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In the nine years since audiences first traveled to the village of Berk in How to Train Your Dragon, a lot has changed for the Vikings who live there. No longer afraid of dragons, they now live in harmony with the great winged creatures. But in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, a new enemy threatens their peaceful existence.
The third and final film in the trilogy catches up with Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) as he’s settling into life as the young chief of Berk. Hiccup and his friends have created the perfect dragon-Viking utopia, which they’ve filled with dragons that they continue to rescue from trappers. But that makes them a target for dragon hunter Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), who sets his sights on Toothless. And in order to keep his village and their dragons safe, Hiccup sets out to find The Hidden World, where they can all live in peace.
As the Dragon trilogy comes to a close, a young adult Hiccup is forced to learn a lot about himself. No longer the teen who isn’t interested in his father’s goals and expectations, Hiccup has become the leader that he was always meant to be—but he’s making it work on his own terms. Still, there’s something inside him that isn’t ready to embrace his future—and as he fights to save the dragons he loves, he struggles to find confidence in himself.
This, of course, makes for more than just a silly, playful movie for kids. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World may have its share of action and adventure and laughs, too, but it’s all built on an emotional story about finding your way and making tough decisions. Though some of the characters are far from sophisticated, the story itself is, and that makes for a surprising number of scenes of quiet drama that tend to drag a bit (especially for younger viewers). But those are also some of the scenes that are the most visually stunning, too—with imaginative settings and phosphorescence. And while the drama leading up to the emotional conclusion isn’t flawless, it might sometimes make you forget that you’re not watching a Pixar movie.
Fans of the series will find that How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a fitting conclusion for Hiccup and Toothless. Just don’t forget to bring the tissues—because there’s a very good chance that you’ll need them.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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