So, I know. I have been resolutely opposed to cartoon movies for years now, and have only recently taken a break from yelling at kids from my porch to jump back in to an entire genre of movies. I remain steadfast in my determination that there's a fine line between "legitimately cute" and "disgustingly obnoxious" that a movie explicitly geared towards children must tread, and that 99% of animated fare geared towards kids falls on the "disgustingly obnoxious" side of things, but occasionally a flick will break on through to "objectively good". The first How to Train Your Dragon was, somewhat incredibly, given the nonsensical title, one of the best animated films I've seen in years. Behind a great vocal cast and some fantastic animation (the flying scenes, especially, are the best you'll see anywhere other than Avatar) it managed to be a surprisingly smart and touching look at what could have been a cliche-ridden jokefest. In it, we met Hiccup, a young viking who's a total outcast in his warrior culture. He's bookish, physically weak, and sensitive in a culture that values physical strength and bravery. However, after Hiccup discovers that there's more to dragons than meets the eye and saves the day, he becomes a hero.
Enter How to Train Your Dragon 2. We're reintroduced to Hiccup and friends on the island of Berk. Dragons are now an integral part of Viking society, and the former arch-enemies now share the island of Berk and pretty much everything else. Hiccup and his dragon pal, the endlessly charming Toothless, spend their time exploring the world and seeking new adventures. The discovery that the world is much bigger, scarier, and more exciting for human and dragon alike will test them both, as new friends and enemies raise the stakes significantly.
The Good: visually, the animation is spectacular. Since I'm reviewing this one several months late, you'll no longer have the chance to catch this one in 3D in the theater, which is truly a damn shame, considering that the 3D work is the best I've ever seen in a movie that's not called Avatar. I'm sure it'd still be strong on a home theater, but the pure joy that the film takes in reveling in the flying scenes is worth appreciating. The action scenes are expertly characterized as well, and there's a lot more and a lot bigger action this time around. However, it's the character work that's the draw here. The talented vocal cast (Jay Baruschel, Kirsten Wiig, Jonah Hill, TJ Miller, Gerard Butler and more) brings charisma and life to even minor characters, and Toothless is most likely the most charming silent animated character of all time. This flick goes bigger, bolder and darker than the first installment, and that's a good thing, as all of the character development that's happened to this point makes it feel earned and hard-hitting rather than abrupt and manipulative. Additionally, the flick should get extra kudos for trying to match the sense of joy, discovery and wonderment that the first one captured so well. As a sequel, it's going to be impossible to completely match or surpass the original in that department, but I'm going to give it high marks for even trying.
The Bad: if anything, the flick might be a little TOO dark, and in a way that I'm not sure that the flick intended. I'm not going to spoil it discussing what actually happened, but if you saw this one and what to discuss, I'm happy to... and it's pretty bleak. The flick largely manages to avoid treading into cutesy, funny Shrek type territory, even though it occasionally drifts rather close to that brink.
In all, this one is a wonderfully animated, emotionally touching, charming and effective ride. Despite ostensibly being a film for kids, this one treats its audience and its characters with a complexity, wit and charisma that would feel right at home in a drama geared for adults. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that the first How to Train Your Dragon is a good kid's movie, and the sequel is just a flat-out good movie.
8.5/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment