After a two-year delay, the third and final instalment in the How to Train Your Dragon series has finally arrived – but is Hiccup and Toothless' last adventure worth the wait?
Of course it is.
Ahead of The Hidden World's release, the first reviews for the last entry in the magical animated series are starting to swoop in, with the (overall) consensus being that of joy.
Related: How to Train Your Dragon 3 will be the final movie in the series
As well as stunning, near-unrivalled visuals and a genuinely evocative plot, critics are hailing How to Train Your Dragon 3 as a fitting close to the trilogy. As long as it remains the final chapter, that is.
Unconvinced that an animated family film could actually be better than Toy Story? Check out some of the reviews of the "near perfect" The Hidden World below.
What to Read Next
"How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a near perfect trilogy ender, safely landing an occasionally kid-unfriendly dragon ride. A story about a boy and his best friend, its timeless values are delivered with spades of wit and epic adventure."
"Pulling off a rare three-peat, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a tender, spirited coming-of-age CG-animated feature that proves every bit as emotionally resonant and artistically rendered as its 2010 and 2014 predecessors, if not even more so...
"The bittersweet result will have audiences finding it equally hard to say goodbye."
"[The] How to Train Your Dragon series... has taken another path entirely, allowing its heroes – a band of misfit Vikings who've learned to coexist with the creatures they once feared most – to evolve as human beings, resulting in one of the greatest character arcs the medium has ever seen...
"[The Hidden World] enriches the original while also serving to entertain newcomers who know none of the backstory – and that's key."
"[How to Train Your Dragon 3 is a] delightful, gorgeous, and touchingly conclusive third adaptation of author Cressida Cowell's fantastical universe of Vikings and fire-breathers...
"The Hidden World [has] the feeling of something in between an instalment and a sequel, a kind of heartwarming drop-in on beloved characters and eye-popping creatures – fantastic beasts, indeed – plus a reviving tour of familiar environs, all with the promise that it's all heading somewhere exciting and meaningful."
"Though obviously aimed at kiddos, this chapter of How to Train Your Dragon might be best appreciated by below-the-line enthusiasts with an appreciation for the nitty-gritty that goes into an animated movie with a reported price tag of $129 million.
"You can see every cent on screen, often in more vivid detail than you can see Hiccup's internal journey. That's enough to carry The Hidden World past the finish line – and make you hope it stays finished."
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World will fly into UK cinemas on February 1, 2019 and in the US on March 1, 2019.
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