How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Director: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F Murray Abraham

Synopsis:
Hiccup's raids on dragon poachers lead them to enlisting the services of a cunning hunter who has driven the Night Furies to the brink of extinction.

Impressions:
The first film in this series is one of my favorites of all the stuff DreamWorks has produced (and as I've noted before, I don't actually like much of DreamWorks' output) and much like the Kung Fu Panda series, the third entry is solid but starting to strain the boundaries of what can be delivered while still being fully satisfying. One thing I do like is that unlike Kai in Kung Fu Panda 3, main bad guy Grimmel isn't undermined for comedic purposes. He's cunning, ruthless and he loves what he does; a fine counterpoint to Hiccup. We see Hiccup struggling with the burden of leadership and the pressure of realizing his ideal of a world where humans and dragons can coexist. Toothless' interactions with his female counterpart are amusing and sure to add to the kid appeal. This is definitely worth watching, but for the sake of the series' integrity, I hope it ends here unless they can come up with a truly amazing concept for a sequel.

Rating:
Watch It