At first this may come
shocking, but I feel for this season, this has got to be the best animated
movie. “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is great to look at, an
emotional film about friendship and a really believable love story. This is the
third film in a franchise that kids love for its high energy and so many cute,
scary, flying creatures. Even though it has a nice charm of modern animation,
it also has storytelling methods that goes back to Nordic myth. There are
dangerous warlords, a king wanting marriage, hidden worlds of great creatures
and love dances by the shore.
The protagonist Hiccup,
voiced by Jay Baruchel, is now a little older and still in charge of the
Vikings who have become renowned dragon riders, in a solitary island called
Berk. His dream is to have humans and dragons living in the same world.
However, there is a villain that comes along that is a vicious dragon hunter
named Grimmel, voiced by F. Murray Abraham, who wants to kidnap Hiccup’s dragon
friend and leader of the pack, Toothless. If you remember, Toothless is a rare
dragon called a Night Fury. Grimmel has killed every other Night Fury and with
Toothless killed, he will have completed his mission. However, after rescuing
captured dragons from a hunters’ ship, Toothless falls in love with a Light
Fury. Now Hiccup has to help Toothless learn how to be romantic with the Light
Fury. Not only do we have romance with the dragons, but somewhere else. Hiccup
starts getting talks of marriage, and he thinks if Astrid, voiced by America
Ferrera, might be ready to marry him and be the Viking king and queen everyone
wants. However, they can’t think about weddings with Grimmel shows up,
threatening all of Berk and eyeing Toothless. Hiccup takes a stand and says
they need to leave and find a hidden world of dragons his father, the late
Stoick (Gerard Butler) told him when he was a child (A.J. Kane). If they can
find it, both dragons and Vikings might finally live peacefully.
Alci Rengifo said in
her review, “Animated films tend to veer from the hastily slapped together to
works of true artistry. What has made the “How to Train Your Dragon” series
notable and a lot of fun is how it merges innocent fun with cinematic craft.”
Based on a novel series by Cressida Cowell, the first movie released in 2010
surprisingly was huge, introducing Hiccup as a younger teen, first meeting
Toothless and not wanting to be a dragon slayer. This sequel changes the
franchise into a relatable coming-of-age story. Like the first two movies being
directed by Dean DeBlois, he also is the writer. DeBlois makes sure everything
is just as engaging, but with more adult topics. He opens with a loud and
hilarious attack on a ship with caged dragons, as Hiccup, Astrid and their
friends like Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig) and Tuffnut (Justin Rupple) start a huge
fight with some, usual mistakes. Visually we get great, nice new dragons
including a herd of new dragons introduced to Berk, including some dangerous
cute goblins that scare Gobber, voiced by Craig Ferguson. Rengifo said, “This
is a movie of small and large delights, from immense beasts who roar and stomp
to tiny ones you might find floating in a soup pot.” The characters we have
really loved from this trilogy are back, including Snotlout (Jonah Hill), with
his huge ego and disturbing crush on Hiccup’s mother Valka (Cate Blanchett).
Rengifo said, “There are gorgeous vistas as the dragon riders cross the sky and
Nordic charm as big warriors with horned helmets clink glasses and pound steel.
Returning as visual consultant is master cinematographer Roger Deakins, who
helps give scenes a look akin to classic paintings about the Middle Ages. The
actual hidden dragon world is a luminous wonder, part “Avatar” and part
“Excalibur.””
However, as a story, “The
Hidden World” gives audiences more than just amazing visuals. The main story is
the romance between Toothless and the Light Fury. Rengifo noted, “DeBlois
introduces this material beautifully, with moments of endearing comedy and
romantic flourishes that are more elegant than anything in “The Notebook.”” We
see that dragons have mating dances, and it is sincere, uplifting hilarity when
Toothless tries his best by a lake in front of a confused Light Fury. She’s not
an easy one and is animated with a nice combination of toughness and
friendliness. There is a nice message in “The Hidden World” about love between
equals, and similarly Light Fury isn’t a damsel in distress, as isn’t Astrid,
who is written as a real lover for Hiccup, not just as the usual, animated
heroine who needs to be saved. A nice lesson by the end is that the warrior
women have to save the doubting men. Rengifo said, “But there is indeed
glorious, mythical romance in this movie, with scenes between Toothless and
Light Fury that are enrapturing as they fly through storm clouds, bond in mist
and shyly get closer to each other.” Everything comes together into a huge
story about friendship by the end, and the undeniable changes that come with
age. There is a part by a rocky shore near the end that audiences might cry at,
if not get teary-eyed.
As with so many fantasies,
along with the romance there is great action. Rengifo noted, ““The Hidden
World” has sequences of almost operatic, Wagnerian breadth as Hiccup faces off
with Grimmel amid flames and crashing ships, then while riding dragons high in
the sky. Grimmel is that classic, Nordic warlord terror from countless Viking
tales, fashioned here for one of the year’s best family entertainments. The
music by John Powell gives it all life with orchestral majesty.”
I agree with Rengifo
when she said, “It’s rare to find a good film that caters to the more
developed, artistic sensibilities of adult viewers and the simple pleasure kids
seek at the movies.” “The Hidden World” has both with so much humor and heart.
My brother didn’t think
this was the best of the three because he felt this followed a predictable
plot, the villain being alright and at least wrapping everything up by the end.
I, however, thought this is the best of the trilogy. If you loved the first
two, you should not miss your chance
to see this film in theaters. Go out and see it because it is an absolute must.
Thank you on joining in
on this review today; check in Friday when I continue “Conan Month.”
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