HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
Director Dean DeBlois
Cert PG 102 mins
Five years after the first film, Viking dragon trainer Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) flies his trusty Night Fury dragon Toothless further afield, in search of new islands and new dragons, while his friends compete in the sport of dragon racing back on the island of Berk.
Hiccup’s chieftain father Stoick (Gerard Butler) wants Hiccup to take up the mantle of chief, but Hiccup is still trying to figure out who he is, setting the stage for an exploration of themes of leadership and identity.
The three main characters, Hiccup, Stoick, and Toothless, all get great arcs, building on territory from the first film, but expanding it on a much deeper level. The film explores the question of whether or not people can change, and while the difficulty of this is acknowledged, these character arcs are great examples of change motivated by love.
Marriage healed
On his travels, Hiccup discovers the ‘crazy, feral, vigilante, dragon lady’ Valka (Cate Blanchett), who turns out to be his long-lost mother. The family dynamics between Hiccup, Valka, and Stoick are poignant, with the healing of Stoick and Valka’s marriage being a terrific illustration of grace.
However, the threat of Draco Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou) looms large, a ruthless madman bent on controlling all dragons, as well as the people around him.
Hiccup tries to protect the inhabitants of Berk by persuading him of the value of peace and reason, but can Draco or any of his followers be reasoned with?
The film champions grace, peace, and love as the best ways to relate to and motivate people, as opposed to gaining power over them by fear and manipulation. As in all good epics, ultimately good triumphs over evil.
Hiccup’s closing speech could easily be a summary of the church. ‘We may be small in numbers, but we stand for something bigger than anything the world can pin against us. We are the voice of peace, and bit by bit, we will change this world. You see, we have something they don’t.’
This is an excellent fantasy epic adventure, with an old-fashioned sense of awe and wonder. The story also provides deep emotional resonance, with the character arcs reflecting a largely Christian world view.
