Movie review: "How To Train Your Dragon 2"

Note: "How to Train you Dragon 2" will be out in theaters on Friday June 13th.  This early review is possible due to a recent screening invitation for Miami bloggers.

It was just 4 short years ago that we were able to enjoy the amazing story depicted in "How to Train your Dragon"; back then my kids were too young for movies so we ended up watching it on DVD; I was captivated by this great story and all of the lessons it presented. So when the sequel was announced I was clearly excited and when we were invited to a special screening, that excitement was multiplied.

The sequel starts with a colorful description of how the dragons and the citizens of the island of Berk have happily coexisted for the past 5 years; it presents a more mature image of the main characters, including Hiccup, his father Stoick and some of his close friends.
The story unfolds as the main villain (Drago) is presented and Hiccup embarks on a journey where he needs to protect the dragons to ensure the continued peace in the island.
In the process, Hiccup finds his long lost mother who, to his surprise, is also a dragon lover and has dedicated her life to the care and protection of these mystical creatures.  Hiccup soon joins forces with his mother for an epic battle between Drago and all the dragon lovers.
During this battle, all of the dragons of Berk begin to behave erratically as they are controlled by the Alpha dragon, a mean creature that has been subdued by the evil Drago and Hiccups and his people are confronted with terrible obstacles and a weakened front. In the end, Hiccup's dragon and best friend Toothless emerges as the hero that teaches everyone a lesson and helps the citizens restore peace on the island.

Even though the story is carried out very well, I think some parts were too dark for the kids and the battles were too dense and complicated for what the movie tries to tell.  Some of the scenes were not necessarily appealing to the girls and the sequences were a little long for my taste. There were also some very sad parts and strong content, which took away from the "happy, feel-good" kind of ending.
I will give this one 3 out of 4 stars... not entirely perfect but definitely entertaining!