The Edition, in partnership with Schwack Cinema, brings readers a monthly review of movies on offer, serving as encouragement or warning (as the case may be), for moviegoers in Male' City, and movie-lovers, everywhere.
Nine years after the first ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ captured the imaginations of children and adults alike back in 2010, director Dean DeBlois brings a beautifully crafted conclusion to the heartwarming story of Hiccup and Toothless in ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’.
If you also happen to be a fan of the series, take this writer’s advice: pack some tissues for the cinema, there are bittersweet tears to be shed.
True to the recipe for success that worked so well for the movie's predecessors, The Hidden World is a visually enchanting piece of art, each scene demonstrating with vivid flair the advancements to animation. The film brings an immersive experience for viewers as we fly with the protagonist Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), now the chief of Berk, and his ever adorable dragon companion, Toothless, on their newest adventure.
Packed with exhilarating action sequences and comedic gold where the lovable supporting cast shines through, The Hidden World also explores the themes of maturity and self-discovery more deeply than the previous instalments.
As characters square up against a new foe, the obstacles that both Hiccup and Toothless face in finding their rightful place in a world where Vikings and dragons struggle to co-exist, are starkly brought to light, in a way foreshadowing the endgame. The character arc of Hiccup, in particular, profoundly depicts how far he has come since his days as a bumbling teenager in the first movie.
The Hidden World also delivers on the dragon-front, introducing striking new creatures, most notably the feral, alabaster ‘Light Fury’, and the deadly, acid-spitting ‘Deathgrippers’ controlled by the main antagonist, Grimmel (voiced by F. Murray Abraham).
Although a notorious dragon slayer with a commanding insidious aura, Grimmel is not the most engaging villain in the movies, in my opinion. However, he is the one that answers the trilogy’s persisting dragon-in-the-room: why was Toothless the only known Night Fury left?
Composer John Powell returns to this rousing finale with a masterful score, bringing back the distinctive sound of the movies with Celtic harps, bagpipes, and uilleann pipes. Jumping from whimsical and playful, to grand and majestic, and ultimately emotional, the soundtrack carries the film and the bond between human and dragon.
A symbolisation of growing up, The Hidden World is a heartrending, uplifting and satisfactory ending to a beloved franchise, and I walked out of Schwack Cinema with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.
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