續集電影成功的"教科書"範例
It’s been a year of movie sequels, with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past all hitting theaters. But among big-budget sci-fi blockbusters, DreamWorks’ new animation How to Train Your Dragon 2, an elaborate film with a heartwarming story, is one of my favorites.
今年可謂“續集”年，許多電影的續集紛紛登上大熒幕：《美國隊長2:冬日戰士》，《超凡蜘蛛俠2》，《X戰警2：逆轉未來》都是不錯的大片。但是，這些高成本的科幻大片中，夢工廠新作《馴龍高手2》卻以其精良的製作和暖人的故事成爲我的最愛。
If 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon was a smash hit that showcased DreamWorks’ ability to make films equal in quality to Pixar, then this is a textbook example of how to do a sequel just right. How to Train Your Dragon 2 expands the universe established in the first film, adding new characters and worlds to explore, yet it still concentrates on telling a complete story centered on its main characters.
如果說2010年的《馴龍高手》令人眼前一亮，證明了夢工廠可與皮克斯匹敵的製作水平，那麼新上映的《馴龍高手2》則堪稱電影續集的“教科書”。《馴龍高手2》拓展了第一部的虛擬世界，加入了新角色與新領域，但故事仍然圍繞主要人物展開，情節完整，脈絡清晰。When we last left the Viking village of Berk, the teenaged Hiccup had convinced his ferocious father Stoick that dragons were not enemies but loving creatures to be embraced.
第一部結尾處，小嗝嗝成功令兇惡的父親接受了飛龍，相信龍不是敵人，而是一種可愛的生物。
Unfortunately, the evil Drago Bludvist disagrees. This time, he’s building a dragon army to destroy Berk and the secret dragon paradise created by Hiccup’s mother, Valka. A war seems inevitable and the consequences will be catastrophic.
不幸的是，大反派“瘋狂獵龍者”並不這麼認爲。續集裏，他組建起了一支飛龍軍隊，想要摧毀博克島以及小嗝嗝母親瓦爾加一手建立起來的祕密龍樂園。戰爭一觸即發，後果不堪設想。The first movie was a boy-and-his-pet story: Hiccup tames and raises a Night Fury dragon nicknamed Toothless. While the film celebrated the virtues of compassion and friendship, the sequel is a coming of age story in which Hiccup, now a young man in his 20s, struggles to find his place in a foggy future. And despite relying on familiar coming of age cliches, How to Train Your Dragon 2 provides a fresh angle, with an emotionally engaging story and characters.
《馴龍高手》講述了男孩與他寵物的故事，圍繞小嗝嗝如何訓練和飼養一隻綽號“無牙仔”的跟蹤類飛龍展開。相較於第一部讚美同情與友誼的主題，《馴龍高手2》是關於成長的故事，講述20歲已經成年的小嗝嗝如何在迷茫的未來中找到自己的位置。儘管有關成長故事的情節老掉牙了，《馴龍高手2》視角更加新穎，故事和人物則更具人情味。The film is also a visual masterpiece. It’s a journey that feels like flying on the back of a dragon — dramatic, breathtaking and a lot of fun — thanks to great 3-D direction by returning director Dean DeBlois. There are stunning scenes featuring different kinds of dragons, and large scale action set pieces showing careful attention to detail, such as the texture of leather or worn metal armor.
《馴龍高手2》也是一部視覺盛宴，一段讓觀衆身臨其境，彷彿也騎在龍背上一樣驚心動魄、卻又趣味盎然的旅程。這不得不歸功於二度掌鏡的導演迪恩•德布洛斯爲我們帶來的3D指導。其中，各種各樣令人驚豔的龍的畫面，以及很多大規模的動作場景都體現出影片對於細節的重視，比如龍皮膚逼真的質感，以及鎧甲的金屬感。Certainly, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a good film that can stand on its own. But in terms of franchise building, I can’t wait to see the next installment — not because I know what’s coming, but rather because I have no idea what to expect.
毋庸置疑，《馴龍高手2》本身就是一部不錯的影片，但就這個電影系列的發展來講，我還是迫不及待想要看下一部：不是因爲其中那些熟悉的舊人物，而是因爲它又將帶給我的新驚喜。
