Although missing the poignancy of the original film and hamstrung by a clunky storyline, How to Train Your Dragon 2 nevertheless wows with some absolutely stunning computer animation. There’s a moment when Hiccup, the young hero voiced by Jay Baruchel, encounters a mysterious dragon rider in a cave, and the silent, masked figure stands amidst a herd of beasts who nurse simmering fires in their mouths in order to illuminate the space. Here and there, it’s as if the mythology of Tolkien has been filtered through the imagery of Miyazaki. The story involves Hiccup’s urge to explore further lands rather than take over as chief in the village of his father (Gerard Butler). His adventures lead him to that rider, as well as a warrior king (Djimon Hounsou), who is forcing dragons to serve in his army against their will. It’s all a bit convoluted, but does lead to an awesome confrontation between two behemoth “alpha dragons” that would make Godzilla proud.
