How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Is A Solid But Predictable End

Trilogy films tend to gain very divisive opinions, especially in animation. And the How to Train Your Dragon franchise has officially joined the trilogy club with its swan song, titled How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

One year after defending Berk from Drago, Hiccup and Toothless continue to rescue captured dragons in order to bring them back to Berk and create a bustling dragon and human utopia. Unfortunately, their efforts have also resulted in the island becoming severely overpopulated with dragons. In a response to the overcrowding, Hiccup desires to find the “Hidden World,” a safe haven for dragons that his late father Stoick told him about. Meanwhile, they encounter a white Fury (dubbed a “Light Fury” by Astrid) dragon, which captures Toothless’ heart, and plays a vital role in the story.

While this is definitely an end to a trilogy, I didn’t get nearly as emotionally invested in Hidden World as I did with HTTYD2 though.

The cast, which has always been this franchise’s greatest strength, was as on point as ever.

Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera as Hiccup and Astrid respectively, have great chemistry and felt like a couple who have been together forever. Cate Blanchett returning as Valka was great, albeit in a much smaller role this time around. Gerard Butler returns as Stoic in a few brief cameos but undoubtedly left his mark. F. Murray Abraham is delightfully evil as Grimmel the Grisly. And rounding up rest of the cast is Craig Ferguson as Gobber the Belch

Jonah Hill as Snotlout Jorgenson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs Ingerman

Kit Harington as Eret, Kristen Wiig as Ruffnut Thorston, with Justin Rupple doing his best (and I say this with a cringe) T.J. Miller impersonation as Tuffnut Thorston.

Visually, director Dean DeBlois brought his A-game. There was an exquisite palette of colors on display, which help to easily communicate the plethora of emotions in each scene. Animation-wise, it’s Dreamworks at its finest.

The bombastic score was nothing to sneeze at either, I can hear it in my head as I am writing this review.

The story felt natural, but a little too predictable for my taste. If you have seen any movie ever, and have a discerning eye, you’ll know what I am talking about.

Hidden World, like Part 2, is not a movie you can just jump into. There is a ton of lore established at the very beginning. Hiccup is a developed leader with all of his accomplishments well on display and while that is not a bad thing in and of itself, it can definitely alienate viewers unfamiliar with the previous movies.  

I know I keep referencing Part 2, but it was just the better movie in this trilogy; there were a lot of things left on the cutting room floor that could have made How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World a better film, but as is… it’s just fine.

I give How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Dreamworks, PG, 1hr 44mins) a 3.5 out of 5.