A bigger, sadder, more ambitious sequel that expands the world without losing the heart of Hiccup and Toothless. It blends soaring adventure, genuine emotional weight, and strong visual spectacle, even if the middle stretches and some side-character humor lands less cleanly than before.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Fantasy · Action
Thu · 1h 42m
Director: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler
Overview
Five years after uniting the dragons and Vikings of Berk, Hiccup and Toothless soar beyond their homeland, charting the vast unknown. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons -- and a mysterious dragon rider with a startling connection to Hiccup. And as the ruthless dragon conqueror Drago Bludvist rises to seize control of both dragons and people alike, Hiccup must step into his role as a true leader and, alongside his friends and Toothless, protect Berk from a devastating war.
Director
Dean DeBlois
Cast
Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler
Curator Review
Verdict
A bigger, sadder, more ambitious sequel that expands the world without losing the heart of Hiccup and Toothless. It blends soaring adventure, genuine emotional weight, and strong visual spectacle, even if the middle stretches and some side-character humor lands less cleanly than before.
Best for
fans of emotional animated adventure
viewers who like coming-of-age stories with real stakes
families looking for a heartfelt fantasy sequel
audiences who enjoy big-screen action with strong character bonds
Skip if
you want a brisk, tightly paced sequel
you dislike tearjerker family stories
you prefer comedy-first animation
you need the first film's novelty to be preserved
Overview
How to Train Your Dragon 2 takes the original’s warm, open-hearted fantasy and pushes it into something grander and more melancholy. The film is about growth in every sense: Hiccup’s leadership, the bond between humans and dragons, and the painful realization that love sometimes means making hard choices. It’s one of those animated sequels that feels less like a repeat and more like a true continuation of the characters’ lives.
Worth noting
The action is bigger and the world feels wider, with sweeping flight scenes and a strong sense of scale. Toothless remains the emotional anchor, but the movie also gives Hiccup a more complicated arc, and that pays off in the film’s strongest scenes. The romance, family dynamics, and sense of loss all land with unusual force for a mainstream family adventure.
Bottom line
It isn’t perfect: the middle section can feel a little overextended, and some comic relief is less effective than in the first film. Still, the emotional payoff is substantial, and the craftsmanship is consistently high. If you want animated fantasy that balances spectacle with sincere feeling, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
monk (4.5★) · 7754 likes
They really should've named it "How 2 Train Your Dragon."
siobhan (5★) · 5813 likes
have you seen forrest gump? better than that have you seen the hangover? funnier than that have you seen the titanic? sadder than that
Frandi Peralta (4.5★) · 4096 likes
Astrid and Hiccup are the best animated couple.
lucy (3.5★) · 3415 likes
i would die for toothless
differentcities (4.5★) · 2406 likes
hiccup’s lil braids supremacy
Themes
coming of age, leadership, family bonds, grief and loss, loyalty, found family, human-animal friendship, war and peace