First, this being a sports website and all, let me just say that this movie opens up with a sports scene. It’s a new kind of sport that the citizens and dragons of Berk have created. Called Dragon Racing, dragon riders and their dragons fly around picking up sheep on an obstacle course and then dump said sheep into a basket. Whoever picks up the most sheep and dumps them into their own basket wins the game. It looks like a lot of fun. Watching this, I wondered how PETA felt about watching this. Sheep are essentially used as soccer balls in this movie. I’m surprised they aren’t picketing theaters as I write this. Anyway, with that out of the way let me say that How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of animated movies. It’s that good and it’s that deep and the parallels to Empire are striking.
Like Empire, family issues take center stage in How to Train Your Dragon 2, although Empire didn’t let us in on this little fact until near the end of the movie. Luke had daddy issues in Empire while the protagonist in Dragon 2, Hiccup, has both daddy and mommy issues. Those issues become front and center in Dragon 2 and not always resulting with a happy ending. The bonds that make family and the themes of forgiveness and sacrifice are explored in a few memorable scenes in Dragon 2. In one particular scene, without giving too much away, Hiccup’s mom and dad share a song and dance as a means of reconnecting after a long absence that is both beautifully done and more heartfelt than most live action movies. The movie has earned it up to this point and it doesn’t feel phony in the least. It’s a wonderful scene that will put a smile on your face.
But, like Empire, Dragon 2 is darker and more grown up than its predecessor. Hiccup is not only taller and more independent; he wears darker, more grown up clothes and has honed his craft as an inventor and dragon rider to near perfection. His status from the first movie to the second is much like Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies. In fact, Hiccup carries to what is essentially his own lightsaber, a sword that can be lit on fire and used as a blazing weapon. Like Empire, Hiccup is being trained for something greater than himself. While Luke was being trained to be the ultimate Jedi, Hiccup is being groomed as the next chief of Berk because his dad wants his only son to succeed him. In Empire, Darth Vader wants very much the same for his own son. The big difference being Hiccup’s dad is actually a good guy. Both series have the hero wanting nothing to do with their chosen destinies. Luke doesn’t want to off his evil dad anymore than Hiccup wants to be chief. Dragon 2 doesn’t play this development for laughs or slapstick humor; instead it takes this turn of events serious and becomes a main plot point of the movie.
The darkest moment of Dragon 2 comes near the end and sets up the final act of the movie. Again, without giving away too much, one dragon is put under a kind of hypnosis and does a very mean thing resulting in one character paying the ultimate price. The villain in the movie, when the deed is done, simply shrugs his shoulders and walks away, pleased with himself for what he has done and the surprising consequences it has resulted. It’s an unexpected scene and one that doesn’t happen too often in what is essentially a kids’ movie. My family was watching this movie with a friend of ours and her daughter and when this particular scene played out I heard our friend, and mom, blurt out “I don’t know if I like this movie anymore.” I imagine that will be the reaction of a lot of parents when they watch this scene. I’m pretty sure my wife teared up during the resulting funeral scene and I had to fight my own tears back because I refuse to break my streak of not crying at a kids’ movie that has been well in tact since Wall-E broke it in 2008. But, fear not, everyone including my daughter and our friends’ daughter got over it pretty quickly because the movie transitions to a scene with baby dragons soon afterwards. But, the loss of the character and its aftermath is well explored. Empire dealt with loss both emotionally and physically, Dragon 2 does the same and with equal effect. It’s pretty heavy stuff for a kids’ movie. But, I like that Dragon 2 didn’t dumb anything down and decided to grow up with its core audience. The first move was released a little over 4 years ago. My daughter was 4 at the time and the first movie was perfectly suited for her, a fantasy movie about a boy becoming friends with a dragon, a movie about acceptance and understanding. Now my daughter is 8 and while some of the themes of the sequel would have gone over her head 4 years ago they seem perfectly comprehensible to her now. Few movies grow up with their audience and let their characters grow up as well. This could have been a cash grab by the studios by simply making more of the same. But the writers of Dragon 2 had something else in mind. They understand that kids grow up and when you grow up responsibilities become more important, loss becomes a part of life and that family is essential to hold on to.
The big bad dragon in this movie is a behemoth, a chilling monster that Godzilla might have had a hard time defeating. The big bad human is essentially a psychopath bent on ruling the human race with a lot of dragons by his side. Kids will just know he’s a bad guy, and that’s all they need to know for now. Kids will see this movie and enjoy the spectacle of it all because visually it is a beautiful movie to watch. But, strip away its reel and this movie is saying much more. I watched Empire when I was 6 years old and all I saw at the time was movie about a bad guy, a good guy, some awesome flying spaceships and lightsabers. It wasn’t until later that I appreciated it more for what it was and recognized the darkness and underlying themes that I had missed before. I imagine that’s how Dragon 2 will play out for a lot kids who will see this. For now, they will see the spectacle of it all and be in awe of it, but years down the road they may see something more and appreciate it for what it really is.
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