Sunday, June 15, 2014

How To Train Your Dragon 2: About Growing Up


Keywords: fantasy, viking, dragon, rider
Audience: everyone
Violent content: humans and dragons fighting each others (very mild visualization)
Sexual content: two kisses, if I didn't lose my count


I love the fact that this is a family movie. Although Hiccup and his friends have grown up and--as expected--crushes and kisses are obvious, they are just side dish served as humor material.
The plot is first about Hiccup's finding his true calling, second about how dragons and humans should co-exist. You may think that's also the case with the first installment, but trust me the sequel will touch you in a different way.
Make sure you watch it in 3D for a satisfying ride. (I watched it in 2D and now am longing to see it again... in 3D.)

And this meme tells you how I feel about Hiccup. *cough*



Warning: If you go further from this point, you'll find SPOILERS.

Stoick wants to retire, but Hiccup is not sure he can make it to be a great chief like his father. In fact, he has never been sure of himself. He only knows that he is unlike his father, and he doesn't know his mother, said to have been lost long time ago, eaten by a dragon. Fate brings Hiccup to his mother, who turns up to have been living with dragons, protecting them, for all this time. Protecting the dragons from what? From an evil plan that Drago Bludvist has been cooking since he was a child. Always striving for peace, Hiccup is determined to talk to Drago despite his parents' saying Drago is not negotiable at all.

The teenage-crush thing in this movie is sometimes irritating. Ruffnut, the girl other than Hiccup's girlfriend, is annoying in her way of fancying to boys and being fancied by boys. But I know teens and I still remember being a teen, so I won't complain much... just if only they made humor out of other things to replace half about it. Still, I'm glad there's no drama between Hiccup and Astrid. They are into each other and they are okay.

Hiccup's mother Valka is very very cool. I see her move and I see a dragon in her. I mean, her gestures are very dragonish! At least that's how she is until Stoick comes. I felt there's something wrong when she said "at least I'm not boring, am I?" but I'll let it pass this time. Valka gives Hiccup the "you are super awesome, you can do it" prep talk, but she's his mother, and that's what parents do to their kids.

Valka and Stoick's love is beautiful that it killed me when I figured out that they're not meant to be together again--but there's nothing about it in the last scenes of the movie.



I love one thing about the main villain. He never buys Hiccup's words, and he has a very good reason for it. Hiccup should learn that the world is not that friendly. However, I agree that we should always try to negotiate for peace before taking the last resort. And one thing I hate about the villain is... his hairstyle. I know it was meant to stress that he comes from far away (a foreigner, Stoick says), but I fear that his physical features will melt with "the bad guy" image.

Lastly, Hiccup's development is very believable. I'm glad that he finally becomes the chief of Berk by being what he really is: a dragon master. At first I wish Astrid will be the chief while Hiccup will take a role as an adventurer (or an ambassador) and promote peace. But Hiccup and Toothless have met their challenges boldly (insert heartbreaking scenes here) and deserve their places.

Now I'm really looking forward to the third movie.

8 comments:

  1. I really enjoy this movie..but it break my heart when Stoick was death..he was just find his true love again..hiks...
    Perfect movie for family ^^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes, that's very hearbreaking
      thanks for your visit, emak :D

      Delete
  2. half way I tought Astrid would be the chief and Hiccup the adventurer as well. But I agree, Hiccup's development is believable and I could accept the ending.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and he can always be an adventurous chief ;)
      thank you, Biondy, please come again

      Delete
  3. This is just great. And the growing up thing is just... orz.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol, hopefully we won't find such silly things in the third movie

      Delete
  4. How to Train Your Dragon 2 is an excellent sequel. It does what sequel should do. It takes its roots, expands them and doesn't rehash the previous film. Twists and surprises make this movie more of an adult experience than a kiddie one. Beautiful, emotional and dazzling, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the best animated film in years and puts some animated sequels to shame.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, we can't deny it to ourselves anymore. The gaping tundra of Winter is beyond us, and for that I say we are officially in the midst of the summer movie going season. Sequels, sequels, and more sequels are filling the gaps every weekend, 16 to be exact.
    Sooner or later, goodwill from post franchises are going to run out. This is not the case with the returning favorites of the beloved "How To Train Your Dragon". "Dragon" was a film nobody, not even myself, suspected of being the next best thing..but it was. A little film from Dreamworks Animation, that distinctly gave Pixar a run for their money. The animation was gorgeous, the story even more so. A voice cast that included Gerard Butler, Jay Baruchel, Craig Ferguson and Jonah Hill. One could perhaps argue that something is "missing" from this sequel, I would argue not.

    ReplyDelete

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