Fans of the adorable yet fierce Toothless — the night fury dragon of the “How to Train Your Dragon” film series — are in for another ride. Sadly, this next adventure is the last of the heartwarming “How To Train Your Dragon” trilogy that began with the titular film in 2010. In this last installment, “How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World,” Hiccup, now chief of the Vikings, and Toothless’ friendship is tested as they face the difficult decision of choosing between friendship and love.
The film begins on a foggy, misty night out at sea on a dragon-hunter’s ship. Hiccup is conducting a raid with his friends and their respective dragons to free the trapped dragons that are on board. The so-called “stealth” mission goes awry but is somewhat successful, since all but one of the dragons were rescued. Unfortunately, the light fury –– Toothless’ star-crossed lover and the last female of her kind –– is camouflaged in her cage, hidden from the rescuers’ sight. By freeing the dragons Hiccup messes with Grimmel, a night-fury hunter who has been set on killing the entire species since he was young. With a heavy heart, Hiccup and his people leave their island of Berk in search of the mythical “Hidden World.” Hiccup also struggles with his identity without Toothless by his side, but the unconditional support of Astrid, Hiccup’s girlfriend, coupled with Hiccup’s stress of being chieftain matures their relationship. Furthermore, Hiccup’s mother proves to be a voice of reason and mentor for the two throughout this coming-of-age epic.
Despite the aspects of comedy embedded in this emotional drama, the ending left the audience in tears. Toothless and the light fury return to the hidden world with all of the dragons, leaving behind Hiccup and the entire community of Berk. Farewells are always saddening, but this scene was on a whole other level. It was the most difficult to watch because Toothless himself was torn between his kingdom and his home with Hiccup.
The direction and special effects in this film were fantastic. The most colorful scene was depiction of the entrance to the Hidden World — with the golden dragon eggs and the dragon’s glowing neon skin, it was breathtaking and absolutely beautiful. However, the most touching addition was the 10-years-later encounter between Hiccup-Astrid’s family and Toothless-Light Fury’s family. The pure joy of reuniting with someone you lost is overwhelming and relieving and felt within this scene. And who knew that baby night furies would be so adorable? Directed by Dean DeBlois, this animated film grossed about $55 million its opening weekend. Well-deserved success for the perfect ending to this series.
