WesternAnimation How to Create an Awesome Movie!
I didn't like HTTYD 1. It was overrated and mediocre. Most of the characters sucked, and the story was too light-hearted.
HTTYD 2, however, is an awesome sequel that actually got me hooked into the franchise. All the characters are written well - and we can actually care about them this time around.
This time the violence and action come around with heavy consequences. People actually die. That's already a great point why HTTYD 2 is better than HTTYD 1 (where nobody dies in battle).
Hiccup and Astrid's romance is greatly improved, with a much better-written Astrid taking on the role of Hiccup's second-in-command and girlfriend. And there is no more of that idiotic "punch-and-kiss" gag that plagued HTTYD 1 and the TV Show.
Snot, Ruff, Tuff and Fishlegs provided excellent satirical humour, and made sure that fans of the light-hearted HTTYD 1 weren't alienated by the much more better and mature HTTYD 2.
Gobber is always a welcome addition in the scenes he's in.
And I must say, the character of Stoick has improved greatly from the first movie. No longer an abusive bastard but now a loving and caring father and leader - I actually cared for him this time around!
The new characters Eret, Valka and Drago are awesome. Eret's sub-story is astounding, and Drago is built-up as a threatening no-nonsense villain.
Drago is very much an evil parallel of the Haddock family. A cruel, heartless leader, Drago is what he is because he failed his own personal trials where on the other hand the Haddocks succeeded. He is also an excellent representation of what barbarians were actually like during those times.
Valka is an astonishing character. A cynical-yet-compassionate mother, she is reunited with her family. And with a little help and love, they all reconcile.
The new themes of responsibility, compassion, and standing for what's right are interwoven brilliantly throughout the film's story. The increased care and effort put into the story raise HTTYD 2 above the not-as-well-written HTTYD 1.
With better characters, better music, better animation, better messages and a better story, HTTYD 2 soars high in the sky - unlike its predecessor.
HTTYD 2 is an example of how to create an awesome movie.
(PS: HTTYD 2 was the movie that got me hooked into this franchise. That's because HTTYD 2 is just that awesome!)
WesternAnimation How To Mess Up A Sequel
There are two kinds of movies I can't stand: the kind which thinks it's smarter than it really is, and the kind that wastes its potential. How to Train Your Dragon 2 hits both of those buttons. Incompetent and pretentious in equal measure, it becomes a chore to watch in comparison to its predecessor.
My opinion on the plot and characters can be summed up thusly: "Did you all take stupid pills this morning?" This movie would be ten minutes long if the characters weren't too idiotic or stubborn to acknowledge what needs to be done. Hiccup in particular now has rose-tinted glasses fused to his eyeballs, and he's a much less tolerable character for it. After he hears his father's story, knows that Drago is weaponizing dragons and still thinks the problem is a hatred of dragons that can be solved with a simple talk, I quickly lost all sympathy for him. This is a pro-peace film where violence is the best answer. What's more, the film seems to paint Hiccup as being ultimately right: his final speech is pretty much what he's been saying throughout the film with triumphant music blaring behind it. He hasn't really changed, and if the third film wants to be realistic, it'll start with him having run Berk into the ground because he has no idea what he's doing.
Now let's talk about Drago and Valka. Or not, because the film doesn't bother. There's nothing to say about Drago, who is nothing more than your half-baked generic villain. But the way Valka gets ignored is even more infuriating. The filmmakers seem almost afraid to have anyone question her morally ambiguous actions, especially where her family is concerned. So she just exists, not really doing anything that another character couldn't have done, and her arrival causes the film to grind to a halt. With the exception of two scenes, her connection to Hiccup and Stoick could be cut and nothing of value would be lost. I read that she was originally supposed to be the main antagonist, but the filmmakers scrapped it because they didn't want the kids asking questions about the inherent moral conflict there. They lost their previous confidence to handle difficult subjects, and the film really suffers for it.
I remember when Dreamworks was building this up as a major, epic film. I wasn't expecting it to be great, but I was expecting much better than this.
WesternAnimation Actually Pretty Great *There will be spoilers*
How to Train Your Dragon 2 takes place after Hiccup taught his people to live with the dragons, and now the Vikings and the dragons live in peace.
Everything seems stable, and Stoick, Hiccup's father, now see that his son has grown and wants to make him chief. Except Hiccup isn't sure if he wants to take that role yet, feeling that "something" and he has to look for it by traveling across the lands.
While Hiccups that he might have found niche, which is training dragons, he still isn't sure of his role in the tribe. He even mentions how he didn't meet his mother, and how because of that he doesn't know himself yet (Freud would have fun with this kid).
The thing about this movie is that its predictable. Start up, we can already tell where this movie is going. Even Astrid says that Hiccup already has everything he need inside himself and not out there. The rest of the movie is just reconfirming that fact.
And that's great. Because this doesn't need to be some ridiculous complex story. Its simplicity works for it, and is its greatest strength. Hiccup meets his mother, and realize that he's on the right path. That like his mother, he is empathic and good in dealing with dragons, and like his father he will be a good chief. Then Stoick reunites with Valka and you can see only love between the two and acceptance from Stoick, there is no anger from him, just sheer astonishment and happiness that his wife is alive. Everyone acts in character, even the comic reliefs.
And as for Hiccup's friends being captured by Drago, it felt annoying but not out of character for them. They can be impulsive but they are well meaning. Drago is someone consumed by revenge and the desire to conquer everyone, easy and simple to understand. He's the opposite of Hiccup from HTTYD 1, and a possibility of what Hiccup could have become when Stoick died.
Toothless's power up is a bit out of nowhere, but not that unexpected. In the first movie, he defied the Alpha with Hiccup to save the dragons, and now he defied Drago's Alpha and powered up to protect his best friend. Even Valka foreshadows that dragons have many secrets.
The one problem this movie does have is the timing of Drago's attack on the dragon sanctuary. It shouldn't have been that easy for him to find it. Other than that, I loved watching this story.
WesternAnimation Fun but a little disappointed *spoiler*
So I went to the theatres to watch HTTYD 2, and I gotta say, it was fun but a little too short.now before you guys pick up your torches and pitchforks To prove me of how awesome this movie is, I'm not been mean here I'm giving my opinion on this movie and that's all. First to start I LOVE how they Build their world in after 5 years they've taken from there film and the background is outstanding! Though is a little bit stranded,like if know ones here aside from Berk. And the characters we've all know and love are here,(I love there looks BTW, older hiccup looks cute!) but we never get more screen of them like they do in the animated series. Speaking of characters, Hiccup's mother is really badass in this film. She have your standard housewife personality but she's also a dragon trainer too! She is the second badass cartoon film mother since Helen Parr from the incredibles. The others don't really. Like Eret has a VERY fast heel face turn after Astrid's dragon save him. And the character development is very short. (Except for hiccup's dad). And the battle felt a little disappointed too.(the big white dragons reminds me of the good/bad spirit ghost from the legend of korra). They are some tearjerking moment too like Hiccup's father's death which was acceptable.(I thought there gonna have this clichéd Disney death.) and the villain 's backstory is a little questionable.(why does he want to create an army of dragons when he got attack by a dragons AND hates dragons at the same time?) After leaving to a bittersweet ending, i think the third movie will be darker than the second one.(you know with town politics and all,Hiccup's depression,e.t.c). And I wish it could be longer than the second film. So overall, it's short, a little questionable but it's not bad.
A 6.5/10.
WesternAnimation Good but not great (spoilers).
This film is very, very good. The visuals are absolutely stunning, even more so than in the original. The characters are equally as fantastic, quirky, flawed and so very lovable. I'd like to deduct points for Drago, a boring, generic villain, but he is more than balanced out by Valka, who is hands down my favorite character in all of animation. She's this cool and eerie dragon lady, but she's also the insecure wife and mom who's scared that her loved ones don't want her back. I found it a bit of a shame that she pretty much dropped the dragon riding and controlling once the battle started, but I see that it's a logical choice, since the focus is clearly on Hiccup and the youngsters. Eret is also a nice addition, remarkably balanced for what most stories would treat as an ineffectual comic relief character. And let's not forget the dragons, who are glorious and so very life-like. You really get the sense that each one is a unique character, and not just there to fill the scenery. The interactions between all the characters, humans and dragons, are very charming and believable.
The actual story, however, is nothing to write home about, very generic, and not nearly as tight as the first part. It feels like the first act, up until Hiccup finds Valka in the sanctuary, is leading up to something great, mysterious and climactic, and while the big battle that follows is kind of impressive and cool, it's not nearly as awesome as the fight against the Green Death. It's a typical Hollywood battle, cool effects, frequent reversals, but ultimately just a backdrop for the main characters. Even the giant dragons fell a bit flat. The introduction to the Bewilderbeast was absolutely stunning, literally awe-inspiring, but, once again, the actual fight between them didn't hold a candle to the ferocity of the Green Death. And can we expect the next sequel to have three or more giant dragons? Final gripe: is there some unspoken Hollywood rule that we can never have complete families, and that major character development can only be triggered by the death of a loved one? I like a good character death as much as the next guy, but please, don't milk it for cheap drama.
All in all: fantastic movie hampered by a lack of vision and originality. Dreamworks needs to... dream a little harder.
WesternAnimation Trying Too Hard
The one word to describe this film? Paradoxical. This film wants to be a fun experience with lots of thrills and silly moments. It wants to be a great, important masterpiece which will make you think and learn something truthful. And it wants to make a ton of money and please please PLEASE get a 90+ score on Rotten Tomatoes just like the first one. The result is lots of dissonant clashing.
The foundation for the "great" stuff is scenes like the complex, nuanced character of Valka, the arc of Hiccup learning to become a chief, and the many slow scenes to build up character and environment. And Hiccup's moralizing speeches. My gosh, his moralizing, as subtle as a 90s green special. As for the "fun" stuff, it's in ill-fitting comic relief, evil black-robed villains of evilness, and overlooking the narrative's moral questions whenever it's convenient. The comic relief characters serve no purpose to the plot, Drago hijacks the plot in the last third, and the movie tops itself too early in the great dragon vs dragon battle that it forgets to make the climax... well, a climax.
You can almost hear the filmmakers sweating to force both halves together. Is Valka and Stoick's dance of love getting too deep? Quick, make Gobber do something goofy! Everyone's too happy in this reunited family; here comes Evil McBaddy Bad-Bad to make things sad again! Drago is totally irreconcilable, hence he must be dealt with extreme prejudice and... left to go free? That poor Red Death dragon, never reasoned with. His mooks are just mercs who do this for pay, yet they'll get killed by the dozens when they invade the sanctuary, then suddenly disappear at Berk so we don't have to see Vikings actually being Vikings. Sometimes a direct hit fireball will kill you, sometimes hundreds of them just blows off your fake arm.
So much of what this film tried was done better in other movies. When Frozen had comic relief characters amidst deep themes, it integrated both and made the funny guy essential. When Blood Diamond had a "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight, it was intense because there was a real risk of death involved. And the first HTTYD film didn't try to be great, it just tried to tell a good story with characters. This film sacrificed character for comedy, plot for theme, and accomplished neither.