Last summer I reviewed the original How to Train Your Dragon (2010) after the trailer for The Hidden World, the conclusion to the trilogy, was newly released. One of the best feelings in the world is when that moment you’ve been waiting and waiting for FINALLY arrives. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released in theaters February 22, 2019 and in my humble opinion, it did not disappoint.
The film’s animation, visual effects, and score are stunning, even more so when experienced in Dolby Cinema, which I experienced for the first time while watching this movie and now HIGHLY recommend to all theater-goers. (The “moving audio” really elevates the experience.)
The How to Train Your Dragon trilogy tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Hiccup and Toothless. From the start of the trilogy, Vikings and Dragons went from being at war to learning how to coexist and live in peace. In The Hidden World we see Hiccup and the Vikings continue to rescue captured dragons and bring them home to safety. While their mission is noble, Berk can barely sustain life with its ever-growing and overcrowded population. This forces Hiccup, now Berk’s leader, to continue his father’s quest and seek the Hidden World, fabled to be the home of the Dragons, and where he hopes to relocate all of Berk as their new home.
The Hidden World gives us another peek into the history and lore of the HTTYD world. We see a flashback of a young Hiccup with his father telling him that it’s his destiny to someday find the Hidden World of dragons. We learn why Toothless was thought to be the last existing Night Fury, an idea established at the start of the trilogy. The film’s villain, Grimmel the Grisly, is a dragon hunter who made it his mission to track down and kill every Night Fury in existence. So of course he sets his sights on Toothless, who he can use to exploit his status as the Alpha Dragon and bring an end to the ENTIRE dragon population. But the most important addition to the series is that of the Light Fury, with her white shimmering skin, graceful movements, and superior abilities and flying skills. Her mere existence leaves everyone in awe.
Toothless and the Light Fury have an immediate connection, but she is scared off by Hiccup’s constant presence. The film expands on these relationships between Hiccup and Toothless, Hiccup and Astrid, Toothless and the Light Fury, and even Hiccup and the Light Fury. Toothless and the Light Fury’s budding relationship starts to shift the dynamic between Hiccup and Toothless. From the start of the trilogy, they were equals who depended on each other. I mean, they saved each other’s lives, they’re forever bonded. When Grimmel invades Berk on the hunt for Toothless, Hiccup vows that he will never give him up. Grimmel callously accuses Hiccup of being nothing without his dragon and when Hiccup starts to doubt his abilities, Astrid is there to support and guide him, proving the strength of their relationship and reminding Hiccup of his strength as an individual. Simultaneously, Toothless learns the full extent of his powers thanks to the guidance of the Light Fury. Both relationships continue to grow stronger, forging new paths for their futures.
Admittedly, the film felt a bit rushed at times, moving past story beats fairly quickly when some moments could have used more time to breathe. And the moments that did have the time to breathe were where the film really shined. Personally, my favorite part of the film was the sequence with Toothless and the Light Fury flying together towards the Hidden World, a sequence void of dialogue, but beautifully animated and composed, and visually captivating. It’s the quiet moments that have the most powerful emotional resonance.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is very much about growing up and finding the courage to let go and move on. As bittersweet as it is to see them go, The Hidden World gives Hiccup and Toothless an appropriate and touching sendoff. At the crux of the film, Hiccup realizes that Toothless and the Light Fury belong together, and that Toothless belongs with his own kind. The time has come for them to go their separate ways and fulfill their own destinies. Hiccup and Toothless truly learn to fly on their own.
The How to Train Your Dragon trilogy is the story about a boy and his dragon, how they changed each other, and how their friendship changed the world. With The Hidden World being the end of the trilogy, their story is complete, but their friendship will last forever.
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