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davidahallnum5
Jan 38 min read

How to Train Your Dragon 2 3D Blu-ray

MOVIE REVIEW

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the 2014 Dreamworks film that continues the story of Hiccup and his dragon Toothless. When both of them are out discovering new territory, they find a dragon trapper named Eric who reveals he works for a tyrant named Drago Bloodfest to build a dragon army. Against his father wishes, Hiccup sets out to find Drago and hopefully bring him to peace. But upon doing so, he and Toothless stumble upon a hidden valley full of dragons, which turns out to also be the home of Hiccup's long lost mother.

If you've read my review on How to Train Your Dragon, you'll know that I thought that film was practically a modern-day masterpiece. It told a familiar story in a brand-new light with an original premise, characters you couldn't help but get invested in, and some of the fanciest animation available at the time. Not only was the film a whole lot of fun, but those qualities also make it prime to spawn a franchise out of. And in 2014, we got the sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2. With the original film's charm and high-stakes storyline, it's not a question whether or not this movie's good. But I think more people will be out wondering whether not it's like a Kung Fu Panda 2 where the sequel surpasses the first. Let's be honest with ourselves. If any studio knows how to pump out a good #2 movie, it's Dreamworks.

Many will probably disagree with me. But from a personal standpoint, I think there are a couple things holding it back from being an amazing sequel, at least on the same level as Shrek 2 or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Don't get me wrong, it does many of the things a sequel is supposed to do, and does them well. It expands the world, introduces new characters and stronger villains than what we've seen before, and builds upon the characters we already know and love, giving them a bigger arc they have to overcome. The pieces all seem here to form another masterpiece. However, and maybe this is just me, I feel there's just enough of a disconnect of these elements to prevent them from coming together as satisfyingly as they should. As a critic whose job it is to point out why a movie works and what doesn't, I find myself kinda stumped here. I don't know how to explain the disconnect. Is it that the film goes for a slightly more light-hearted tone than its predecessor? Is it that maybe that the villain doesn't actually have a personal connection with the hero? Is it that the climax doesn't really have as strong of a character dynamic as the first movie?

Maybe it's the culmination of all those things. But I guess the main criticism that I can pull from the film and why it falls shorter than I felt it should've is that the film doesn't particularly take an aspect of heart from the first movie and build upon it and make it more personal than the first film did. For Shrek 2, it was Shrek and Fiona's relationship and how strong it could stand from pressures even within their family. For Kung Fu Panda 2, it was the revelation of Po's backstory and learning whether or not he could choose to leave his past behind him for the sake of the present and future. In How to Train Your Dragon 2, they start to do something like that with Hiccup and the discovery of his mother. However, the emotional moments that spring from this, while interesting enough in their own right, don't quite reach the same levels of strength of the first movie. Yes, it's nice to see where Hiccup's mother had been for the past 20 years. But from my perspective, her motivations don't feel quite as genuine as the film wants us to believe. And at the end of the film, her presence really doesn't seem to add anything to the overall story. I feel if perhaps the story had an overarching theme that Hiccup's mother played a large part, or that the film took itself just a tad more seriously, something palpable could've been at work here.

Now, don't let those two paragraphs give you the impression that How to Train Your Dragon 2 has nothing to offer. It's just a minor gripe I had with it that I felt could've been ironed out in the writer's room. From a filmmaking standpoint, it's an otherwise top-notch animated movie. The visuals are stunning, as always, the writing is sharp, the action is engaging, the characters are still enduring, and the emotional moments still hit. And while most of my complaints have been regarding how the story could've been slightly better, the surprises the film throws at us are still clever and work very well. And the pitch perfect pacing of the movie especially helps.

While I don't think How to Train Your Dragon 2 stands out as one of the best sequels Dreamworks has ever put out, I still understand where all the rave reviews are coming from, and I still highly recommend it for anyone who's either a fan of the franchise or a fan of just plum good movies. In short, it's a great sequel and a fantastic movie, certainly helping in raising the bar for animated family fare.


OVERALL FILM RATING: 4/5


3D REVIEW

Much has been said about the 3D in the first How to Train Your Dragon movie (some of which came from yours truly), and all very good things. So just as surely as How to Train Your Dragon would have to be a good movie, we also knew it was going to come to us in 3D. And just like the film itself, the question plenty of people probably have on their minds is "Is the 3D here better than the first film?" Now, HTTYD 2 hit theaters in 2014, probably the first year 3D was starting to fall from the moviegoing conversation. So it shouldn't be a big surprise we see very few people talking about the 3D in this film. And it's a bit of a shame too because while HTTYD 2 might fall just a notch or two under the glorious utilization of 3D the first film accomplished, it still understands the 3D potential it has and does its best to take advantage of it, resulting in one of the more noteworthy 3D experiences out on the market.

I'll try to keep this review short because many of the reasons for this film's 3D success overlap with those from the first movie, everything from the incredible depth to the flight sequences to the beautiful scenery. Still, this movie does contain enough unique uses of 3D that do deserve going into detail on. Let's start with the flight sequences which are always the staple of any How to Train Your Dragon movie. This film actually starts out with two of them, one when a group of dragon riders are racing through the town trying to pick up flying sheep, and another that comes immediate after when Hiccup and Toothless are flying above the sea and in the clouds. The first sequence is fun enough on its own, but it's clear the second is the more exhilarating one. Once again, the distance between the characters and the ground, and the presence of the clouds, not only makes the scene fun to watch, but also engaging and immersive. There aren't as many flying scenes throughout HTTYD 2 as the first, or at least the first relished a lot more in the wonder of flying than this one. But for the flying scenes that are there, these positive qualities are still there. You'll certainly feel the danger when Hiccup almost runs into a mountain on a couple of occasions. And there are some scenes in which you'll see a whole herd of dragons flying together making for some nice 3D-ready shots.

As for when the characters are on the ground, the 3D still stands out. Once again, the landscapes are breathtaking. On the sea or on mountaintops, you can look around for miles. And not only that, the 3D adds a sense of immense scale to the environment. So when an alpha dragon or a large spiky structure made of ice is on-screen, you feel like you're looking an enormous dragon or large spiky block of ice. The same can also be said about large ships, villages, and even caves. But trust me, when alpha dragon starts breathing ice, you best start running for your life. Even in smaller spaces such as huts or certain caverns, the 3D adds a sense of claustrophobia you don't get from the 2D version.

Pop outs are not quite as frequent in HTTYD 2 as the first. But like with the flying sequences, the ones that are there make quite an impact. The main ones, of course, consist of dragons poking their heads out at you. But during the action sequences, you do get the occasional fire or ice blast. There's one sequence where a load of fish get spit up in midair and all the dragon try to catch them (anyone remember a similar scene in Life of Pi?). An emotional moment features a host of flaming arrows being sent into the air. And every once in a while, you'll catch some snow, bubbles, or fire coming into the room.

Along with gems like The Lorax and The Little Mermaid, I'm struggling with whether or not How to Train Your Dragon 2 belongs in the "great" or "excellent" category. On one hand, the 3D adds so much to this film that I not only highly recommend the 3D version, but also wouldn't recommend you see it any other way. On the other hand though, as good as the 3D is, I don't the think the total impact it had on me reaches quite the same level as the first movie. How to Train Your Dragon created something truly unique and inventive with its presence of 3D whereas this one is just mainly more of the same. But as more of the same goes, HTTYD 2 keeps things consistently visually incredible and equally so engaging. It's a tough call, but I think I'll place it in "excellent." It's probably on the lower side as far as "excellent" 3D movies go mainly because it falls ever so shortly of the bar the first movie set. But like I said before, if you have a 3D display or are able to see the film in 3D, this is without a doubt the way to see it. If you already have the first film and are seeking to grow your 3D collection, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a must-own.


3D RATING: EXCELLENT


OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:




FINAL THOUGHTS


How to Train Your Dragon 2 on its own is a highly enjoyable and structurally solid film. It retains the same charming characters from the first movie while also giving them new obstacles to overcome and villains to face. It's all easily likable stuff and I can see how plenty of people can get behind it. That being said, the first film soared to such heights in terms of storytelling that this film falls just a bit short of. I suppose to many people this won't be such a problem as both of these movies work well in their own right. But being a sequel to one of the greatest animated films to come out in recent years and created by the same company known for making #2 movies that surpass their predecessor, it does feel a little underwhelming in some areas. But make no mistake, though. By any other movie standards, HTTYD 2 is still a thoughtful, well-crafted, and captivating flick that I still say is well worth watching for anyone interested. And as for the 3D, it's clearly a no-brainer. Sure, the flight sequences aren't quite as memorable here as they were in the first movie. But they come close and are plenty of fun none the less. And the 3D throughout the rest of the film is just as strong and mesmerizing. What more can I say? A great movie and great 3D is a recipe for a great time. I think it's safe to say this was another Dreamworks hit.


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