DreamWorks has released the first HTTYD2 official movie poster! Though it hasn't really shown much that is new, it has made some really good things really clear!
Ok, first off, the texturing is really remarkable! Everything from the little threads of Hiccup's green shirt to the leather and armor to the scratches across Toothless is incredible! Just... wow! The image is bigger, so if you want to get a closer look, open it in a new window.
Next, Hiccup! So much is the same, yet so much is also so very different! He's certainly gotten a much cooler outfit, and you can even see his little insignia on the side of his helmet. His freckles are back! They were either missing or hard to see in the teaser. They are a little faded, but that actually does happen sometimes with aging. I am just glad they didn't give him perfect, super hero skin. He was so charming in the first film because he felt down to earth and human, so with his suit being souped up and his age increasing drastically, I worried that they would go way too far into the realm of action hero and lose the charm of the original Hiccup. I don't think we'll get that. Sure, he looks cool, but according to some clips from comic con, I am very convinced that he will have the same personality!
Oh, and then of course we can al see the beginnings of a beard. Yeah, he's older. I kind of like it, but really I am completely on the fence. I don't want him to get a full blown beard in the course of the films, but that little bit of scruff is SO realistic for a viking! Man! It is nice because it is their, it adds realism, I guess some people might like it, but at the same time it is not blatantly obvious! We still want to see him as the first movie Hiccup, just older, and if you made the facial hair too developed it would be too shocking. This scruff nails it perfectly.
Then Toothless! Wow! He has such a presence behind Hiccup. You really get that feeling of mystery and power that he displayed in the first film (and that we kind of lost in some episodes of RoB). I love how the whole frame of blackness shrouds around him and Hiccup and how Toothless is almost one with the shadows. Man, his eyes are gorgeously detailed! Even better than the first film, and they are so striking GREEN, and his scales are so strikingly BLACK (sorry, pet peeve. Can't stand blue Toothlesses with yellow eyes). His scales are covered with tiny scratches and scuffs. He's probably lived a pretty adventurous five years since the first film! That is just so fascinating to look at all the nicks and knocks in his those smooth black scales. Again, the realism is marvelous!
Probably the most notable new thing is the glow in Toothless's nostrils! Now that is interesting! We know he does not have that glow all the time (teaser trailer) but apparently his fire can flare up into his nostrils! Now, I am not sure what you think of that but I think it is very neat! Your nose and mouth are connected, so perhaps when wanting to be threatening or when feeling angry, Toothless might let off some steam with a snort. It gives a real feeling of burning power welling up inside of him, and we never saw that in the first film. Has he grown into his acetylene? Perhaps so! As a mature (I assume he is reaching maturity) Night Fury one can only imagine the power of his fire! I like that he can kind of flare it off with his nose, so overall I am very pleased with how the poster presents him.
Now, though we did not see any of the other characters or very much new info, this poster really, really enforces what I wanted it to enforce. This movie will focus on Hiccup and Toothless. Yes, I like the teens, I like Hiccup and Astrid, but Hiccup and Toothless are the characters that we really loved the first movie for, and I want the second one to center around them and their relationship every bit as much as the first one did. So, YAY! Hiccup and Toothless oriented poster! Now, one other interesting note, this picture is DARK! The whole surrounding is dark! Everything is shrouded in shadows, and it feels so mature! I mean, what other animated film has made this kind of a movie poster? Then toss in the new and mature looking HTTYD2 logo, and you have an excellent theatrical poster! I cannot wait for this film!
*Little addition to the above by AddyD:
I happened to notice, that the poster, that was officially released by Dreamworks on facebook differs in small details: The noose is closed and the borders are a little extended. Also the writings differ a little and the colors are less saturated. Oh... And you can see even more details. Just for the record: I can't wait for this film either!
