I was going to review only 2 here, since I saw 1 four years ago. But this sort of sequel seems hard to evaluate without making many references to the original.
DreamWorks continues to move up in my estimation. The HtTYD film series is not its most original effort, but both entries to date hold their own against at least half the output of Pixar. They are more likely than anything else to make viewers, young and old, male and female, want a pet dragon.
Naturally, 1 contains the bulk of the titular training. It has the simple plot of vikings fighting dragons (nothing too violent on screen) until the chief's misfit son discovers and demonstrates how docile and even compassionate they can be under less hostile circumstances. Main dragon Toothless, despite never striking me as downright adorable, combines canine, feline, and equine behaviors for a lot of charm and appears to understand every human sentence. By the end, everyone on the island of Berk, regardless of prior disposition, has a personal dragon.
It's just as heartwarming and clownish as it sounds, but some of its oddities keep my love in check. The so-called vikings never do any raiding. The adults have Scottish accents while the teens have American accents. Most characters have unconvincing names, like the protagonist Hiccup and the vulgar twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut (who also drag in the tired old twin gags). Jay Baruchel's distinctive voice sounds too old for 15. Quite a few details come across as contrived coincidences, such as a single two-headed dragon bonding to the twins. And if you don't see it in 3D, some of the otherwise great graphics look off.
Presently, 2 stands perhaps slightly behind overall on rating sites. I for one give it the upper hand, making it a contender for my favorite of the dozen DreamWorks CG films I've seen. It feels less forced than 1 and constantly provides a treat for the eyes in 2D, not least because Hiccup has gotten adept at flying, on Toothless or with his own equipment. His voice still sounds unlikely even for 20, but I dig the realistic stammer and the movements that go with it. The twins are less twinny in practice. The beautiful music includes a sweet song that characters sing for about a minute (nothing to do with dragons) -- one of the many moments so tender that I suspect the makers wanted to prove themselves to Disney.
Seriously, my eyes got wet near the end. That was from happiness, but be warned that they've upped the tragic factor as well. (If there's one thing I like about vikings, it's their funeral tradition.)
The matter of morals in the series is partly trite and partly interesting. Obviously the message of 1 boils down to giving peace a chance and thereby finding virtues where you hadn't noticed. But 2 reveals the limits of this philosophy: The hero ignores warnings that the villain can't be reasoned with -- and they prove correct! I guess the key difference is that the previous stubborn opponents had good hearts, whereas this warlord cares only for himself. The secondary, more boring message is that love/friendship conquers all, or at least brainwashing.
I recommend both movies regardless of your usual preference. Just...see 1 first, OK?
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