How to Train Your Dragon 3: What’s the story?
How to Train Your Dragon The Hidden World is the satisfying conclusion to the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. The series has captured children’s hearts for its magical premise that humans can not only befriend but actually train dragons to keep as friendly, noble pets.
After fighting seemingly insurmountable battles and fighting to prove his worth in the previous installments, our hero Hiccup (the voice of Jay Baruchel) finds himself somewhat awkwardly and hesitantly moving into manhood as the leader of Berk island. Hiccup has realized his vision of a utopia in which dragons and humans co-exist peacefully, but it has hit a hiccup: there are so many dragons receiving sanctuary that everybody is running out of room.
Worse, ruthless humans still want to see the dragons’ demise. Hiccup’s worst nightmare is Grimmel (the voice of F. Murray Abraham), a dragon hunter who has wiped out all the rare Night Fury dragons except Toothless, Hiccup’s dragon. When Grimmel breaches the island safe haven, it becomes clear to Hiccup that the only choice to keep the dragon’s safe is to leave. But where would they go?
Hiccup remembers a legend his father used to tell him, of a hidden world where dragons thrive, safe from humans who long to destroy them. It is this world they must find once more.
Against this backdrop of dramatic transitions, something remarkable happens: Toothless falls in love with a female dragon who could be his perfect mate. As Toothless woos her with some hilarious consequences (a mating dance that is the movie’s highlight), Hiccup begins to wonder if he’ll lose his best friend to love.
Reflections on How to Train Your Dragon The Hidden World
A strong story helps differentiate How to Train Your Dragon The Hidden World from most threequels. Stunning visuals also help make this third movie in the franchise a real accomplishment. With the guidance of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, the set pieces in this movie are gorgeous and created with a naturalness and subtlety that show true mastery of the art form.
Romantic chemistry could have been stronger here. The awkwardness of Hiccup’s relationship with girlfriend Astrid (the voice of America Ferrera) is believable, but there aren’t enough moments of real tenderness to reveal their true love. Also, the movie could have ended a bit sooner, leaving more mystery about the dragons for children to ponder.
Still, this isn’t Puff the Magic Dragon. I won’t be giving away too much by saying that the movie ends on a happier note. Given some scary battle scenes, I would recommend that this movie could best be enjoyed by eight and up.
