Talkie Tuesday: How To Train Your Dragon 2

Hello everyone!

I'm back with another movie review, and this time it's a cartoon. Well, or animated movie really, not

quite cartoon, but I needed something light and sort of fluffy because I didn't feel like watching anything too hard-core, and since I remember really liking How To Train Your Dragon (because Toothless <3), I decided I might as well finally watch the sequel. I know, I'm about a year late, and it's something to be ashamed of, but I get so side-tracked by things that I usually catch up with movies only months after they've already been released.

Also, my sister told me there's an actual cartoon depicting Hiccup and Toothless' adventures in the five-year span between the storylines of the two movies, so I'll probably check that out at some point as well. I started it a while ago but then real life got in the way, and so I put it on a back-burner. But, on to the movie of a whole lot of dragons running around!

The second movie opens with a monologue from Hiccup, who explains what Berk, his hometown, used to be like, and what it is now, which is a very elaborate description of dragon racing. Everyone is watching as the youngsters from the previous film (who are now all around twenty years old) try to bag as many sheep as possible during the race, gaining ten additional point by catching the black sheep. Sounds, fun, no? Astrid, Hiccup's girlfriend, wins, but Hiccup himself is nowhere to be found.

DreamWorks Animation

And where is our favourite hero? He and Toothless are doing some air maneouvering, including Hiccup also flying like one of those squirrels with the wing-things, and discovering new lands which they then draw onto a map that Hiccup is creating. Astrid soon joins them, and her beau explains that his father, Stoick, has decided to retire from his position as chief, and give it to his son, something Hiccup isn't too happy about, since he still feels like he's looking for himself. While arguing these finer points, smoke is noticed, and they go investigate, finding Eret, son of Eret (or was that his name?) who is a dragon wrangler, catching dragons and delivering them to Drago Bludvist, the resident baddie of this movie.

Hiccup and Astrid escape, only to be accused of being 'dragon riders' who have freed the last batch, and unleashed some sort of ice-breathing monster on them. Huh? Anyway, back to Drago, once Stoick hears about this, he orders a complete lock-down, because Drago is, mildly put, a lunatic (yep, they went there). Hiccup believes he can be reasoned with, and he and Astrid escape to go back to Eret, so he can lead them to Drago. The plan doesn't quite work, as Stoick and the rest of the gang are in hot pursuit, but Hiccup does go off on his own ... and ends up being taken by this mysterious 'dragon rider' who brings him to a sort of icy lair.

DreamWorks Animation

It looked female to me already, and - collectuive gasp - it's Hiccup's mother, Valka! Valka had always believed that there was a better way with the dragons, but Stoick wouldn't listen, and during an attack, dragons carried her off, twenty years before. Now she believes Hiccup has come to stay to help her save the dragons. Stoick of course follows, and the two long-sundered loveres ar reunited (with some pretty awesome singing and dancing, too). On the other front, Astrid leads a would-be rescue mission to Drago's, only to have the dragons chained up and the whole boat being towed by something HUGE under the water towards where Drago believes the last stand will be.

This means in Valka's lair, where she is living with the dragons she's saved, under the guidance of the Alpha - a GINORMOUS male dragon who is like, THE King. Only, Drago has one, too, and as he and his goons arrive, a battle ensues. Eret has now firmly changed sides (since a dragon earlier saved his life), but things come to a head as Drago's Alpha defeats Valka's, bringing all dragons under his control. This results in Toothless killing Stoick, who tossed himself between the dragon and his son. Tears!

Drago is now off to Berk, while Hiccup and Valka mourn, but then they burry Stoick Viking-style on the burning boat and Hiccup decides to be the chief his father wanted him to be, and to return home to defend it. They use the baby dragons (who don't listen to anyone) and arrive at Berk just in time for a stand-off with Drago and the Alpha. This is where the David and Goliath storyline comes into focus as Hiccup wakes Toothless from the mind control, and the little dragon totally makes a badass out of himself and challenges, then defeats the huge Alpha, sending him into the sea, running with a scared look on his face. Boo-yah!

DreamWorks Animation

The story ends with Hiccup as the chief now, and Berk back to how it's always been - a home to the dragons, and its people alike, and Hiccup gives a really good speech: "Yeah, some have armies, some have armadas - but we have our dragons!"

I really liked this movie. It wasn't as funny maybe as the first - and I totally kept on hoping Stoick wasn't dead, sniff. Sigh. You can't have it all, I guess. But it was a very sweet, family-oriented movie, and I don't regret watching it. Besides, Toothless is so adorable!

Have you seen How To Train Your Dragon 2? What did you think?

xx