续集电影成功的"教科书"范例
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.
今年可谓“续集”年，许多电影的续集纷纷登上大荧幕：《美国队长2:冬日战士》，《超凡蜘蛛侠2》，《X战警2：逆转未来》都是不错的大片。但是，这些高成本的科幻大片中，梦工厂新作《驯龙高手2》却以其精良的制作和暖人的故事成为我的最爱。
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.
如果说2010年的《驯龙高手》令人眼前一亮，证明了梦工厂可与皮克斯匹敌的制作水平，那么新上映的《驯龙高手2》则堪称电影续集的“教科书”。《驯龙高手2》拓展了第一部的虚拟世界，加入了新角色与新领域，但故事仍然围绕主要人物展开，情节完整，脉络清晰。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.
第一部结尾处，小嗝嗝成功令凶恶的父亲接受了飞龙，相信龙不是敌人，而是一种可爱的生物。
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“疯狂猎龙者”并不这么认为。续集里，他组建起了一支飞龙军队，想要摧毁博克岛以及小嗝嗝母亲瓦尔加一手建立起来的秘密龙乐园。战争一触即发，后果不堪设想。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.
《驯龙高手》讲述了男孩与他宠物的故事，围绕小嗝嗝如何训练和饲养一只绰号“无牙仔”的跟踪类飞龙展开。相较于第一部赞美同情与友谊的主题，《驯龙高手2》是关于成长的故事，讲述20岁已经成年的小嗝嗝如何在迷茫的未来中找到自己的位置。尽管有关成长故事的情节老掉牙了，《驯龙高手2》视角更加新颖，故事和人物则更具人情味。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.
《驯龙高手2》也是一部视觉盛宴，一段让观众身临其境，仿佛也骑在龙背上一样惊心动魄、却又趣味盎然的旅程。这不得不归功于二度掌镜的导演迪恩•德布洛斯为我们带来的3D指导。其中，各种各样令人惊艳的龙的画面，以及很多大规模的动作场景都体现出影片对于细节的重视，比如龙皮肤逼真的质感，以及铠甲的金属感。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，《驯龙高手2》本身就是一部不错的影片，但就这个电影系列的发展来讲，我还是迫不及待想要看下一部：不是因为其中那些熟悉的旧人物，而是因为它又将带给我的新惊喜。
