Just a Quickie Please: How to Train Your Dragon 2 Review

Prime example of the diluted sequel all though there were some well made and received featurettes and a fairly decent short-lived animated series in between.   Absent is all the energy and engagement of the original, replaced by an over-bloated and often dark story that takes far too long, especially for kid fare, to evolve and apex.   The acting is solid but feels stale and overtly rehearsed at times.  Even when they attempt to pull at the proverbial heartstrings, the effort appears, well, half-hearted, spending way too much time on buildup and far too little on delivery.   And although the animation is a superior fare compared to most in its genre, that alone does not carry this or any film, even for the juvenile set.   A good bit more violent and dire than its predecessor and parents be prepared to answer some uncomfortable questions about abandonment, death, and mild sexual themes.   With all that said, Toothless still does his best to keep this flick from burning up in the throes of its own self-importance.  But it was too little roar and not enough rigor.  They left room for a third, should have stopped at the first.  Some said this was better than Frozen and that is why I still say, "just say no to the drugs kiddies."  2 out of 5 Kernels; despite the quite impressive sweep and scope of the cinematography and artistry, this feature never truly takes flight.