By Dimithri Wijesinghe
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Long regarded as some of the best 3D animation films the world has seen, Director Dean DeBlois’ final entry to the trilogy that kicked off in 2010 proved to be just as magical and heart-warming as it did the very first time we set eyes on Toothless – our innocent, young dragon who melts hearts without breathing a single flame.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World brings back the dynamic duo Hiccup and Toothless together with their merry band of misfit Viking crew. With the sudden appearance of the female character Light Fury coinciding with the darkest threat their village has faced, the lovable Vikings are forced to leave the only home they’ve known and journey to a hidden world only thought to be a myth.
At a first glance, the story, as we’ve come to expect from these films, is visually stunning. It is gorgeously rendered and the animation is simply spectacular. Nothing looks copied and pasted; everything looks like they’re living and breathing within the image.
Truly, what the film lacks in narrative quality is made up for in its spectacular animation. While the relationships are well-preserved with the character growths, where it all feels like a natural progression, the main point of contention is the newly-introduced villain who appeared rather boring and largely two dimensional.
However, t animation is so lively that it almost feels a disservice to not watch it in 3D. The film is an experience, and while many – as a collective – have had enough of 3D and feel that it is an unnecessary component to the cinematic package, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World demands you to see it in the highest and most gimmicky way possible.
This final installment is definitely for the fans of the series, and while there are some surprises and unexpected twists, particularly the bittersweet ending, the story is largely for people who are already in love with what DeBlois has created.
There are very few bonds that are as strong as a person and their pet, and here we saw the extreme end of how such a relationship is akin to unbreakable familial bonds.
The movie achieves that perfect balance between childlike wonder and a satisfying end to a commercial franchise. It is a fulfilling experience, to say the least.
An A+ for DreamWorks Animation for bringing to cinemas a surprising tale about growing up and finding the courage to face the unknown.
Thoughts of the audience
It was a great movie. It had an awesome storyline, so I had fun watching it. I liked the previous ones too – I watch them over and over again. The theatre, too, was so impressive because the Dolby Atmos sounds were really good
Ishaq Jaleel
It was amazing – one of the best animated movies. I think it was overall great; the story was also really impressive and I’ve liked it since I was a kid. I especially liked the ending. Not to spoil, but it was sad, and there were quite a lot of surprises. The theatre was also amazing and the sound quality is the best, and I think it’s one of the best experiences in a movie theatre I’ve had.
Randil De Zoysa
It was a family film, and it was funny. I thought the cinema was also very comfortable, not too crowded, and the sounds were good. It was nice!
Stephan Edirisinghe
For me, that was a perfect ending, and this was great because usually as franchises make their way through the years, the hype dies down, but this has been going strong. The ending – I honestly can’t get over how perfect it was and I will be really, really annoyed if someone decided to reboot this! I just want to thank DreamWorks for giving this story such a perfect conclusion
Paramie Jayakody
The movie was moving; the perfect conclusion to this epic franchise, and let’s just say that right here, right now – that is how you do an ending! Also, the theatre is just perfect with this 3D experience. Watching this movie was truly an experience, and I think this is the best way to watch this type of a movie
Shamindri DeSayrah
Photos Pradeep Dambarage
