'How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World'—A Movie Review

Saddle up your dragons! It’s time for one last ride through the skies with Hiccup and Toothless.

The third installment of How to Train Your Dragon centers around Toothless, the last Night Fury dragon, falling in love with a female Light Fury. With the looming thought that Hiccup may have to say goodbye to his best friend, a new threat imposes Berk forcing everyone to retreat to a new land.

It’s crazy to think that the first installment of How to Train Your Dragon was released nine years ago! The trilogy has a powerful story, superb character development, and has strong depth in presenting a touching friendship between a boy and a dragon.

All three films have the perfect mixture of comedy and drama. Even mature elements are handled very well by the filmmakers. My one complaint regarding the third installment of How to Train Your Dragon is that I felt it was either missing something or it had elements that felt overused across the series.

A new villain is introduced. Grimmel is stealing Toothless and other dragons only for the fun of it. That is evil but other villains throughout the other films and TV series have done a lot worse. The stealing dragons subplot is also too overused.

In my opinion, I feel like this film could have worked without a villain. Its main plot was about Toothless falling in love, flying with the female Light Fury on different adventures, and the conflict of Hiccup having to let him go.

Hiccup and his whole gang of bungling pals all return. How to Train Your Dragon has always been a character-driven film. I like that there is an assortment of different characters to add to the comedic touch and also character development.

Fans have complained over time how one character gets too much screen-time or another has too little. It’s tough to give every character their needed screen-time.

Ruffnut is a scene stealer! I was literally laughing out loud during one particular scene that involved her. I am a little disappointed that Valka, Hiccup's mother, has become more of an extra than a prominent character.

The animation is spectacular! Dreamworks has done an incredible job in animation. There is one scene overall that is stunningly beautiful where Astrid and Hiccup ride through this cave home to over one hundred dazzling colorful lights. The animation felt so realistic to the point that it actually felt as if I was flying through the sky.

This film does a superb job in Hiccup’s growth. Hiccup and Astrid’s relationship is really sweet. Hiccup has grown, he is now the chief after the death of his father, and he carries through with occasional hiccups (No pun intended). No other trilogy could have done a better job in character development like How to Train Your Dragon.

Toothless’s romantic subplot with the Light Fury was touching, even when he was doing an assortment of funny dances to court her. But I feel writers didn’t give viewers the chance to give the female Light Fury more screen-time so we could have become more acquainted with her. That’s the element that felt missing to me.

How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World is a beautiful, funny and emotional tale to end off the trilogy. It has warmed the hearts and even made audiences become dragon lovers. The message about friendship and letting go is a pivotal element. I enjoyed it, had a needed laugh, and even teared up.

Well done to all the actors and filmmakers of Dreamworks for their hard work throughout the years. You gave us a tremendous work of art.