By Amani Salahudeen
Staff Writer
As far as a conclusion to a series goes, this was one of the most satisfying that I’ve seen. When the nefarious Grimmel (F. Murray Adams) plots to destroy all dragons, it’s up to the Viking’s new chief, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), to bring both clans together to find a land called Caldera in “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.”
“What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” This is a quote that resonated with me and helped improve Hiccup’s storyline. He thinks he can defeat anything as long as his best friend, Toothless, is with him. It isn’t until Astrid (America Ferrera) tells him this quote that he starts to realize that he’s capable of doing things without the aid of the dragons he’s relied on.
Hiccup is able to build self confidence and grow into himself more in the last movie.
Hiccup also soon learns that although he is perfectly capable of doing things on his own, a little extra help doesn’t mean he’s weak. He learns to trust those around him and develop closer relationships with others.
This movie series allows viewers to watch Hiccup grow up, and in this final movie, we get to see glimpses of his past. The flashbacks add to each character’s development and help me understand the characters on a deeper level. The romance was well-balanced and it was sweet to watch Hiccup’s dragon, Toothless, come out of his shell as he fell in love with a Light Fury, who returned his affections.
This movie had everything you could possibly want — fantasy, adventure, romance, a formidable antagonist and a bond between friends. It’s got a feel-good vibe and the ending was pretty satisfying.
However, I think producers rushed the romance because there was a lot of time jumps and I would have liked to see more of a dialogue between the two main lead protagonists.
I liked Grimmel as a villain because he makes you despise him, but at the same time you can also see why he acts the way he does, which allows for a bit of depth to his charcter arc.
Overall, this movie for a wide-range of audiences. It induces some tears but you end up leaving the theater with a smile on your face.
