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How To Train Your Dragon (3): The Hidden World

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Okay, I've been sitting on this for years now, but...

Am I the only one who did not care for the HTTYD film, having read the original books when younger? I mean, Astrid from the film does not even begin to hold a candle to Camicazi (her counterpart from the books).
 
all fictions said:
So looking at old articles that may or may not contain hints as to what will happen:
Article:
As [Cressida Cowell] described the bidding war over the rights (one television bid in particular would have seen the dragons played by dogs in prosthesis), identified her favourite characters (Hiccup and Stoic being the most faithfully recreated onscreen), and explained her lack of a screenwriter credit on the adaptation itself (she didn't want to confuse the two very different takes on the same story), she also revealed that the books' endgame will be shared by the trilogy of films.

And since my only contact with HTTYD is through the movies, I had to go look it up and:
In the epilogue of the last book, Hiccup is crowned king and builds a new kingdom where humans and dragons can live in peace, but when he is an old man, the dragons go into hiding and hibernate to stay safe from humans, though Toothless stay with him. Hiccup also instructs some dude to perpetuate that his whole story was just a myth.
Welp, that's a pretty bad ending, I really hope they change it.

Yeah, can't fault you there. I thought "really?" when I saw the female Night Fury.
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This response might be a bit late, but I certainly think it's interesting to bring up

Depending on what the "Endgame" that Cressida meant was, and based on the trailers I've seen so far, I'm thinking they're more talking about the whole "Human vs Dragons in a war of Extinction." thing, only without the throne of the entire Wilderwest being up for grabs and fought for by basically everyone in the series. And presumably without Alvin the Terrible around to throw Hiccup into the mouth of Despair every chance he gets, since he was introduced in the show and resolved there (?). It's Alvin though so for all we know he'll show up in the finale with no warning. With how toned down the movies are compared to the books, I don't expect it to end with Hiccup worrying about whether or not he's going to have to commit Dragon Genocide in order to save humans. Because that is a non-literal power he holds at one point.

I will, ultimately, be happy with this movie if at some point Furious makes an appearance, no matter how diminished it might be. I Doubt it though, since the villains are currently swinging 1 for 3 for book presence; even then the first one is a "just barely.", since the Red Death and Green Death are completely different in every way that matters. I'm sort of expecting Furious to show up as the catalyst for the Dragon Hunter's existence, justly or not, be it because he's why they think all dragons need to be killed and he's already dead or because he's a threat on the horizon they're trying to prepare for that shows up for a epic finale. In heavily neutered form, with no character, wit, or backstory, but a threat nonetheless.

Essentially my final thoughts on the plot based on the books are "Not in any way related except for if you break it down into a simple sentence.", with "maybe the antagonist of the last 4-5 books will show up in some form". He'll definitely end up king, though the fate of the dragons from the book probably won't be the same unless the villains prove to be exceptionally persistent in spreading an anti-dragon attitude around, as the situation in the books and movies is quite different as we currently understand the movies.
Mechasaurian said:
Okay, I've been sitting on this for years now, but...

Am I the only one who did not care for the HTTYD film, having read the original books when younger? I mean, Astrid from the film does not even begin to hold a candle to Camicazi (her counterpart from the books).
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Even 10 minutes into the first one I just decided it was better to think of them as completely seperate
 
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Hey so I got into these films a couple of weeks ago so I could see the third one in cinemas, which I did today, and I thought it was good.
 
Ford Prefect said:
Hey so I got into these films a couple of weeks ago so I could see the third one in cinemas, which I did today, and I thought it was good.
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ELABORATE

Was the ending satisfying? You can spoiler-post, the book series ending is rather sad and IIRC the movie was stated to take a similar approach?
 
TURBODERP said:
Was the ending satisfying? You can spoiler-post, the book series ending is rather sad and IIRC the movie was stated to take a similar approach?
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It was satisfying, yeah. It's sad but satisfying and has a happy little stinger thing right before the credits. I don't really know the books so I can't really comment on that.
 
Let us enjoy it, more often we get shit a couple months late compared to you yanks and others.
 
Wholehearted recommend. There's parts in the middle where it starts to flag and the villain is pretty much Nothing but the climax brings it home super hard. One music cue punched me in the diaphragm then one shot throttled me senseless while I was vulnerable.
 
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
The third movie based on the novels by Cressida Cowell. A year after the previous film, Hiccup and his friends have been raiding Dragon catcher barges to free Dragons, thus increasing the dragon population on Berk. This introductory sequence is an effective way to begin this film, setting the scene for what will happen. The dragon catchers have been suffering since Draco's defeat, but a new villain has arisen, the likes of which Hiccup and the rest of Berk are ill equipped to confront and are unaware is coming, until it is too late.
Of course, the story isn't just about the threat of Gimmel and the dragons he has enslaved. It is also about relationships. Hiccup and Astrid. Toothless and the Light Fury. The Berkians and the Dragons. (Snotlout and Valka?) Ruffnut and Tuffnut. All these relationships play an important role in the plot (or provide comedic relief at relevant moments). Astrid being close to Hiccup allows her to encourage him at a moment when he is down, when it appears that Gimmel has won. The Light Fury's effect on Toothless is also an important plot thread.
This is a very well written aspect of the film. But there are also the threat that Gimmel presents, and the eponymous Hidden World, where Dragons are supposed to come from. The former provides an impetus for Hiccup and the Berkians to seek the latter. The confrontation between Gimmel and Hiccup and the Dragon Riders in Hiccup's house, was rather well done. That Hiccup tried to be prepared, but still failed is a good set up for what would come later, and further establishes Gimmel as a threat.
The visuals of the Hidden World are also good, with Hiccup and Astrid's escape with the help of Toothless and the Light Fury the topping on a very appealing cake. The final confrontation with Gimmel over the Berk Dragons was a very effective climax to this film, with Hiccup's determination driving the Riders. This is a very effective conclusion to the trilogy. 8.8/10.
 
Well, now that this is finally out in NA

I didn't really feel it? I think the lack of personality or presence from the villains really undercut the plot. When the plot is largely about running from a threat, it doesn't work when the bulk of said threat is mostly played as a joke. Gimmel is the sole competent individual on the side of the trappers. The fact that a large portion of the human cast are comic relief is also a bit grating, and further undercuts the tension. The sections with Toothless, the light fury, and hiccup are well done, but I don't feel like it holds up the rest of the movie.
 
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