Of course, this score a stunner, John Powell is flat!

Had there because someone else expected? John Powell has delivered with How To Train Your Dragon his best score for his two Kung Fu Pand soundtracks. No wonder the music was nominated for an Oscar, but unfortunately lost. But the Oscar jury eh little idea of ​​good film music, even if I look at The Social Network as also good film music. Anyway, Powell has long been one of my favorite composers: His work with Harry Gregson-Williams on Antz and Chicken Run, Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2 and of course the two How To Train Your Dragon parts are simply a proof of these passionate, talented composers.
Despite the success of How To Train Your Dragon was very large and therefore it was very difficult to compose a just continuation. But I had after his second Kung Fu Panda score no doubt that Powell also copes with this task with flying colors!

The music for the film offers a lot of things: The high number of beautiful themes and the rousing power that brings Powell from the orchestra. Both are also represented here, of course.
Logically Powell took all threads started by its predecessor and makes them fresh and new into her music. From massive Berk theme, to the heroic friendship theme of Hiccup and Toothless, is again doing everything. Especially the first title Dragon Racing is a perfect mix of all issues of the first part and at the same time a wonderful introduction to this sequel.
But for coming course many new issues: First, we have the really beautiful and mystical theme for Hicks mother, just in Flying With Mother the piece shines in a very nice version!
Then we have the dark theme for Drago, led by a male choir (Meet Drago).
A highlight is the love motive for Haudrauf and his wife. Representing this especially of course the Song For The Dancing And The Dreaming, on the one hand very funny, but also beautiful at the same time (Gerard Butler's voice is really great), surprised me not only in the film.
Otherwise, it creates Powell but to create small motifs that blow me away, the best example for the white Alpha (Losing Mom / Meet The Good Alpha).

Who knows, Part 1, which is may be thinking that it reproduces many bombastic moments here. But the battle in the middle of the film (Battle Of The Bewilderbeast and Hiccup Confronts Drago) or the rousing finale (Alpha Comes To Berk, Toothless Found and Two New Alphas), a goosebumps moment follows the next. But in the quieter phases Powell has the right feeling for the right sound. Stoick Saves Hiccup or Stoick's Ship are good evidence of the tragedy that has gotten in the film only through the music a big impact.

As a conclusion one has here the great song Where No One Goes, which is much better, unlike the first part, just because a part of Powell's score is mixed into the song, gorgeous!

Conclusion: At 68 minutes, the score is a little shorter, but high at least at the same level as its predecessor. For me it is already clear that this soundtrack in a few years will be as timeless for me, as Part 1 and so many others of Powell's work. How To Train Your Dragon 2 met in my eyes all expectations, it exceeds some places and not only as a film music again a highlight of the year!