MovieChat Forums > How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) Discussion > My only 2 major problems with this movie

My only 2 major problems with this movie

posted 9 years ago by Camel13
2 replies | jump to latest

I had 2 major problems with this flick, both being with Baruchel's performance. First of all, I thought his final goodbye to his dad was really underplayed. I'm all for trying to avoid cliché melodrama in a funeral scene, but this goes way beyond this. It really sounded like he was literally having a casual conversation with the guy. There was absolutely 0 heart in it.

My other major issue was with the final monolog, which by contrast was dreadfully overplayed. The actual lines he had were great and I thought they had a marvellous echo to the final monolog of the original. But Baruchel's delivery of it? Ugh! He was just way too over the top with it and I can't help but think it was because someone just wanted the film to end with him loudly shouting the words "Our Dragons!" to make the ending seem more epic, when really it didn't need any melodrama, it would've been awesome anyway. I think if he'd just played out the ending more naturally, like he did in the original, it would've worked much better.

It kind of saddens me to notice these flaws as I've otherwise loved Baruchel's unique performance throughout this franchise.

"Feeling Stupid? I know I am!" - Homer J. Simpson

[–] mrdavidormsby 9 years ago

I agree with you in regards to the shouting of the words "OUR DRAGONS!" at the end did break the feel of the words he was speaking. I try to see it as him rallying the people of Burk and putting their spirits back up after the initial attack as well as losing Stoick, who they all loved and respected as a chief.

However, I disagree somewhat with your first comment about the conversation sounding too natural. Whilst I agree he does sound like he's trying to talk to his dad as if he was there, I think that's the whole point.

In a way, trying to speak to Stoick like he was standing right next to him was perhaps Hiccup subconsciously trying to deny that his father is actually dead, losing his father after 20 years of being together, as well as everything that had happened in the first film and the five years before this film.

We can see plain as day that Stoick and Hiccup have bonded and become far closer than they were in the first film. So for Hiccup to lose his father so quickly, it's natural that some part of his mind would attempt to deny it for as long as it could.

There're many real life examples of people talking to their dead loved ones as if said person is alive and well, it's a coping mechanism so that they can slowly accept that their loved one is gone. For others it's just a way of feeling like they can still speak to them, so they don't lose that connection forever.

Hope that provides an insight!

[–] hackt_tamui 9 years ago

The biggest problem is Hiccup's voice. It look so flat. I can't feel any emotion. His voice is full of sarcasm for the whole movie even when he is angry, sad or happy. If it was a different voice we might have a different feel.