“How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is currently sitting at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it isn’t hard to see why.

The third and final installment in the “How To Train Your Dragon” trilogy was released last week to an audience that has been following the series since it began in 2010. 

The first two installments of the series, based off books by Cressida Cowell, focused more on the two main characters growing together. Hiccup and Toothless, the Night Fury (a dragon), learned what it means to be a team and to trust and work with one another.

The third installment changed this dynamic. The two grow separately. You learn more about their personalities as the two learn how to adjust to changes neither are ready for. In addition, more is uncovered about the other members of the original six dragon riders.

The audience gets a deeper look into what life is like as the chief of Berk and Hiccup’s relationship with Astrid, and how he has been fairing in his new role a year after the events of the second movie. In order to protect his village and the dragons he has to make tough decisions he isn’t ready for.

Toothless falls in love only to be caught off guard by just how hard love can be. Hiccup is not the only character who needs to make decisions. We’ve previously seen Toothless as both a lovable and formidable character, but now we get to experience him as a leader as well as lovestruck.

As all good movies require, there is of course a big bad guy. Grimmel, a hunter, uses his brains instead of brawn to give the dragon riders a run for their money. He is ruthless and cruel. He stops at nothing to get what he wants: Toothless and his Light Fury.

This movie has its hilarious moments. Children around the theater laughed as characters tripped over themselves, cracked one-liners and goofed around. The adults in the audience could not help but laugh along with the children. There is just something about watching a children’s movie that will make you smile.

The movie is visually stunning. The bar was set high for this installment, but right out of the gate the animators did not disappoint with stunning fire, flight and fighting sequences. The colors, textures and lighting within the Hidden World gave the scenes an ethereal air.

The film’s original score is beautiful, with soaring orchestral pieces to lift the spirits as high as the dragons fly. John Powell and Klaus Badelt proved once again their ability to innovate classic sounds, such as the bagpipes, and incorporate them into a modern movie.

A few tears are shed, but the ending to “How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” feels like an apt end to a beloved series. The movie leaves the audience with a powerful message about change; it can be hard, but sometimes it’s for the better.

DreamWorks Animation – “How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

Verdict: 9/10