“There were dragons when I was a boy. Where they lived, only a few know. Our story changed the world forever.”
“How to Train Your Dragon” is one of the most popular animated series of the past decade, loved by audiences and critics alike. The series spans two feature films, an animated television series, multiple video game adaptations and countless fans. The series likes to take time between each entry in the main series of movies, with four to five years separating each.
Now that it has been five years since “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” the third film in the franchise is releasing, promising to bring a satisfying conclusion to the story of Hiccup, Toothless and the Vikings of Berk.
With expectations high for “The Hidden World,” does it deliver a good ending to the series or is it simply trying to cash in on fans’ love for the franchise?
One year has passed since the ending of “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” Hiccup has fully accepted his role as chief of the Viking village Berk, creating a Viking-dragon utopia. Their home is threatened, however, by other Viking tribes who wish to either capture dragons or kill them. When an especially threatening dragon hunter sets his eyes on Berk, Hiccup and his friends must decide if it actually possible for dragons and humans to live together in peace.
Sadly, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” doesn’t live up to the rest of the series. This was one of the most cliché films that I have ever seen, which is especially disappointing when the past two films in the franchise were so great.
The film doesn’t give good reasons for any of the events to be happening. There are multiple times where the main characters or the villain could accomplish their goals but don’t, because if they did, the film would only be half an hour long and there wouldn’t be a movie.
The villain is simply a rehash of the villain from “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” He is incredibly cliché, giving no valid reason for doing what he does other than that he “hates the dragons.” All good villains have a good backstory, but sadly, this one did not.
“The Hidden World” really wants you to be emotional that the series is ending but doesn’t earn it at all. While the events at the end of the film should be sad, the set-up for them is awful. There is no good reason for the events to occur other than for emotional impact.
The fact that the story is so forgettable and cliché is made even sadder when you look at the film’s animation. “The Hidden World” has some of the best animation I have ever seen in film. Little details such as fire, sand and hair stand out, showing how much time and love the animators put into the film.
The film features great performances by the entire cast, but sadly, no vocal performance could save this film from its story.
“The Hidden World” also has an amazing score by John Powell which is wasted on such a lackluster film.
Overall, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is like a shiny new apple infested with worms. It looks great on the outside but once you get into it, there’s nothing but gross disappointment. Even though it features breathtaking animation, a wonderful score and fantastic performances, the awful story of “The Hidden World” keeps the film from being anything but average. Don’t let this film manipulate your emotions; just skip it.
2.5/5 Stars
