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"How to Train Your Dragon 2" is the most popular film in China this week. The 3D animated feature centers on a Viking village Berk where people keep dragons as pets. With the grace of a cat, the loyalty of a dog and the merit of a flying ride, the imaginary beasts in the movie have won the hearts of many animal lovers. Like its 2010 prequel which gathered almost half a billion dollars from the global market, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" shows the same prospects in sales. Just a fortnight after hitting the global market, it has already replaced "Frozen" as the No.1 grossing animation film of the year. However, the prequel has been both a classic and a box office success, the new installment will only be a hot sale. The latest adaptation from British author Cressida Cowell's original book series also depicts the common personalities of the Vikings. Such features remain the source of frequent laughters throughout the story. On the one hand, the world could use a break from the modern way of living with too many safety precautions and too much planning-ahead, the reckless and adventurous spirits of the old Nordic people offer an onscreen escape, at least for 100 minutes. On the other hand, I'm afraid the repeated reference to cultural stereotypes may not be the best way to foster understanding. The new film is less effective in describing emotional bonds which made the 2010 story a classic. In "How to Train Your Dragon", remarkable efforts were made to describe how the boy hero established a trusting relationship with a dragon. There were also awkward father-and-son moments to suggest even the Vikings were capable of sentimental feelings. These quiet moments spoke volume. The 2014 sequel is considerably noisier, moments of emotional bond lasts no longer than the length of a Viking folksong. The focus seems to have been switched to a clash-of-the-titans-style dual between two tremendous alpha dragons, and a large-scale warfare featuring hundreds of the winged reptiles. The new film comes with an upgrade in visual thrill. The characters are lifted from the barrenness of the nordic village into a wonderland full of exotic vegetation and dragons. This weird combination of Avatar and Rio setting adds color to the story, but its emotional depth will remain in question.