This review may contain spoilers!
I found the second How To Train Your Dragon a bit of a dip in the series but The Hidden World rounds the trilogy off very well. I would give How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World an 8.5/10.
This final film in the trilogy depicts Berk as a thriving dragon settlement lead by our young hero, Hiccup, who must decide what to do when dragons and villagers alike are faced with the threat of dragon hunter, Grimmel. As far as adventures go this one shows a really gripping display of action, with the flaming swords and dragonmail armour adding to the aesthetic of some very colourful actions sequences. Yet as always what rests at the heart of this film is the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless; both struggling with the idea that their worlds could very well change. Hiccup has to think about his wider responsibilities as Chief and marriage with Astrid; the struggles Hiccup faces are contrasted very well with flashbacks to Stoick exploring some of his own challenges with a younger Hiccup. Toothless also realises that there is a dragon world and a love for himself out there, his choice is whether or not he answers the call to that 'Hidden World'. Ultimately it's a film about letting go and saying goodbye for all the best reasons, that might seem sad but really it isn't. The Hidden World promises an optimistic future, a way forward and that final scene grounds everything perfectly. The animation style looks excellent, especially their background imagery and the unique designs for some of the new dragons. The score really sends you upon the adventure, hitting all the high notes and kicking into a strong energetic fanfare.
Jay Baruchel, who voiced Hiccup, has consistently proven himself to be the perfect casting choice for the lead of this series; Baruchel doesn't necessarily sound like the obvious Viking leader which only ever means he works just as hard as his character to prove the cunning and heart within his role. America Ferrera, who voiced Astrid, is the more resolute, strong Viking we've come to expect; Ferrera crafts a role who is self-assured and firm when Hiccup needs aid in leading the village. F. Murray Abraham, who voiced Grimmel, is a very calculating and severe antagonist; Abraham focuses on making a villain who is intellectually superior to his foes in many ways and has no qualms of torturing or sacrificing his own dragons or troops to achieve his ends. Craig Ferguson, who voiced Gobber, is quite comedically slow to progress at the same speed as Hiccup and his young dragon rider brigade; this is a role that is remarkably wise while also bumbling his way through a campground of dragons. Kristen Wiig, who voiced Ruffnut, really gets some time to shine in this film and she nails it; Wiig's monologues while imprisoned by the antagonist show her strength as a comedic performer while also making for one of the most memorable scenes of the film.
However, the best performance came from Gerard Butler and AJ Kane, who voiced Stoick and Young Hiccup respectively. The flashback scenes that pepper this film showing the relationship between these two at an earlier time highlights the strongest element of this series. Hiccup has always struggled to find his place to fit in and as a Chief, he feels this tenfold; yet Kane does an exemplary job at taking us back and showing the initial ways in which Hiccup stood apart from his village. At the same time having Butler back to voice some of Stoick's trepidation and uneasiness is powerful too. We get to see the father/son dynamic in a whole new light and the similarities that become evident are pretty powerful in relation to the narrative.
The Hidden World does suffer from some of the same mistakes past How To Train Your Dragon films have made; one of the key ones being that Hiccup's crew of side character friends don't add a whole lot to the plot and tend to be cast in irrelevant subplots. Moments like a newly 'bearded' Tuffnut giving marriage advice, Fishlegs mothering over a baby dragon or the awkward love triangle between Valka, Snotlout and Eret don't actually serve any purpose and create empty screen time. The introduction of the Light Fury has a similar effect as the lengthy silent romance sequences tend to cut into the run time significantly. The antagonist of Grimmel, while performed brilliantly by Abraham, doesn't have motivations that make him differ all that much from those in the previous films.
Cate Blanchett, who voiced Valka, is woefully underused and wasted in some boring love triangle subplot; Blanchett sounds bored by her role and really you can't blame her. Jonah Hill, who voiced Snotlout, has been one of the more obnoxious performances in each of the How To Train Your Dragon films and the streak continues here; it is frustrating because you don't feel like the role has grown or changed at all over the course of the trilogy. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who voiced Fishlegs, is a very quiet presence in the film and there were numerous occasions that I almost forgot he was there; It was clear that he was back for the purpose of consistency rather than for purpose itself. Kit Harington, who voiced Eret, has quite a bland voice when it comes to animated features; Harington's monotonous tone makes for a boring, forgettable character. Justin Rupple, who voiced Tuffnut, is very good at imitating TJ Miller but doesn't spend time crafting much personality to his role nor making him very funny; Rupple is given extensive screen time but it is clearly a little too much for the extent of the role.
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