Dragons really are the myth du jour. Daenerys Targaryen’s beastly brood continues to incinerate all of HBO’s competition, while Smaug, Tolkien’s monstrous kleptomaniac, is looking to drag another $1bn of coin to his already substantial hoard.

Is there still room for Hiccup and his pal Toothless?

How To Train Your Dragon 2 does what all great sequels must. It retains the toasty warmth that radiated so charmingly through its first joyful installment, but finds and drums upon a new vein: one that’s larger, darker, richer in blood and peril.

This might be the family film to beat this year.

It won’t infect the zeitgeist as aggressively as Frozen did, but How To Train Your Dragon 2 manages to be more fun. This franchise has got legs (wings, teeth, and can breathe fire… !) and leaves its audience looking forward to the already-announced threequel. 

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST:  Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harrington, Kristen Wiig, T.J. Miller

DIRECTOR: Dean DeBlois

WRITER: Dean DeBlois

SYNOPSIS: When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the centre of a battle to protect the peace.