Dreamworks’ box office hit, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, earned $55 million in its opening weekend, and earned glowing reviews from critics and movie-goers alike. The Hidden World is worth a trip to the theater. While a bit predictable, it’s a visually stunning, coming of age story that has humor intertwined.
I took my 12 year old son who, truth be told, did not want to see the movie because the trailer was filled with romance that he was not interested in watching. Afterwards though, he said the visual animation was fantastic and he actually liked the movie; but he thought some of the scenes and themes were not something kids would be interested in (like the mating rituals and romance). He really liked the characters and how the story unfolded, and he thought the commentary was witty, especially when jokes were being made about the silly romances. There was adventure, a scheming bad guy, and heroic acts that kept the movie exciting for kids of all ages. As we walked out he said, “It is kind of sad it will be the last movie, they were good!”
Hiccup and Astrid are both strong characters who continue to lead and grow as they face challenges and change. Meanwhile, Toothless finds his match in a Light Fury and the parallels between their dragon world and the viking world can be seen throughout the movie.
If you are looking for a family friendly movie with a good message, the third installment of How to Train Your Dragon is a great option for you. Unlike many sequels or thirds in a series, this movie is fresh and interesting and as good, if not better than the first.
Movie times: click here
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Run Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Director: Dean DeBlois
Actors: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham
Rating: Rated PG
