As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as v...
The Hidden World reveals the hardship of parting ways through fantastical animation. Its predecessors are among the best of the best when it comes to family adventure flicks. Packing emotional heft, boasting colourful characters whilst also delivering large scaled winged battles. My one and only hope this year, would be that the final entry to this wonderful trilogy concludes the story of Hiccup and Toothless satisfyingly. Well, whilst this is the weakest of the three, I'm glad to report back that this conclusion was stunning and cements this fire-breathing trilogy as one of the most accessible for everyone. Hiccup, now rescuing dragons after turning Berk into a dragon and human utopia, comes face-to-face with the infamous dragon hunter Grimmel who wishes to capture Toothless. To do this, they use a "Light Fury" as bait to lure Toothless in whilst he helplessly falls in love with her.
I cannot state enough just how perfect these characters are and how fleshed out their development is, Hiccup in particular. We see him grow up from a timid boy to a leading chief, with this film exploring the themes of maturity and love. The beauty of the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless, is that they mimic each other's personalities and growth. Toothless encounters the "Light Fury" and realises where his place in life is, and simultaneously enables Hiccup to come to the same realisation. They are both experiencing love, an overwhelming feeling that can change one's motive instantly. Throughout all of the dangers and menacing antagonists that life throws at these two, they each have a place and become conscious to the fact that they are unable to coexist in the same world. It makes for an absurdly powerful ending that (I shan't lie) did make me shed a tear or two.
The story itself, whilst essentially a rehash of the second chapter, enables the Berkians and the dragons to be at the forefront, further establishing their friendships as a giant family. Grimmel fortunately had more backstory and memorability in comparison to Drago, enhancing his menacing demeanour. The voice acting remained consistent as usual, with Abraham and Wiig being the stand outs. However, yet again, the animation reigns champion. Absolutely gorgeous. From the various character models to the bustling environments, it is clear that this is DreamWorks' best. When Hiccup and Astrid enter the "Hidden World" for the first time, it gave me goosebumps. The vivid colours and pure imagination that went into making that majestic fantastical world was awe-inspiring. DeBlois' sweeping directing style further emphasises the magic of this world, with looming shots as the pair graciously fly through illuminated caverns. Just, watch it on the biggest screen possible, it will overwhelm you.
As with most third chapters in a series, the freshness does wear off quickly and starts to become stale. Unfortunately there are times when this entry does hover with its story rather than flying high, particularly during the second act. And, as much as I hate comparing, it is no where near as emotional impactful as the previous two films despite me shedding a tear (God damn that second film broke me). Also felt that Valka was side-lined and almost fully neglected, given her beautiful development in the previous film. A few criticisms here and there, but that's only because this is such a stupendous trilogy. Heart, thrills and genuine moments of laughter. This adventure has it all, and I couldn't think of a better ending. T'was perfect.
