So, I finally got to this one, just before it dropped out of the really good theater in town. And I'm so glad I did. It deserves all the praise it's been getting and frankly, it deserves even more in some areas. The film is more emotionally complex than the first one; the main characters are five years older than they were in the first one and the five years between fifteen and twenty are probably the most significant five years, in terms of development, in the human lifespan. Hiccup has changed a lot and he's facing a whole new batch of emotional complexities to deal with. Jay Baruchel, by the by, gives a genuinely brilliant vocal performance. The film is exciting at all the right times, awe-inspiring at all the right times and to call it tear-jerking is to do a disservice. It's absolutely perfect at the tragic moments. Oh, yeah, the tragic moments. No spoilers, but when this film hits that second act low point . . . it's ******* low. This is really surprisingly dark. So much so that I'm just going to say that not every kid should see this; parents, go see it alone first and then judge your kid or kids on a case by case basis. It's a great movie, but it's very emotionally intense. I'm not ashamed to say that I welled up with tears at two points in the film and just genuinely cried at one later point. It's really wonderful, and while there are certainly funny moments, it's the rare animated film that isn't actually a comedy; it's really just a drama, a genuine human (and dragon) drama. Though the humor is really funny when it comes; Kristin Wiig's character gets a great running gag and the personality the animators are able to imbue Toothless with is just stunning and hilarious. All in all, this was a great film. I remember being a bit skeptical when an acquantaince called it the best film he'd seen all year; an adult acquaintance, not a kid. Well, it's not my best film of the year, but I no longer find the idea silly - it's a perfectly acceptable "best film I've seen all year." That's right; this one's here for the duration. Classic status: confirmed. Highly recommended. 4 stars.
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Je n'aime pas dans les vieux films américains quand les conducteurs ne regardent pas la route. Et de ratage en ratage, on s'habitue à ne jamais dépasser le stade du brouillon. La vie n'est que l'interminable répétition d'une représentation qui n'aura jamais lieu.