“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
In its third and final part, “How to Train Your Dragon” follows the growth of Viking hero Hiccup and his dragon steed, Toothless—but everything they’ve worked for is threatened by a new villain bent on destroying their vaunted human-dragon “utopia.”
In “The Hidden World,” young Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and his dragon-riding crew conduct raids to free reptilian creatures from their human captors.
After successfully liberating a group of dragons in its most recent mission, Hiccup is unaware that a hunter, Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), has been dispatched to take care of his thriving community.
This lone agent, aided by a handful of drugged, mighty dragons, is certainly no pushover, and his specialty is hunting Night Furies—which is exactly what Toothless is.
Toothless, the dragons’ “alpha,” leads Berk’s diverse, friendly monsters. But he’s distracted by the appearance of another Night Fury—a white female that the Vikings dub “Light Fury” that immediately shows its attraction to its potential mate.
A scene from “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
But with new threats popping up, Hiccup is seriously considering looking for the fabled Hidden World, where dragons can live freely and in peace.
This third film, still directed by Dean DeBlois, is a bittersweet finale for this trilogy, emphasizing once more the bonds of family—whether in the traditional human sense, or when referring to its precious person-animal rapport.
While it isn’t as exciting or as visually resplendent as the previous film, where Hiccup’s long-lost mom, Valka (Cate Blanchett), is introduced, “The Hidden World” manages to push the characters forward to the next phase of their lives: Hiccup considers tying the knot with Astrid (America Ferrera), his fellow dragon rider, while Toothless wishes to pursue the similarly smitten dragoness.
“How to Train Your Dragon” is unique in the plethora of big-screen animated features because of its high-flying, massive adventures, following a straightforward, underdog hero saga that utilizes and explores themes of heroism, family and change.
The meticulously designed dragons and environments of this film are awe-inspiring and consistent, meshing well with its final story. All good things must come to an end, indeed, especially since it’s bound to repeat its storylines if it continues. There’s a good sense of finality, a proper ending for the heroes of Berk that will suffice—for now.