How to Train your Dragon 2

The first movie of How to Train your dragon came out in 2010 had been my top favourite movie since forever. I am already a huge fan of dragons, so just mix up an odd, runt of the litter Viking with a puppy like dragon pet, and you’ll have my heart forever.

As a birthday celebration I had organised a private advanced screening at Doncaster Crown Village for my 24^th birthday for the movie, How to Train your Dragon 2. From the very start, I was welcomed into Gold class and taken to my own private section of the foyer for me and my guests. I had an amazing organiser Tina, who is a fellow Australian author, help me and my friends feel comfortable and welcomed. We had wines, beers and soft drinks at our choosing, and spring rolls and chicken stripes that was so addictive that we could’ve stayed out there for hours just eating. In the movie we had battered fish, burgers and potato wedges. As I couldn’t get enough people to fill the cinema, we all had double of everything.





After chatting with everyone at the pre drinks/ snacks for half an hour and passing around my very own Toothless toy, from Build a Bear, we were led inside to our own private cinema.The movie … I just don’t have enough words to describe how it made me feel. As soon as the lights dimmed and the open sea appeared on screen, swinging us towards the familiar jagged island of Berk, I was consumed into their world. I gasped, I laughed, I cried, I held my breath and clenched my fists. I was in a rollercoaster of emotions.

Humour was intertwined throughout most of the dialogue, especially with the dynamic twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, gentle giant Fishlegs and egotistic jock Snotlout. I had watch the first movie enough times to pin all of their traits but what I found most impressive is that though the characters kept their very unique personalities and quirks,  the writers had changed them just enough to show the passage of time.

Suddenly there was a new presence of the ‘teenage hormone’ (even though they were twenty) and it had made way for a completely new type of drama. I had laughed and laughed and laughed with the interactions with Fishlegs and Snotlout as they tried to win Ruffnut's affection. Only to have her instead go all googly eyed over our new character, Eret the dragon trapper. She was hilarious, probably one of my favourite characters there. Her slow motion parts, oh my god, the best!

The dialogue felt fresh, it felt real, especially the scenes with Astrid and Hiccup, you can just see how advanced their relationship had become and how comfortable they were with each other. When they sat down they automatically scooted closer together, every touch and every look you could feel the connection spark between them.

But, in every great movie, even though there is humour and tingling love, there is also sacrifice and loss. I won’t reveal what happens, but I was in denial for a long time after this one particular scene. I even had to turn to my boyfriend in the seat next to me, just to get confirmation that what I think happened, really did happen. I cried, I’m not ashamed to admit it. I had tears streaking my makeup and fogging my vision for the next five minutes before I wiped them with my napkin. After the movie me and all of my friends were in a massive group discussion, shocked that that had happened.

Within the world of How to Train you Dragon there was just so much beautiful scenery of the lands around Berk that I was speechless. The colours, the landscapes, the different dragons, I had to sink further into my seat just to take it all in. You can tell a lot of work went into creating this incredible world, where colours washed the lands and flooded the skies in silvery sea of clouds. I had my breath taken away every time the scene changed and the doors were opened to a new type of discovery. I had bought the art book for the second movie, so I had thought I knew what was coming up but I was still amazed.

Now the part that hooked me from the very beginning were the dragons. I already loved Toothless with his young pup personality, but this movie showed him in so much new light that Toothless became a dragon with more depth than most characters. There was always something happening, the dragons were never stagnated or stale. They all had their own personalities, they all had their own flare and it was shown through background comedy. When Hiccup and Toothless were taken to the new island with all those new dragons, Toothless was like the new kid at school that became shy and cautious. I saw a lot of his mannerism were familiar to those of house hold pets too, like when he got spooked his back arched and his ears pointed up like a cat. When excited or happy his tongue would flop out the side of his mouth and he’ll pant, just like a dog. 

 

Whenever the dragons were together there was always something happening. Astrid and Hiccup could be talking about exploring more islands and Toothless and Stormfly (Astrid’s dragon) were having a game of tag in the back ground. Similar jokes like that happened through all of the movie and I don’t think I dropped that smile from my face once (well, except for the sad scene). I’ve already planned my next movie session to watch it again. I loved, loved, loved the first movie, but the second knocked it out of the park. I went in there with really high expectations and I am pleased to say they were all met.

Congratulations to the hard working team behind How to Train your Dragon, this is the best movie of 2014!