How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Although I wasn't crazy about How to Train Your Dragon 2 —don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it, it just didn't live up to How to Train Your Dragon, in my opinion— I was still looking forward to seeing How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World as it is the final chapter of the trilogy. 

In this final entry, Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and the other Vikings continue to rescue captured dragons and bring them to Berk. Hiccup's efforts to free the dragons, however, has made him a target for other warlords and Vikings, and pretty soon he and his people are forced to face an infamous dragon hunter (F. Murray Abraham) who uses a female Light Fury as bait to capture Toothless and plans on turning him against his friends. 

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

Genre

Animation | Adventure

Directors

Dean DeBlois

Country

USA

Cast

Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, T. J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harington

Storyline

It's been five years since Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. The now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

Opinion

We live in a world where a successful film has to be transformed into a successful saga. But when it comes to make a sequel, it's quite a difficult challenge, because the viewer already knows the characters and there is no surprise element. Dean DeBlois made it, kinda. 

Still exciting, and beautifully animated, How to Train Your Dragon 2 doesn't live up to the first installment, and kinda loses its message.

The film would have been perfect if it wasn't for the writing, the only weak part. The plot sounded very interesting, but turned out to be simple and quite banal. The message is really hard to be understood: the film begins with Hiccup insisting that friendship can be more powerful than force, but ends by submitting the bad guy. 

Also, the introduction of the mother just didn't work. Dean DeBlois focused on the development of the relationship between Hiccup and his mother enough to make a keypoint of it. The only problem is that everybody is ok with the mother. She left for 20 years, and it's all wiped under the rug, like nothing happened. I mean, considering the film is more mature than its predecessor and goes to some pretty dark places, everyone forgiving the mother straight away seems fetched.

However, thank to the excellent characterization both of main and minor characters, and their development and growth acquired in the past fictional five years - mostly Hiccup and his father -, the film is saved in corner.

Vocally, Cate Blanchett did a wonderful job at not sounding like herself. In this way she avoided to distract the audience. The others also did a good job, even though I gotta admit I find Jay Baruchel's voice quite annoying.

Feel free to write back and say, "You're an idiot, this film is perfect, and way better than the first.", I won't be offended. 

Quotes

Stoick: Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Genre

Animation | Adventure

Directors

Chris Sanders | Dean DeBlois

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, T J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, David Tennant, Robin Atkin Downes, Philip McGrade, Kieron Elliott, Ashley Jensen

Storyline

Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader (Gerard Butler), Stoick the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged the species.

Opinion

Impressed. This is how this film let me. I still can't believe DreamWorks Animation has managed to craft something this beautiful, visually and non speaking, that comes very close to the high standards set by Pixar.

Charming, funny, and moving, How to Train Your Dragon is a wonderful film about friendship, prejudices, courage and love.

The writing is amazing. I didn't read the book, so I don't know if huge changes have been made, but if I were the writer I would have been more than happy, because it's really impossible to wish for a better cinematic transposition. The story is witty, the dialogue is great, the characters are well developed, and the themes are developed in such a spectacular way everybody can enjoy it, both children and adults.

The animation is spectacular. Each character is so well made that almost seems realistic, and the gesture and the face expressions are extremely complex. Toothless, the black dragon, is definitely the one portrayed at its best.

Kudos to the people who worked at the photography section. It is sublime, and makes the scenery look even more realistic - if that's even possible -, and some sequences seem to be action sequences and not animations. Very well done.

Lastly, the voice cast really did a great job. Jay Baruchel did a wonderful job as Hiccup, giving a believable and three-dimensional as the visual portrait.

Now I really want a pet like Toothless.

This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. My village. In a word, sturdy. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We've got hunting, fishing, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. Most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have... dragons. - Hiccup