How to train your Dragon: The Hidden World (2018)
Genre: Animation
Director: Dean DeBlois
Voices of: Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Kit Harington, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera
Duration: 104 minutes
Class: PG
KRS Releasing Ltd

The third and final instalment in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise is loosely based on the book series of the same name by British author Cressida Cowell.

The sequel finds Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) as the chief and ruler of the Viking village of Berk, who alongside Astrid (America Ferrera), has managed to create a utopia where humans and dragons live together, even though choas reigns supreme.

When the sudden appearance of a female Fury dragon coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup and his dragon Toothless must leave their home and journey to a world thought only to exist in myth.

Most critics were full of praise for the movie, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a rare 100 per cent rating. They mainly lauded the animation and the emotional story.

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote:  “The visuals outdo anything we’ve seen before, to such a degree that we might almost overlook the subtler innovations in the character animation: the nuances of expression on both the human and reptilian faces, and the wonderful nonverbal tactics these artists use to convey emotional intricacies neither Hiccup nor Toothless have had to communicate before, all of which pays off in an unforgettable final scene.”

Similarly, Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter said:  “Pulling off a rare three-peat, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a tender, spirited coming-of-age CG-animated feature that proves every bit as emotionally resonant and artistically rendered as its 2010 and 2014 predecessors, if not even more so.”

However, not everyone agreed.

Ben Travis of Empire commented: “DreamWorks Animation’s most heartfelt series bows out with a beautifully designed finale, but the long-awaited emotional goodbyes for its beloved central duo don’t quite soar.”

The film will be released in Malta and most international markets on Friday.

Ratings
IMDB: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Empire: 3 stars

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