MovieChat Forums > How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) Discussion > Not as Good as the First One

Not as Good as the First One

posted 9 years ago by ImaWeabooApparantly
12 replies | jump to latest

I honestly thought this movie was average at best.

Drago Was a Lousy Villain: He was nothing more than a generic doomsday villain. He's also a total dumbass. So, he has all of the dragons and the heroes are mourning Stoick's death. What does he do? He tells them to meet him at Burke. "I could just blow you all up with my dragon army, but I won't, because I'm an idiot. Bye."

The Plot Hinged on Deus ex Machina: Drago can mind control dragons... just because! Toothless can break the alpha dragon's control just by Hiccup's words and suddenly has a super mode... just because!

Hiccup's Mom: The previous movie implied that she was a warrior like Stoick, and yet this movie reveals that she's a pacifist. Why didn't she return home with her army of trained dragons? The reason why Stoick didn't believe Hiccup about Toothless in the first movie was because he attacked the other Vikings to defend him and he was too reluctant to show him. Valka could have easily showed the other Vikings what she could do.

The Love Triangle: The whole dick-measuring contest between Snotlout and Fishlegs to get in Ruffnut's codpiece added nothing to the plot and got resolved in an incredibly rushed manner.

Trailers Always Spoil: The previews basically told you the whole movie, particularly Hiccup's mother being alive and Drago controlling the dragons.

The Death of Stoick: The movie made it so obvious he's going to die. The second they talked about Hiccup becoming the chief, I immediately thought "Stoick is going down."

[–] SkySoar 9 years ago

To each their own. I didn't see Stoick's death coming the first time I saw the movie. I thought it was quite shocking how they did it and quite ballsy as well for a kid's franchise. To have Toothless do it was totally unexpected.

Here's what I did like about the story:

1.) They aged the characters. I knew the film would be gold when they took this approach. It shows that there is real growth happening and that this isn't just some gimmick idea anymore. (Not that the first one was treated that way, but this sequel could have easily been rushed and treated poorly).

2.) They bring a villain who has multiple layers. Drago is indeed a maniac but he has a dark past and like Hiccup, lost a limb from dragons as well. Hiccup calls him out on his need to control people which he actually agrees with. When Drago agreed, I realized how good of a villain he was. He's flat out willing to admit he's a monster but still does it under the 'excuse' of "my family was taken." We see his menace throughout the film and while I would have preferred Valka to have been the villain (like in the original draft), Drago worked perfectly fine.

3.) Animation owned. The animation is one of the most detailed I've ever seen in a CGI film. The film looked incredible.

4.) Hiccup's mother was a very endearing character to me. I liked her a lot. The scene with Stoick singing to her humanized him a lot as well. Never knew he was capable of such romance.

In other words, I loved this movie. I personally like it more than the first one, which was great as well. This one resonated with me more as a young adult. I'm roughly around the age of Hiccup in this movie, so I appreciate the concerns he was going through with his decisions.

[–] TheBeardedWonder 9 years ago

Well put. The only part of the OP's post I agree with is the love triangle aspect. That went nowhere except a lame 'they run past her to their dragons in the end' joke that really wasn't worth the time.

Some of his other points are explained in the movie but not outright stated. Like toothless going into super mode or whatever. They hint that it's because of the ice that he gets stronger & develops new powers. Unlike most kids movies though they didn't have a character run on screen and say so.

The villain was fine, the father dying was handled well, etc. like you said the animation was also top notch, as was the music. The original score alone is worth the price of admission for this one.

[–] ImaWeabooApparantly 9 years ago

I'm not saying HTTYD2 was bad. I just felt like it lacked in comparison to the original, to the point where I wasn't butthurt that "Big Hero 6" beat it at the Oscars. Say what you will about BH6, but it did two things better than HTTYD2: 1. The villain was just some mustache-twirling cliche. 2. They handled the death of a loved one and how it affected people better.

[–] Starcraft_rules 9 years ago

Yeah, this movie pretty much sucks. It's terribly paced, like one of those avengers movies. They just keep throwing stuff at you, but it barely registers. Writing is abysmal, nobody has a charisma like in the original.

[–] greyhelm-91337 9 years ago

Yes, thank you. Terribly written plot and nonsense.

[–] carteagle 9 years ago

Yes, its *beep* compared to first one. Gave up watching after 30 min. Not even close to first one.

[–] MissFortuneCookie 9 years ago

Nope. Not as good as the first but not bad either. Though it does have its faults. This one just had less heart than the first one.

Didn't like the love triangle with Ruffnut, but I did enjoy her having a crush on the other dude. She was hilarious.

Hiccups mom was too over the top. I think it would have been better if we didn't know she was his mom until the end of the film when she meets the dad. That being said, they shouldn't have met early on in the film. Or she should have just kept her mask on and didn't reveal who she was until the end.

I didn't like that Stoick died. It's such a cliche. And yeah it was predictable. Thought he would die in the first film but when he didn't I knew he would if a sequel was gunna be made. It's very predictable. That direction keeps appearing on films about a son who needs to rule or whatever.

One more thing that bothered me is that during the first film, they made it such a big deal that dragons and humans were in a war. Hiccup was the first to get through to the dragons and the first who befriended and ridden one... But it turns out that Dragon and even his mom was the first. I dunno. I just didn't like that. Seemed to lessen the impact made on the first film.

This film was fun. Still loved it but not as good as the first for sure.

[–] Mattfinbell 9 years ago

they should have followed the books

alvin the treachous is the main villian then you have Furious and Expellemuis his mother meaning alvins

Stoick never dies in the books

Snotlout does die but becomes a hero then winderfang hogfly and Toothless are pretty good dragons then we have the nanodragons

SkySoar
2.) They bring a villain who has multiple layers. Drago is indeed a maniac but he has a dark past and like Hiccup, lost a limb from dragons as well. Hiccup calls him out on his need to control people which he actually agrees with. When Drago agreed, I realized how good of a villain he was. He's flat out willing to admit he's a monster but still does it under the 'excuse' of "my family was taken." We see his menace throughout the film and while I would have preferred Valka to have been the villain (like in the original draft), Drago worked perfectly fine.

alvin would be so much better what happened to him and plus he and Fishlegs are related to one another and it shows how the stuff that is given to the Guardian was given to Fishlegs Alvin and his mom were far worse

Oh I wish they had carmicheal she is so cool
escape artist and could have been a cool female lead

Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

[–] greyhelm-91337 9 years ago

Very mediocre film for many reasons. Poor writing in general, with an awful nonsensical plot full of holes.

[–] roguehands 8 years ago

Oh dear god yeaas, everything you said, all of them, i conpletely agree.
What i hate the most is the terribleterrible villain. Even the huge dragon in the first movie who CANNOT TALK makes a better villain than this forgettable dude.
And the reveal of Hiccup's mom in the trailer is just plain dumb.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]