Five years after the first film takes place, Hiccup and Toothless enjoy a period of peace in Berk. With vikings and dragons reconciled, they enjoy each other's company and explore the region. But all is not to last . . . when they come across dragon trappers on one of their journeys, they find out that an old foe, Drago, is determined to trap and control all the dragons in the land. And he just might have the means to do it, with incredible power at his disposal. Do our heroes have what it takes to overcome? They may need aid from a most surprising source . . . and everyone will learn that the leader's job isn't to control and dominate, but "the Alpha protects all."
Let your nine-year-old pick the movie, and you stay in the land of dragons. This 2014 sequel to the 2010 hit film was solid, but a notch below the original. Two messages were solid: that of leaders protecting their people (vs. dominating and controlling) and that it is better to work together than fight each other. So far, so good. But I didn't care for a pattern that started in the first movie and continues here: Hiccup routinely ignores his father. It is a typical message in children's shows of various kinds that "adults don't understand" and "kids know better." That can be true occasionally, but not always, and it is a dangerous message to propagate. That, plus some rushed plot points, drop my rating here. But there is still value to be had, if you know where to look.
Rating: B
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