‘Dragon’ is a sequel equal to the first

Hiccup, left, and Toothless prepare for their next adventure in “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” (Photo courtesy of DreamWorks Animation)

Since 2001, there have been many truly competitive years in the Animated Feature category at the Oscars. The very first year, “Shrek” beat “Monsters Inc.” Three years later, “The Incredibles” won over “Shrek 2.” In 2006, “Wallace and Gromit” beat Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride.”

Year after year there are multiple nominees which, in a year of weaker films, any one of those that did not win could have been the Oscar winner. The best example of this is 2010 when the brilliant “How to Train Your Dragon” lost the Oscar to one of the greatest animated films ever, “Toy Story 3.”

Unless one counts the “Wallace and Gromit” short films, “Toy Story 3” is still the only animated sequel to ever win the coveted prize. Since the inception of the Animated Feature Award, there have been four other sequels nominated besides “Toy Story 3”: “Shrek 2,” “Kung Fu Panda 2,” “Puss in Boots” and “Despicable Me 2.” I suppose technically “Puss in Boots” is really a prequel, but it is still part of a series.

“Toy Story 3” deserved to win, but “How to Train Your Dragon” is almost the equal masterpiece to the third adventure of Woody and Buzz.

I was a big fan of the original “Dragon” film. I knew very little of the story before I saw it, but I was almost immediately caught up in this tale of a teenager who just could not seem to fit in among his Viking peers and neighbors. I especially liked the arc of the story that revealed a father and tribe leader who did not believe in his son’s potential, and how their relationship is ultimately changed in the climax of the film.

The new sequel almost turns the first film on its head. Now the father has great confidence in his offspring, while the son himself is not sure of his abilities to lead. There is a lot more to the plot, but there will be no spoilers here.

There is much to like about the new film. First, the visuals are stunning. The shots of the ocean, the flying scenes, the villages and landscapes and the dragons are awe-inspiring. And few films capture such a vivid color scheme.

The characters are diverse and well conceived. There are many different personalities in this film and each is used wisely, especially with the balance between primary characters and supporting players.

I have to admit though, what I remember the most about the first film is the strong emotional moments, especially toward the end. As I watched the sequel, I found myself wondering whether this second film would capture the balance of spectacle, humor and emotional gravitas.

The first half of the new film is great fun, but I began to believe this tale of dragons would not resonate within me as the original did. But then it happened.

There is a moment “Train Your Dragon 2” becomes something truly special. And though I am reluctant to write it, there are moments in the second half of the film that exceed the original. The film achieves more technically and emotionally than its predecessor. How many other summer sequels can be described in this manner?

I understand  these two films are based on the trilogy of books. Hopefully they are already working on the third story. I will certainly look forward to the next installment because twice now, Hiccup, Toothless and all the other dragon-loving Vikings of the Island of Berk have enchanted me.

There will be more animated features this year, so it is rather early to be predicting. But for all the strengths of the film, at this point in the year, I would love to see “How to Train Your Dragon 2” become the second animated feature in history to win the coveted Oscar for Animated Feature.