Packing an emotional wallop to go along with draw dropping animation, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World places a very satisfying bow on what must be one of the best cinema trilogies.
When Dreamworks Animation first made its mark with Antz back in 1998, hopes were high that this would be the competition needed to take on the mighty Pixar. The brainchild of movie executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, music executive David Geffen, and iconic filmmaker Steve Spielberg, Dreamworks’ filmography has been inconsistent at best, with every Shrek and Kung-Fu Panda met with a Shark Tale or Megamind. Yet through the highs and lows, a jewel in the Dreamworks crown has emerged: the How to Train your Dragon franchise, with this third feature The Hidden World a rousing and spectacular example of big screen, big feel animation done with skill and heart.
Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, this third and final entry again focuses on the relationship between progressive Viking chieftain Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon companion Toothless. When a new threat in the form of dragon hunter Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) forces the Viking village of Berk to find a new home, Hiccup and Toothless must find a way to fight back while also struggling to stay together, after Toothless finds love in the form of an elusive mate.
With every entry in this series, DeBlois has masterfully matured not only his characters but the tone of the How to Train Your Dragon films. As the situations faced by Hiccup, Toothless, and company become more serious in nature, so to do the stakes ramp up and the audience buy into this world that although fantastical, is very much human with its real-world implications. Where the second entry perhaps was a tad too dark in theme, …The Hidden World perfectly balances the serious with the adventurous to make for a movie both adults and children can enjoy. DeBlois allows a little more fun to breathe within this world where young adults going to battle on dragons should conjure spirited adventure. And like a world class musician who knows his instrument, DeBlois knows when to hold those sombre notes as well. To call …The Hidden World an emotional ride is an understatement. This is a film that will rouse your spirits, tickle your funny bone, and break your heart with equal measure.
Then come the visuals. “Jaw dropping” is the operative term to describe the excellent animation on hand here. From cinematographer Gil Zimmerman (Puss in Boots) down to the excellent visual effects and animation work, …The Hidden World exemplifies the masterful strides taken in the animation medium. Whether the landscape be land, sea, or air, whether the character be human or beast, the visual animation work presented here is not only fantastic, it is ground breaking.
After a strong animation class in 2018, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World has placed the bar high for the films of 2019 to live up to. What a way to start the new cinema year!
