One of my All-Time favorite singer-songwriters is Sting. He sings, “If you love somebody, set them free.” In Dream Works and Director Dean DeBlois’s spectacular state-of-the-art animated “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”, vulnerable kind Jay Baruchel voices brave young Viking Chief Hiccup. Hiccup looks deeply into the golden gentle eyes of his dear Dragon Toothless. They bow touching their heads together and hug. It’s time to set Toothless free. Because Hiccup loves him.
In Dean’s movie narrative based on the series of books by Author Cressida Cowell, Hiccup’s girlfriend Astrid, voiced by the beautiful wise America Ferrera, discerns that Hiccup believes that his greatness solely relies upon the Dragon. Hiccup is greater than he knows. Astrid tells him, “I am who I am today, because of you.”
Amidst the clutter of colorful superfluous Viking characters and cherub-like Dragons, we experience wondrous scenes of Hiccup riding Toothless as they soar above the clouds of the night sky. That’s love.
In Hiccup’s dream from the past, Gerard Butler returns as his stalwart hulking late Father Stoick. Stoick confesses to his son about the great love of his life, Hiccup’s Mother. She was the One, and he chose never to remarry. At the time both believed that she had passed away. Stoick says, “With love comes loss, son; it’s part of the deal.” In life, there is both love and loss.
Dean’s “How to Train Your Dragon 3” is about the sadness in loss. Yet, there’s the kind of sadness that heals loss, and about love everlasting. Perhaps, there’s no loss without love. Life is in the balance. That’s the deal. Ultimately, that makes “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” something special.
In “How to Train Your Dragon 3”, Hiccup is now Viking Chief, and his people coexist with dragons in their sea village Berk. Maybe, Hiccup marries pretty independent spirit Astrid? Astrid is like: “Oh, no.” Yet, we can tell they are in love. It’s the movies after all.
Hiccup recalls the dragon mythology from Stoick: About the “Hidden World” where all Dragons came from, at the Edge or the World. After all the World was ‘flat’ according to the Vikings. Hiccup also confronts evil Dragon Hunter Grimmel, voiced by sublime F. Murray Abraham, in his quest to free the dragons of the world. Grayed and gaunt Grimmel sets his sights on capturing Night Fury dragon – Toothless.
Back in Berk, beautiful white dragon – Light Fury enchants Toothless’s heart. Here the amazing CGI visual effects and animation endear their story. Although Toothless and Light Fury do not speak a word, in their playful glances and miraculous aerial displays, we get that they are falling madly in love. Much like Hiccup and Astrid, but without the comic verbal barbs.
My buddy Marc told me that I should check out “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”, because it’s really about family. Marc is absolutely right. “How to Train Your Dragon 3” is about the families we inherent, and the families we create: Whether Human or Dragon.
In a family, there is both loss and love. At times Director Dean’s story overindulges in the astounding visual excess without context. Yet, what keeps you watching is the love stories of Hiccup and Toothless.
They are both evolving and growing, becoming greater than they know. It’s about the possibility of family. It’s about creating the legacy that honors those you love, those who came before you. In that “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” becomes that hidden treasure.
Originally published on IMDB.