How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World & The Lego Movie 2 (2019) (Review)


Two for the price of one! How lucky you are.


Capping off one of the most consistent cinematic trilogies, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World concludes DreamWorks' superlative series with an emotionally satisfying and visually dazzling finale that cements its status amongst the animated greats. Written and directed by Dean BeBloisThe Hidden World is worth traversing.

With their island overpopulated and the fear of attack no less intense, Hiccup begins to search for the titular hidden dragon world that he hopes will become a utopia where the hunted dragons and their riders can live safely in harmony. Set one year after the events of the sequel, this third and (almost certainly) final chapter, inspired by Cressida Cowell's novels, resolving a series that has evolved alongside its audiences. 

Soaring and poignant, How To Train Your Dragon 3 maintains the consistency of the first two films and reveals a truly profound and moving completion that thrives thanks to the tight structuring of the overall series. With a definitive beginning, middle and end, Dragon has been built carefully and considerately, landing on something incredibly powerful: Deblois' screenplay is interlaced with real heart and passion, covering themes of love and loss and letting go with maturity and confidence. It balances the dramatic stakes and humour superbly, and while the gags aren't quite as sharp as they have been, arguably more simplistic than they have been before, the visual humour is particularly impressive. Developmental work would benefit the antagonist but this entry is clearly about concluding instead of introducing or furthering. Overall, it is a really well-rounded piece of writing with a great deal of care coursing through its DNA.

Visually staggering, The Hidden World is the most impeccably crafted animation in some time, with every frame brimming with texture and vibrancy. There's such gorgeous depth to the stunningly animated and well-realised world, with detailed photorealistic landscapes immersing you further into the journey. Imaginative character designs and interplay give the film personality to spare, helping to affirm the series as one of the finest non-Disney animations this decade.

With endearing vocal performances across the board and armed with another gorgeous composition from John Powell which enriches the emotional beats of the film stupendously, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a triumph: a stirring conclusion to this wonderfully consistent franchise. A visually magnificent, narratively and emotionally satisfying exercise, you can forgive the occasional misplaced humour and flat antagonist because of the overall strength of this franchise caper. This really is one of the finest examples of how to conclude your trilogy.



"A film about lego?!", I exclaimed when Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's The Lego Movie hit our screens back in 2014, perhaps borne out of the fact that, as a kid, it was never something I cared for. Even as critical adoration poured in from audiences or all ages, I remained resolute in my belief that it simply would not work; that I'd find the animation style too disorientating to overcome.  Four years and two spin-offs later, I decided to give the sequel a chance. If anything swayed me, it was Lord and Miller's success with Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse: the duo's latest, newly Oscar-coronated screenwriting venture I had similar trepidation with before it spun me in its web.

Following the events of Taco Tuesday, Bricksburg has transformed into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, dictated by the play of Finn and Bianca in the real world. With nightmares of the impending "Armamageddon", Lucy and most of Apocalypseburg's citizens have become tempered by their hardship, although Emmet remains positively upbeat. When General Sweet Mayhem arrives and kidnaps a group in search of their leader, Emmet vows to save them before Lucy's visions become a reality. Featuring the vocal talents of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Tiffany Haddish, The Lego Movie 2, smartly subtitled The Second Part in select territories, may lack the surprise of the first film but becomes a solid, entertaining sequel nevertheless.

Despite it being the main source of my apprehension, the animation of Lego 2 is once again colourful and creative, packed with ingenuity and funky flourishes. It may take a few minutes to adjust to but the film never shies away from its conceit. Director Mike Mitchell embraces the concept and executes it with excitement; you can tell that he's having a blast watching his childhood unfold, with attention to detail throughout and smart references to other properties. Maybe there's too much going on but the film finds a manic rhythm that will work for its target audience. His incorporation of music is a frequent highlight: Catchy Song is - shock horror! - very catchy and the Tiffany Haddish-led Not Evil is a fabulous, splashy sequence.

Lending their voices to these Lego creations, the cast imbues The Lego Movie 2 with a great deal of charm. Elizabeth Banks is the MVP, delivering a sharp and effective turn with impeccable comedic timing and wit, while Chris Pratt's naturally charismatic Emmet remains a compelling lead. Despite the character's positivity, Pratt avoids becoming one-note thanks to the smart writing from Lord and Miller.  While the element of surprise is absent here following the revelations and developments last time, the duo now approaches it with a self-aware consciousness that allows the film to explore new ground; the real-world action ties in with a clearer significance, with (understandably) smaller plot twists effectively executed. Such fantastic casting of Maya Rudolph - who should be in every film ever made - is a total delight, too.

If The Lego Movie 2 overstays its welcome, it is the transition from the second to the third act that gives emphasis to the flaw; with the finale in particular need of a tightening, the misplaced emotion tagged on to the weakest subplot weights it down considerably, unable to land with the energy it so strives for. It is the big, final twist that feels both inevitable and unnecessary convoluted, disappointingly slowing down an otherwise zippy adventure.

For the most part, though, The Lego Movie 2 provides further entertainment that will keep fans of the property content. While the surprises aren't quite as fresh and it really lags in the final stretch, the filmmakers embrace the change in direction and deliver a solid sequel that delivers more of the same. Whether it can be sustained much longer is in question but the assembled foundations are stable enough to will a continuation of this unique series.