide audience.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a fun film, guaranteed to please fans of the original and any people who would just like to hear Gerald Butler and Craig Ferguson sing a delightful Scottish ballad. The animators have constructed a beautiful and imaginative world, and they continue to add new characters and twists to keep it engaging.