A lot of hot air

The dragon race at the start of “How to Train Your Dragon 2” turns out to be a reflection of the movie on a small scale; while the dragons are awesome and comical, in the end it is all spectacle and no substance.

It might make a good pastime for Vikings, but as a movie it is only disappointing.

The Vikings on the island of Berk have learned to coexist with the dragons that once burned their villages. Now the dragons act more like scaly, hyper-intelligent dogs. They are shown helping out with housework and keeping the elderly citizens company.

All of this harmony is thanks to the efforts of our hero, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), who coordinated a peace between dragons and islanders in the first movie.

The first movie also detailed his journey from anxious, unsure teenager into the confident and capable young man he is at the present.

Using this as a starting point, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” promises Hiccup’s emotional journey will be his discovery of what he wants to do with his life.

At the moment he is interested in exploring the nearby islands with his friend and personal dragon, Toothless (Randy Thom), but his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) plans on retiring soon and wants Hiccup to succeed him as village chief.

Up until this point the movie is engaging and lively. But as soon as this setup is offered, it is hijacked by a half-baked, underwhelming antagonist named Drago Bludvist (Djimon Honsou), who plans on using an army of mind-controlled dragons to conquer Berk.

If the film had successfully combined this thread with Hiccup’s emotional journey, the movie would have been fine. It does not.

Instead, it ignores Hiccup’s self-discovery and wants us to wonder if the dragons of Berk will be able to thwart their brainwashing.

Of course they will. This is a children’s movie. There is no tension in this question and every minute devoted to it feels excessive.

The film also has the gall to tie up the thread of what Hiccup up will do with his life in a few scenes that feel like an afterthought.

Besides this poorly focused plot, it is a fine movie. The animation is detailed and is a pleasure to watch. The supporting performances, with the exception of a phenomenal Cate Blanchett in her role as a dragon tamer named Valka, are either fine or mediocre.

One reason Drago is such a disappointing villain is that his voice actor, Djimon Honsou, is so talented and could have done so much with a dynamic character.

But the movie seems afraid of making any scene actually poignant, or scary, and so inserts inane comic relief before the audience has a chance to feel anything.

Like the dragon race mentioned before, the movie at least has the decency to be short. And, like some of the race’s competitors, it is clear the filmmakers lost control about halfway through.

One can only hope, for the sake of the next movie, that the directors remember what made the story soar in the first place and end the saga with a strong finish.