How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Blu-ray Review

By: Lynn Barker

In How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Chieftain Hiccup (voice of Jay Baruchel) runs Berk as a human/dragon utopia but it is getting super overcrowded since he and girl Astrid (voice of America Ferrera) lead a band of dragon rider warriors who rescue and keep bringing back dragons captured by poacher/trappers. When Hiccup’s dragon buddy Toothless comes across a beautiful white female Fury dragon, he is smitten. Will this new love and a quest for a legendary dragon homeland change everything?

The Hidden World Trailer

Toothless and the White Fury are in loveCourtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Rescue by Dragon Riders

It’s a year later than in the last film and Toothless with rider Hiccup and dragon rider pals conduct night raids to free dragons captured by poacher/warlords. On one raid, Toothless senses a dragon left behind. We see that she can make herself invisible. Back on Berk, Hiccup’s mom Valka (voice of Cate Blanchett) tells him the raid was sloppy and the riders need to cooperate more. Also, Berk is getting too overcrowded with rescued dragons.

The homeland is way too overcrowdedCourtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Is there a Hidden World

Hiccup remembers a tale his deceased dad Stoick (Gerard Butler) used to tell him about a Hidden World, a dragon homeland where they thrive under a huge waterfall. If he could find this land where dragons would be safe, free and less crowded, it would solve many problems. Meanwhile we see gruff dragon hunter Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) get the sometimes invisible, female, white Fury dragon from the trappers. He intends to use her to bait then kill the last of the Furies, Toothless!  He sees the “boy” Hiccup as no threat.

Evil Grimmel and his acid-spitting dragonCourtesy of DreamWorks Animation

In Love

Following his nose into the woods, Toothless discovers the gorgeous white Fury dragon and is totally in love. Although hissy, shooting fire and disappearing now and then, she seems to like him too. Astrid and Hiccup see them. She dubs the female a “Light Fury” to Toothless’s “Night Fury”. The female sees the humans and flies away leaving Toothless heartsick. Hiccup and Tuffnut (Justin Rupple) discover Grimmel's dragon traps in the area. Grimmel visits Hiccup that night bringing a new type of dragon that basically spits acid and Hiccup can’t stop him before he burns down Hiccup’s house and announces that he will capture and kill the dragon “Alpha” Toothless.

Will fetching a stick impress White Fury?Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Move the Tribe

In a meeting, Hiccup announces that he and the entire tribe should leave Berk to find the mythical Hidden World where their dragons will be safe from the dragon hunters. Home is wherever they all are. On the journey the Berkians find an island and decide to settle there temporarily. Hiccup sees how much Toothless misses the Light Fury and builds him a tail so he can fly without Hiccup on his back. Toothless, grateful, flies off finds his “girl” and flies with her, learning that he can use lightning to disappear like she can. They fly to a mysterious land in a fog. Meanwhile, Valka, out scouting, sees Grimmel’s army coming and warns Hiccup.

Hiccup and Astrid discover the Hidden WorldCourtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Trapped!

The dragon riders head to capture Grimmel in another night raid but it’s a trap. They barely escape and Ruffnut (Kristen Wigg) is captured. She is so talky that she drives Grimmel nuts and he lets her go but secretly follows her to the new Berkian camp. Back on the island, Hiccup and Astrid, worried about Toothless, fly off on her dragon and discover the Hidden World under a huge ocean waterfall. Toothless and the Light Fury are there together, now a couple but Toothless leaves her to rescue Hiccup and Astrid from a huge dragon.

Toothless and White Fury are a loving coupleCourtesy of DreamWorks Animation

A Future for All?

Toothless flies Astrid and Hiccup back to the Berkians but misses his Light Fury deeply. Hiccup realizes that only the dragons can be happy and safe in the Hidden World. Humans would be intruders there. Grimmel quickly arrives and captures Toothless and the Light Fury. He threatens to kill her if Toothless won’t draw all the other dragons to be also captured. Toothless has to do as Grimmel says and the rest of Berk’s dragons are also captured. Hiccup can’t attack and let her be killed. Will Grimmel be defeated? Will the dragons be safe and can humans and dragons continue to live together?

Will Toothless and Hiccup fly together forever?Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Special Extra Features

We get some very informative and entertaining extras on this Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set.

• Two DreamWorks Shorts – Bilby and Bird Karma are adorable.
• Alternate Opening – What if the film started differently? Check out this possibility shown in storyboard and unfinished animation with optional comments by Writer/Director Dean Deblois.
• Deleted Scenes – all are worth a watch. We get 5. They are:  Automatic Tail, Protector vs. Captor, Spy Mission, Mind Before the Sword, and Your Responsibility. They are all in an unfinished animation stage with comments by Writer/Director Dean Deblois.
• How to Voice Your Viking – love watching the actors do their voice overs. Fun to see these guys at work in the recording studio.
• Creating an Epic Dragon Tale – The whole trilogy is examined as the filmmakers deal with making each film more wondrous and introducing new characters. Interesting.
• How I Learned from Dragons – More with the actors as they talk about getting into character and really enjoying working on the trilogy.
• Brave Wilderness Presents: Nature + Dragons = Awesome – “Brave Wilderness”' Coyote Peterson hosts two pieces that give us examples of how real-world animals influenced the dragons in the trilogy.. Bat and Birds are some of the examples. Super cool!
• The Dragon Sheep Chronicles – are two cute extras: Hiccup hosts Friend vs. Food (sheep dangers from hungry dragons) and The Secret Sheep Society (sheep figure out new means of escape).
• A Deck of Dragons – Fishlegs examines four new dragons we see in this film via his deck of cards. Nice.
• Growing Up with Dragons – focuses on the Hiccup character and filmmakers discuss how both the character and they grew and changed as the movies went on.

Can grown-up Hiccup be a great leader?Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

• The Evolving Character Design of Dragons – some of the characters physically matured throughout three films. This is discussed and shown.
• Drawing Dragons – How do you design and draw a dragon? The filmmakers show you the steps. Love it.
• Epic Villain – This film’s bad guy Grimmel and he’s a bit different. Filmmakers explain him. Nice.
• Astrid's Whole Dragon Trilogy in 60 Seconds – This is really funny as the Astrid character sums up the entire film trilogy in a minute!
• Welcome to New Berk – Hiccup guides us on a detailed tour of the Viking tribe’s new home. Interesting.  
• Audio Commentary – Includes Writer/Director Dean DeBlois, Producer Bradford Lewis, and Head of Character Animation Simon Otto who give us complete commentary on the plot and tech achievements in the film. A lot is already covered in the extras but you get balanced detail here that is worth a listen for sure.

Hiccup and Astrid should rule togetherCourtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Wrapping Up

This film is a great wrap-up for Hiccup, dragon Toothless and clan. Hiccup grows up to become the leader he was meant to be, Toothless falls in love and both dragons and humans find their best “home”.  It’s all about coming of age and letting go and it’s beautifully illustrated. There are a few silly sub-plots that aren’t needed but they don’t mess up the main storyline.

Hiccup's mom and Astrid are Dragon RidersCourtesy of DreamWorks Animation

This Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set is a keeper for sure. It sounds and looks amazing!  Extras are short but adorable, funny or informative and the Audio Commentary is worth a once-through.  As we did the film in theaters, we award four stars.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Blu-ray Rating: 

Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Buy How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World in stores now!

Are You Collecting These Films?

Are these tales of dragons and human co-existence some of your faves? Will you collect this last one to complete your home entertainment set? What if we all could ride and pal around with dragons?  Talk it up with a comment or write about it on your personal profile page!