×

‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ does franchise justice by providing lots of laughs

This image released by Universal Pictures shows characters Toothless, left, and Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World." (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP)

Goodbye Berk. After nearly a decade, the “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy comes to an end with a concluding film that does the series justice. “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” satisfies the dragon-lover in all of us.

As the Viking village of Berk continues to fill with dragons, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his best friend Toothless the Night Fury, seek to find the mythical Lost World, a home to all dragons. This search proves to be more urgent when a legendary dragon hunter plans to lure Toothless in by using a female Light Fury that captures Toothless’ heart.

Although it is not as good as its processors, this film is still a notch above most animated movies. In other words, it is the third best in the trilogy. The film’s main fault is an average narrative. The first two films felt so fluid while this one was clunky. Additionally, the villain this time was so boring and dull. His motivation was nonexistent, making him a very flat character in a vibrant world.

The animation in this film in incredible, with beautiful environments and even more appealing dragons. From the new and improved Berk to the colorful Lost World, the film was full of gorgeous visuals. In one scene in particular, the sand on a beach actually looked like the real stuff. The attention to every detail, including little sand particles, really shows how much care the animators put into their work.

Pleasingly, there are as many laughs as there are dragons; that’s a whole lot of laughs. From the excellent running jokes to the very humorous body language of the dragons, both children and adults will be having a good time. Certainly, it is the funniest of three.

The film does manage to further develop Hiccup, and more specifically the relationship between him and Toothless. From when we were first introduced to Hiccup, he has grown so much, and he continues to change in this film. In a way, his character arc gives off a feel of a coming-of-age story. Hiccups interactions with Toothless are the film’s most heartwarming moments that makes it all the more difficult to watch the trilogy end.

For those who have loved the first two installments, this is a must see. “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is a fitting conclusion to the beloved franchise. It is a movie that will leave you satisfied, while also sad to see Hiccup, Toothless, and company leave. I sure am going to miss not hearing “This is Berk” anymore.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today