'How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature.

Synopsis: Now chief and ruler of Berk alongside Astrid, Hiccup has created a gloriously chaotic dragon utopia. When the sudden appearance of a female Light Fury coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup and Toothless must leave the only home they've ever known and journey to a hidden world thought only to exist in myth. As their true destinies are revealed, dragon and rider will fight together to protect everything they've grown to treasure.

Runtime: 104 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for adventure action and some mild rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages, though parents should be forewarned that the question "where do babies come from?" may possibly arise in conversation afterward. Up to you how you'd like to address that.

Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World concludes the feature-length animated How To Train Your Dragon trilogy based on Cressida Cowell's best-selling children's books. I'm still unsure why The Hidden World broke the series' naming convention, opting for a subtitle instead of "3," but I digress. Subtitle aside, I've eagerly awaited this franchise finale just as much as the many others yet to come this year (i.e., Star Wars: Episode IX, Avengers: Endgame, and Game of Thrones Season 8 to name a few). In the nine years since the release of the original How To Train Your Dragon, I've watched this series with great interest and the first two rank among my favorite animation ever made, so there was plenty of pressure for The Hidden World to be a terrific trilogy capper.

Narratively, DeBlois brings everything full circle with countless callbacks to the previous two entries while continuing to align the respective journeys of Toothless and Hiccup as corresponding arcs. In this third and final chapter, Hiccup's prowess as a leader, companion, and warrior are challenged like never before by an elusive and mysterious dragon hunter named Grimmel plus the prospects of losing Berk, his friends, and his treasured dragon companion above all. Two prior films have cemented how much Hiccup values his home, family, and Toothless, but as this story reaches its conclusion, an interesting notion is suggested. Can human and dragon-kind truly live in harmony? Though their societies integrated effectively, Berk has since been targeted for their dragons. This is one of many dilemmas Hiccup must face as everything draws to a close and the emotional driving force behind the film's bittersweet finale. Like Toy Story 3, The Hidden World offers a poignant resolution which will leave longtime series viewers very teary-eyed.

Of course, the animation is once again exquisite. The Hidden World is full of visual splendor from start-to-finish, and the careful attention to lighting, color, and detail yields breathtaking results. I failed to mention this in my other How To Train Your Dragon reviews, but celebrated cinematographer Roger Deakins was a visual consultant throughout the trilogy, and his contributions were certainly invaluable. As for another indispensable asset, John Powell scored all three films to tremendous effect. Here, Powell's accompaniment retains the series' sense of warmth, whimsy, and wonder. 

Something I haven't addressed yet is Toothless' budding relationship with a Light Fury. Their interactions are quite endearing, and Toothless' attempts to woo her are utterly hysterical...which brings me to The Hidden World's shortcomings. Of the trilogy, The Hidden World addresses the most mature thematic ground, but there's a lot of childish antics throughout. I don't mind efforts to appease children every now and then through comic relief because families ultimately are the core demographic Dreamworks is striving to reach. However, these jokes are often employed at the expense of the grander narrative, and I couldn't help but feel the film would have been better without some of them. To be frank, this complaint has nothing with Toothless but actually involves supporting human characters. 

Carrying over from the previous films, Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Kit Harington, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, and Kristen Wiig reprise their roles while Justin Rupple replaced T.J. Miller as Tuffnut due to negative publicity surrounding Miller on the basis of sexual assault allegations and a false bomb report. The entire cast exhibited exemplary voice work, but Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera have the most substantial material to work with. Meanwhile, the bond between Hiccup and Toothless is as endearing as ever.

In the antagonistic camp, F. Murray Abraham's Grimmel proves to be a worthy adversary. I especially appreciated how he was such a calculated tactician, always one step ahead of everyone. He's fearsome in combat, but the threat he poses in the long term is far greater than the immediate danger. On top of that, his diabolical plot jeopardizes everything Hiccup holds dear, so he pushes Hiccup to his limits in a game of cat and mouse. 

All in all, Hiccup and Toothless' final theatrical outing held the gravitas, emotional heft, and high-flying adventure I'd hoped to see. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a satisfying series conclusion which grants its characters a special send-off. Sufficed to say, the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy has earned its place alongside the greatest cinematic trilogies. Now Dreamworks, no matter how financially successful The Hidden World proves to be, please don't compromise this perfect ending with a fourth installment. As Paul McCartney sang, let it be. 

Film Assessment: A

Recollection Reflection Review: 'How To Train Your Dragon 2'

Continuing my series of How To Train Your Dragon reviews, today I'm revisiting How To Train Your Dragon 2 and I have my eyes set on soon sharing a review of How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Otherwise, you can expect my annual Oscar coverage, an Alita: Battle Angel review, and possibly my long-delayed review for Can You Ever Forgive Me? to all surface online over the weekend and beginning of next week (don't worry, I'll space it out appropriately)!

'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Review

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature.

Recollection- How To Train Your Dragon 2 Review.

Reflection- I first saw How To Train Your Dragon 2 five years ago when it was released in theaters, and I remember being quite impressed with it from the get-go! 2014 was a solid year for animation, and it was not only one of my favorite animated movies to be released that year but one of my favorite movies of 2014 as well. My opinion hasn't drastically changed, but I'm excited to further elaborate on what I love about it this time around.

Review-

Synopsis: Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting the nearby unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons and a mysterious dragon rider. Hiccup and Toothless then find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior named Drago.

Runtime: 102 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for adventure action and some mild rude humor)

Who should see it? Since there are darker story elements than the original, I'd recommend it for those ages 8 and up.

Serving as the follow-up to How To Train Your Dragon, How To Train Your Dragon 2 saw writer-director Dean DeBlois strike out on his own to continue the animated film series adapted from Cressida Cowell's best-selling children's books. In the realm of animation, DeBlois had previously partnered with Chris Sanders to co-write and co-direct the first How To Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch, but he'd never directed a feature-length animated film on his own before. Sanders stuck around as an executive producer, but he and Dreamworks let DeBlois take the franchise reigns. Given the success of the original, Dreamworks was eager to make a sequel, but DeBlois remained apprehensive because he was interested in creating something original. Eventually, DeBlois agreed on the condition the franchise be a trilogy. 

One of the more fascinating aspects of How To Train Your Dragon 2 is the decision to age up Hiccup and other Vikings of Berk with the audience. Doing so enables Hiccup to be a more believable action hero and also grants him a compelling arc as he faces the expectations of becoming village chieftain. Naturally, the grown characters demand a more mature narrative with higher stakes and large-scale action. Well, Dean DeBlois delivers all this and more by leaning even further into the series' action-adventure element. This sequel is epic in every sense of the word.

Additionally, How To Train Your Dragon 2 expands its world extraordinarily well. The new locations offer elaborate ecosystems that are visually stimulating. Given the four year distance from the first film, the animation also improved tremendously. Most notably, the character designs are more refined and detailed while the environment evokes a photorealistic aesthetic. It coalesces quite nicely. Elsewhere, John Powell's sweeping accompaniment consists of varied arrangements ranging from grand and heroic to intimate and personal. All of which is an auditory delight.

Reprising their roles, Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, and Kristen Wiig each provide excellent voice work while Cate Blanchett and Kit Harington join the ensemble. Of the bunch, I'd denote Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, and Gerard Butler as stand-outs since their characters are of greater importance, and all four actors step up to the task. All the while, Hiccup's dynamic with Toothless remains a highlight, as this sequel puts their bond through the wringer for the ultimate test.

Rounding out the cast, Djimon Hounsou's Drago is a formidable foil to Hiccup. Hounsou sells the gruff, barbaric nature of the character, but unfortunately lacks the necessary screen time and development to be a memorable antagonist when all is said-and-done. He's powerful and intimidating, but his motivations could have been further fleshed out.  

Animated sequels in the same league as their predecessors are hard to come by, but How To Train Your Dragon 2 flies awfully close to the original. Though it may not measure up on all accounts, How To Train Your Dragon 2 retains the heart, adventurous spirit, and constructive messaging of the first film. It is, by all means, a worthy sequel. 

Film Assessment: A

Throwback Thursday Review: 'How To Train Your Dragon'

After a bit of a break, I'm bringing back Throwback Thursday Reviews. I won't be returning to the weekly Throwback Thursday review schedule due to the demands of school, but I'll write one when there's a corresponding release. Since I hadn't previously reviewed How To Train Your Dragon, I figured just before the release of How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World would be the prime time to do so! On that note, I actually caught a screening of The Hidden World already so I'll try to have an early review for it next week as well as a Recollection Reflection Review over How To Train Your Dragon 2. Otherwise, anticipate Oscar coverage and reviews for Alita: Battle Angel.

'How To Train Your Dragon' Review

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. 

Synopsis: A hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.

Runtime: 98 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for sequences of intense action, some scary images, and brief mild language)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages, but younger viewers may be scared by dragons and combat sequences.

Based on Cressida Cowell's best-selling children's book, How To Train Your Dragon is co-directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders and features a screenplay penned by DeBlois, Sanders, and William Davies. Following its release, How To Train Your Dragon quickly became one of Dreamworks' flagship franchises alongside the likes of Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda. A television series, four animated short films, an arena and ice show, and several comic-books, graphic novels, and video games were all inspired by the film. While merchandising, awards and noteworthy box office receipts undoubtedly played a hand in green-lighting those offshoots, I think there's a deeper reason why the feature was such a hit... Audiences resonated with the tale of a boy befriending a dragon.

It's the classic "human bonds with an otherworldly creature" story everyone's familiar with, but involving species prejudice with the twist of a Viking-era Nordic setting. At its core, How To Train Your Dragon is all about acceptance though. DeBlois, Sanders, and Davies implore us not to judge a book by its cover or allow our perspective to be clouded by stereotypes. The messaging is pretty profound for an animated film, and it's communicated with such subtlety via the Hiccup/Toothless relationship. Heart trickles through every frame of this feature largely due to the bond formed between them. There's just something so endearing about watching the two begin to trust one another. 

Of course, it helps tremendously that the CG-animation is so detail-oriented and well-realized, with plenty of attention drawn to texture, environments, and character design. In particular, there's a dynamic versatility evidenced in Toothless' design which enables him to quickly alternate from a fierce, fire-breathing Night Fury to an adorable pet dragon of sorts. The change of expression is articulated immediately once his eyes widen and his ears perk up. Otherwise, I must say that the animation holds up remarkably well considering it's nine years old, and the varied dragon designs ought to be commended. I also can't continue without applauding John Powell for his sumptuous score. 

Lastly, the voice cast composed of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, and Kristen Wiig who each lend an array of warm personalities to their respective roles. Front and center, Jay Baruchel is aptly awkward and unsure of himself as Hiccup while Gerard Butler plays his father, Stoick, as a gruff Viking chieftain and concerned parental figure. Aside from the Hiccup/Toothless relationship, their father and son interactions lend further emotional weight to the proceedings when all is said and done. 

Full of heart and high-flying adventure, How To Train Your Dragon soars mighty high amongst my favorite animation! 

Film Assessment: A+

'London Has Fallen' Review

I would like to apologize for the very late review of London Has Fallen, I got busy with a multitude of things and only recently got around to seeing it last Thursday. London Has Fallen is very derivative of Olympus Has Fallen, the difference being that it's set in London of course, but I can accept that they would be similar because this is a potential budding franchise and in a franchise all films have a lot of similarities for good reason. This time around, all the world's major leaders gather in London following the death of Great Britain's Prime Minister and city-scale terrorism ensues. London Has Fallen has a lot of large scale action like the original and that's where the film hits it's mark. A majority of the movie outside it's action is honestly pretty bad. The editing is really choppy and the film feels the need to include a LOT of text for establishing shots and literally everytime anyone of importance shows up they feel the need to bring up text with the character's name and occupation but it comes and goes way too quickly so even if someone actually wanted to read it, they wouldn't be able to. It didn't bother me to much in the case of the establishing location shots, but a majority of these include recognizable landmarks that renders the text useless. However for the characters it was very obnoxious, especially since most of these characters deliver one or two lines and are of virtually no importance to the story, it felt very inorganic and pointless. There's also some scenes included that are literally 30 seconds that attempt to establish the world leaders but they are so brief that you don't care about them when some meet their inevitable demise during the terrorist attack. While on the subject of the terrorist attack, it seemed extremely impractical that a terrorist group would be able to infiltrate every level of Britain's law enforcement and manage to destroy literally every iconic London landmark, I'm not saying it's impossible as terrorism recently has managed to be much more widespread but I can only imagine these groups destroying one or two of these landmarks at most. That's a minor nitpick and this is a ridiculous action movie after all so many people can probably ignore some of these issues. One thing that's very hit or miss in the film are the visual effects, that can look very believable at times and in some moments obviously computerized. I think that's the result of the budget restrictions but I think that if a production team realizes their budget isn't large enough for a grand action sequences they should probably just nix it. Despite all of this, there are a few positive aspects. One being the action, it's just plain dumb fun action. Despite the impracticality, the action is all very entertaining and awesome to watch. The other pro being the cast, primarily the principal actors. Gerard Butler definitely is the glue that holds everything together. Butler returns as the everyman Secret Service Agent Mike Banning and really nails delivering the cheesy one-liners and is the charm of the film for sure. Aaron Eckhart also returns as President Benjamin Asher with much more charisma this time around. Eckhart gets to pal around with Butler and the two have great buddy-cop type chemistry onscreen. Morgan Freeman is back in the situation room again, this time as the Vice-President, and he's terrific but that can be expected. One downfall is that Alon Moni Aboutboul is such a blatant stereotype as the Middle Eastern villain scheming behind the scenes and isn't even in the film that often. So yes, the film has plenty problems but has some charm in it's action and performances. London Has Fallen aims to be bigger than it's predecessor and certainly is, but bigger doesn't always equal better. London Has Fallen is solid as a dumb action movie that would make a great rental, but beyond that isn't that great.

Film Assessment: D+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Olympus Has Fallen'

This week has two big releases with Disney's Zootopia and London Has Fallen. To avoid having to do two Throwback Thursday Reviews today, I reviewed The Lion King last week since it was  Disney film centered on talking animals similar to Zootopia. So this week, I'm reviewing Olympus Has Fallen for a few reasons. First off, I actually haven't seen the film till watching it today to review it but was anticipating it back when it was released and just never got around to watching it. I figured this would be perfect timing and provide a Throwback Thursday Review to coincide with the release of it's sequel 'London Has Fallen' this weekend. I plan to review both Zootopia and London Has Fallen in the near future and am unsure of which I will wind up seeing and reviewing first. Next week's Throwback Thursday Review will be for Cloverfield to correspond with 10 Cloverfield Lane's release. I initially had it planned out to review Divergent but I will save that film for the following week.

'Olympus Has Fallen' Review

The premise of Olympus Has Fallen involves a North Korean terrorist group taking down one of America's most secure locations, the White House. The internet has dubbed the film to essentially be "Die Hard in the White House"and that's probably the most apt description so if that intrigues you in the slightest, you will love Olympus Has Fallen. Olympus Has Fallen is a very entertaining film that has moments ranging from excessively destructive to just plain awesome. The film has flaws, including a rocky start that was irrelevant to the plot, setting up character relationships that were unfortunately not explored in any further depth. However, much like the Fast and Furious films, you can't watch this film and expect to take it seriously but it's more of a "popcorn flick" that's essentially dumb action followed by even more ridiculously construed action sequences. Not only are the action scenes awesome, but they are lended more credibility thanks to some spectacular special effects. Also the film bolsters a cast with some great acting chops and gravitas to help realize the film. The standout is Gerard Butler, who plays an ex-secret serviceman Mike Banning who must stop this terrorist group, and he makes for a great "John McClain" stand-in as the everyman hero everyone will root for. Butler is very believable as a highly trained agent and is the most interesting character in the narrative thanks to his previous failure that's shown in the beginning of the film. Aaron Eckhart is serviceable as the President but lacks the charisma or charm to really invest the audience in his character. Morgan Freeman is great as always, in the role of Speaker of the House. The antagonist portrayed by Rick Yune is a brilliant, villainous mastermind, who is as bright as he is intimidating. Yune makes for a fantastic villain and definitely one of the better performances. The remaining cast is primarily one-note stereotypes, who aren't given much screen time. The film is super predictable throughout and there are a few stretches of doldrums, where I lost interest in the story but overall, Olympus Has Fallen is certainly a solid action film. Unfortunately, it doesn't traverse new roads and seems very derivative of previous action films but I can recommend it for anyone who at least is interested in the premise and enjoys action films.

Film Assessment: C+