Now Showing: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

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With many fans rejoicing after Toothless defeated the Alpha of the dragons in the previous installment of “How to Train Your Dragon,” it was no surprise that the final movie, “The Hidden World,”  highlights his return and the fulfillment of a king. Part three of the series serves as a fitting ending for the story of the relationship between humans and dragons.

The movie begins with a scene in Berk, where Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) has taken over the position of chief after the death of his father.  Hiccup’s native city seems to be overpopulated with a large amount of unique dragons and humans, garnering lots of attention from outside meances. After the famed night fury hunter Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) threatens the city with two acidic dragons that have the capabilities to destroy entire buildings, the chief feels compelled to move the citizens of Berk to “The Hidden World.”

Through stunning visual images, the film offers picturesque scenes of a fictionalized viking world. The vivid colors of the landscape and the refurbishment of graphics were certainly improvements from the previous movie, as each character seemed to have sharper physical characteristics, contributing to the vibrancy of every scene.

This was especially evident when Astrid (America Ferrera) and Hiccup first travel through the Hidden World, as the normal dragons seem to change color through traveling in this mystical place. The intricate designs of the small dragon hatchlings left me in awe, a wonderfully creative way to describe the origin of the mythical beings.

Also, the character development of newly introduced Bright Fury intertwines with Toothless and his growth as a mature dragon was refreshing and new, as the previous films never touched upon the Night Fury’s personal life. This interaction between the two dragons serves as a humorous aspect of the film, as Toothless’s awkward personality and inability to control his body was new content absent from the previous two films. These scenes were enjoyable and embellished with the explicit views and sounds of nature, where both dragons met the most often.

The film also showcases flashbacks of Stoick (Gerard Butler), Hiccup’s late father and the previous chief of Berk, who had died in the previous movie. These nostalgic moments allowed for the audience to clearly realize Hiccup’s ideals and goals, without prior knowledge of the previous two films. For the avid fan, these short clips of the late chief allows them to reminisce over a beloved character.

However, this third installment seems to rush toward the conclusion, only featuring places like Berk and The Hidden World in only one or two scenes. Because the film was only 90 minutes, I found myself disappointed due to the brevity of the movie, expecting more.

Although this film had left me hanging for more action, “How to Train Your Dragon 3” proved to be an appropriate conclusion of the fictitious story between dragon and viking.