By Cody Curtis, Staff Writer
Everyone knows about Game of Thrones and Lord of The Rings, however there is another fantasy trilogy not everyone knows about, the How to Train Your Dragon series. This fantasy epic about a boy and his dragon reached its conclusion this past weekend. This conclusion is something many movie trilogies attempt to achieve, but rarely ever do, and that is making the audience feel a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.
After discovering a Light Fury (also known as a female Night Fury), Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his beloved dragon Toothless, encounter an enemy named Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) who is deadlier than any other. It is the man who killed every other Night Fury dragon and who is now on a hunt for Toothless. This shapes Hiccup into the leader he is meant to be and forces him to move the people of Burke to a safer location.
Dreamworks Studio usually does a great job with their animation and this film is no exception. The animation in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, is unbelievably breathtaking. As technology improves, so do the visuals inside of films. There are moments during this movie where the audience will be curious if it was live action. Scenes in caves, the ocean water, the beach sand and sometimes Toothless himself all look as though you could reach out and touch them.
But the best part of this film, like any other of the films in this franchise, is the relationship between Toothless and Hiccup. Not only is it endearing and sometimes heartbreaking, but it is relatable. While all of us have never owned a terrifying, fire-breathing dragon, I am willing to bet most of us have owned a beloved pet of some kind. Every moment, when these two characters are on screen will bring a smile to your face.
The biggest disappointment is the development of the villain, which is just simply not there. Although we can comprehend that Grimmel is evil from his desire to kill Toothless, that is also the only thing that we know about him. This is what separates Grimmel from great villains, such as Darth Vader (Star Wars), or The Joker (The Dark Knight). The motivation from the villain in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, is just not there. A villain who is villainous and does evil things for the sake of being evil is just bland and boring. Because of this, when the final battle occurs in the film, while it is very exciting and even enthralling, the villain did not add anything to the experience.
Creating a successful fantasy epic is challenging enough, but creating a successful fantasy trilogy is even more so. This film franchise has something that many films that try do not have, and that is the powerful combination of a coming of age story and the bond of a boy and his dragons. Even if you have not seen any of the previous films in this animated trilogy I implore you to check this one out. In fact, after seeing it, you may want to give the other films a shot. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, joins Toy Story as one of the greatest animated trilogies out there to date.
Grab your friends and family and fly to your local theater to support this masterclass of filmmaking. It is a film for you, me and everybody else, and it is truly a magical experience to behold.