Movie Review: “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” offers a fitting conclusion to the franchise

Movie Review: “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

An outstanding animated franchise that began in 2010 comes to a heartfelt and fitting close with the vibrant, colorful, warm, and poignant sendoff “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.” Is the third time the charm where this series is concerned? I don’t know that I’d go that far, but this is definitely a solid conclusion.

In “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” all is well in Berk, a village where humans and dragons live side by side in near perfect harmony. It is here that chief Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his unwavering bond with a lovable Night Fury dragon called Toothless continues to flourish. The plot thickens, however, with the arrival of a Light Fury, a female dragon that quickly catches the eye of Hiccup’s best pal. It isn’t long before an inevitable (and supremely adorable) courtship begins to blossom.

Matters are further complicated when a new foe comes to town, a tyrant of a dragonslayer called Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), bringing Hiccup to the realization that perhaps he and his people are no longer safe in a land they’ve called home for generations.

So the people of Berk (including Hiccup, Astrid, Gobber, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Fishlegs, and Valka) attempt to come up with a game plan in which they and the creatures they protect might relocate to a mythical dragon utopia called the Hidden World. The journey will be a long one, though, and Grimmel will do whatever he can to stay on their trail.

Dean DeBlois returns to the writing and directing chair to finish what he started. It was previously thought that this franchise might stretch to as many as five films, but DeBlois has wisely decided to make “The Hidden World” the end of the journey, meaning that fans can expect closure. They can also expect stellar animation, laughs, charm, heart, and wonderful vocal work by the likes of Baruchel, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Wiig, Abraham, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, Kit Harrington, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” does struggle at times to give its many characters something substantial to do. Of the supporting characters, Ruffnut (voiced by an appropriately manic Kristen Wiig) probably fares best in a subplot that finds her using her natural chatterbox obnoxiousness to try and talk her way out of imprisonment. On the baddie front, Abraham brings an amusing accent and dry wit to this film’s primary antagonist, but Grimmel isn’t particularly dynamic or menacing.

At the end of the day, though, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is all about the character beats, most notably in the pivotal relationship between Hiccup and Toothless. After all, this is really a tale of friendship, looking to the future, and making the toughest of sacrifices for those we love. This is also quite clearly the story of a boy becoming and man, and all of these themes truly come to fruition in this picture, particularly in an incredibly emotional and wholly satisfying final 15 minutes. Kudos to DeBlois and company on a trilogy well done.

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