The “How to Train Your Dragon” (HTTYD) series has sadly come to an end with the release of the latest film “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” on Feb. 22. This hour and 44-minute movie neatly ties up all loose ends while enticing audiences with breathtaking animation, multi-dimensional characters and great story progression. The HTTYD franchise is successful, and all three movies have ratings above 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The newest film has a rating of 93 percent.
This movie deserves the great rating. The animation is astoundingly beautiful. The animators took the time to animate the wind ruffling fur on cloaks, little nicks in the metal on armor and faded scars on the dragons. This attention to little details changes the whole dynamic of the movie. The scenery and background art is also beautifully animated. One of my favorite scenes is when the dragon riders are flying through the clouds over the ocean. You can see the clouds and wind sliding off the wings and equipment so smoothly, making you feel as if you are in the sky with them.
Another aspect that makes this movie stand out is the characters and the natural development of the story. At this point, the characters all have a great dynamic and are consistent in their development as individuals and as a team. Additionally, the characters are truly interesting and humorous. There is no cheap comedy here, just well-written characters with humorous jokes that fit the timing and their personalities.
The plot of the movie is established well and includes an interesting subplot featuring Toothless’ efforts to befriend another dragon of his kind. In my opinion, the subplot makes sense and is played out very well alongside the main plot. However, having two storylines sets this movie just a smidge below the first two because of the slightly divided attention.
I recommend that audience members stay during the credits for a nostalgic look at clips from the first two movies.
I have been a fan of the HTTYD series since the first movie’s release in 2010, and I have enjoyed watching the characters grow and develop over the three films. I think this movie is the perfect ending to a great franchise. While I am sad the series has ended, I am extremely satisfied with how the writers and directors told fans goodbye in this movie. I give “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” a 10/10 and a wave as the franchise is put to rest.
madelines-corner.com 