Directed by Dean DeBlois
Starring Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, and Cate Blanchett
I cried. Ugly cried. A lot. And it's not the last time a film will do that to me this year I assure you. I just want to get that off my chest.
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a wonderful film that brings this trilogy to an amazing, heartfelt conclusion. The film takes place a year after its predecessor. Hiccup (Baruchel), Toothless and friends work endlessly rescuing dragons from trappers, and bringing them back to their home. The Island of Berk has become a wonderful yet overcrowded viking-dragon utopia.
Due to the surplus population, Hiccup wishes to the find The Hidden World, the mysterious homeland of dragons. His dreams however will soon have to be made a reality. A group of warlords, wishing to control the alpha dragon, Toothless, and therefore all dragons, hire dragon hunter Grimmel The Grisly (F. Murray Abraham) to capture him. After Grimmel pays a not-so nice visit to The Island of Berk, Chief Hiccup convinces the citizens of Berk to abandon their home on a quest to The Hidden World. Thus begins a mass exodus of dragons and vikings. Meanwhile, Toothless falls in love with the mysterious dragon know as the Light Fury.
The story is simple and in some ways, you know where it's going to land, this being the last film of the series. That's because this trilogy has been carefully plotted from the beginning, and it doesn't hurt any less when the credits start to roll. God it hurts so much but I love it…The relationship between Hiccup and Toothless has been scripted so well across three films. We've seen them work and grow together, and this film deals with how their friendship can survive as life pulls them in different directions. It's an incredibly relatable and emotional story.
The animation in this series has always been spectacular but my God, how much has the technology changed the past ten years. This film is gorgeous. I saw this on a large-format screen and I was in awe at every detail, from the scales on the dragons, the sands on the beaches, to the clouds in the skies. I almost began to question if what I was watching was live-action. The shots where there are hundreds of different types of dragons are incredible, with so many different designs on screen. The filmmakers got really creative illustrating so many distinct looking creatures at once. It's almost sensory overload.
This series has always had one of the best-assembled voice-casts for an animated film. Jay Baruchel once again gives an amazing heartfelt performance as Hiccup combined with his style of dry humor. America Ferrera and Cate Blanchett provide plenty of warmth and wisdom in their supporting roles. The supporting cast is again very funny but not overused. Actually, weirdly, TJ Miller's Ruffnut gets a lot of attention. Well, he's not voiced by TJ Miller anymore, instead comedian and impersonator Justin Rupple took his place, because of Miller's…many issues. Rupple does a good job recreating his voice, but it's still just a weird story choice to give Ruffnut more screen time. Maybe because Baruchel and Miller co-starred in She's Out Of My League, so it seemed like a good idea at the time? Jonah Hill's Snotlout of Kit Harrington's Eret maybe would have worked better for the role, but I guess Miller had already done all of his dialogue and they already completed the animation, so they worked with what they had and Rupple just did an ADR performance. Anyway, I've already given too much attention to this minor detail.
Let's talk about the film's villain Grimmel. Abraham gives a very sinister and likable performance, and to be honest, this was the first time in a long time as a viewer, I saw a villain in animated film as an actual threat (Recent Disney & Pixar villains don't count because they're always hiding until the third-act). The scene where he and Hiccup first meet is actually chilling. However, his motivations are kinda thin. He's out for power over dragons, much like Drago in How To Train Your Dragon 2, though I'm not sure which character works more as a villain. At the end of the day, he's just an adversary for Hiccup and Toothless to defeat. At the same time however, he's a very real antagonist. He sees a species/type of creature (dragons) he doesn't like or understand, therefore wishes to control and/or eradicate them. That's actually pretty resonating for our times. You know what? Maybe he is a good villain…
Last thing I want to say is that John Powell, the man behind the music for the whole trilogy, once again delivers a powerhouse soundtrack. Honestly, I kind of want to sue him for the emotional attack his music inflicted on me. Those who have seen the film, know what I'm talking about.
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a beautiful conclusion to perhaps one of the best film trilogies of all time. It stands toe-to-toe with the Toy Story trilogy, which many consider to be the gold standard of an animated film trilogy…Yes I know there's a fourth one out in a few months, and a fourth How To Train Your Dragon is always a possibility because Hollywood. These films will stand the test of time due to their powerful themes of growing up, sacrifice, loss, and the relationships that define us. These are themes that resonate with audiences of all ages, and ensure a film will have an impact that can last a lifetime. Gorgeous animation, wonderful characters, and a timeless story make The Hidden World, dare I say, one of the best films of the year so far.
And I'm just going to put it out there right now…I know we haven't seen Toy Story 4 or Frozen 2 yet, but we all know very well it's going to come down to these three at the Oscars for Best Animated Film, and I want this to win. It'd be a win for the whole How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, considering the first lost to Toy Story 3 (tough year), and the second one had its Oscar stolen, yes I said STOLEN, by Big Hero 6. Also, if Alan Silversti didn't just turn in like, his best work for Avengers: Endgame, I'd say give John Powell an Oscar too next year. Also also, I am damn not ready to talk about Endgame…
Maybe after My Top 10 Films of 2012, 2018, and a review of Shazam, but right now…damn not ready.
If you'd like to hear me speak about the production of the first film, click here to watch my presentation from the BCAT (Burlington Cable Access Television) Cinema Series.
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