How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: February 22, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 42 Critic Reviews
Positive:
32
Mixed:
10
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleFeb 20, 2019
By the way, if you’re wondering about the subliminal appeal of the dragons — why these animated creatures look adorable on screen and not menacing at all — here’s why: Their movements, behaviors and expressions are based on cats. Once you know, it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Read full review
90
Rolling StonePeter TraversFeb 20, 2019
The Hidden World is the best Dragon yet — an animated action phenom with moonstruck passion in its heart and a spirit that soars. Read full review
90
IGNHope CorriganJan 16, 2019
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a fantastic, visually stunning and poignant way to end this beloved trilogy. Read full review
90
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 2, 2019
Here, the visuals outdo anything we’ve seen before, to such a degree that we might almost overlook the subtler innovations in the character animation: the nuances of expression on both the human and reptilian faces, and the wonderful nonverbal tactics these artists use to convey emotional intricacies neither Hiccup nor Toothless have had to communicate before, all of which pays off in an unforgettable final scene. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenFeb 20, 2019
Frequent, fiery battle scenes are well mounted, and in between are tenderer moments. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comNell MinowFeb 20, 2019
The final chapter of the “How to Train Your Dragon” saga is visually stunning and emotionally satisfying, with a conclusion that may leave the parents in the audience a little tearful. Read full review
81
The VergeTasha RobinsonFeb 27, 2019
The film’s eye-candy is endlessly impressive and a worthy reason to see the film in a theater, but it’s never as memorable as authentic, unique story moments like Hiccup’s first connection with Toothless in the series’s first installment. Read full review
80
Screen RantSandy SchaeferJan 23, 2020
Overall, The Hidden World ends the How to Train Your Dragon movies on a strong note and shouldn't disappoint those who've spent the last five years anxiously awaiting the final chapter in Hiccup and Toothless' story. Read full review
80
SlashfilmHoai-Tran BuiJan 23, 2020
The Hidden World isn’t “big.” It doesn’t offer a shattering emotional moment, it doesn’t tear your heart in pieces. Instead, it tugs at your heartstrings and gently guides you to the finish line of a wondrous, lovely franchise that was more than we deserved. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeFeb 4, 2019
There’s a new maturity both in the character and in the storytelling that makes this final film in the trilogy take wing. Read full review
80
Total FilmNeil SmithFeb 1, 2019
One of the decade’s most accomplished fantasy sagas signs off with a finale that’s exciting, moving and fabulous to look at. Read full review
80
Screen DailySarah WardJan 2, 2019
The film’s coming-of-age story might remain familiar, its emotional arc may be broad, and its messages about self-belief and taking chances fall into the tried-and-tested camp, but DeBlois still builds an engaging, sincere and tender world brimming with depth and detail. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenJan 2, 2019
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. Read full review
80
TheWrapRobert AbeleJan 2, 2019
As DeBlois engineers this tale towards an expectedly exciting and poignant conclusion, one realizes how well that cleverly misdirecting title How to Train Your Dragon has morphed from literal to figurative, from being about command and obeisance to handling the turmoil within. Read full review
78
Paste MagazineOktay Ege Kozak Feb 28, 2019
As a closing chapter in the tale of Hiccup and Toothless, The Hidden World ends this portion of the tale on a satisfying note. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesFeb 20, 2019
These dragons are rendered so expressively, and they have become so dear. We may not deserve them, but that doesn’t stop the heart from wanting. Read full review
75
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJan 23, 2020
The newest “Dragon” adventure, once again written and directed by Dean DeBlois, achieves real visual artistry. Read full review
75
The PlaylistAlly JohnsonFeb 23, 2019
While Dragon 3 suffers from the absence of a strong plot, poignant stakes, and narrative thrust, it’s still a story that most audiences will find something to connect with. It’s a fitting end for the Hiccup and Toothless’ story and How to Train Your Dragon 3 is mostly fantastical escapism that packs an emotional wallop. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerFeb 22, 2019
A satisfying adventure story with allegorical manifest-destiny allusions, The Hidden World reminds us that if butterflies were the size of horses, humans would surely ride them. And wouldn’t that be an awful thing? ​ Read full review
75
ConsequenceBlake GobleFeb 21, 2019
Even if the run-up takes its time, DeBlois sticks the landing – for this film, for his trilogy – and makes something that feels a bit more knowing in its themes: Life goes on, protect the ones you love, and enjoy the world we all share. There are far greater crimes children’s films can commit than positive messaging. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy BurrFeb 20, 2019
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World has a visual sumptuousness and a fluid agility that make it worth experiencing even if you’re not paying attention to the story. It moves the way you imagine a flying dragon might. Read full review
75
The Film StageJared MobarakFeb 20, 2019
This trilogy secures our respect as a crowning achievement in animated cinema that should stand the test of time. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsFeb 20, 2019
From the beginning, the animators got something very, very right with Toothless, who works with an artificial tail just as his human friend works with a prosthetic hand. He’s adorable, yes, of course. But he’s not conventionally flawless, and he’s all the better for that. Read full review
75
IndieWireMichael NordineJan 2, 2019
The animation itself is striking — an early sequence in which the sky is filled with dragons is an early sign of the visual treats to come — and ends up being the film’s highlight. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternFeb 26, 2019
A surfeit of spectacular images from top-of-the-line computer animation. And the love story branches out beyond a boy and his dragon into gladdening fulfillment on both sides of the species divide. That will certainly be sufficient for kids and families who’ve been waiting for the final chapter of the big-screen trilogy. Over much of the territory it covers, though, the film feels like it’s flying on empty. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangFeb 21, 2019
Perhaps the highs feel so stirring, in part, because they are surrounded by so much conventional din and clatter. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergFeb 21, 2019
If you’ve spent any time with these characters, it’s hard not to get swept up in the saga, and it’s easy to be moved by the bond between Hiccup and Toothless, who is, in effect, a very loyal dog who can fly and harness the power of lightning bolts. Read full review
63
Washington PostPat PaduaFeb 25, 2019
The trouble with the film is that this animal love story also saps some of the franchise’s main strength, which has always been the almost pet-like relationship between humans and dragons. Read full review
63
Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonFeb 21, 2019
The movie really soars when the dragons do the same — as in previous installments, the best shots are of dragons maneuvering through the clouds. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineJake ColeFeb 21, 2019
If the film sometimes feels too small in comparison to its predecessors, it manages to make the most of its quietest moments. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliFeb 20, 2019
Although the How to Train Your Dragon series hasn’t been reduced to the harebrained level of a big-screen children’s cartoon, the latest chapter is the least sophisticated of the movies, emphasizing slapstick humor, one-dimensional characterization, and obvious messages. Read full review
63
The Associated PressJake CoyleFeb 19, 2019
Written and directed by series veteran Dean DeBlois, “The Hidden World” may not overwhelm in its necessity.... There are two compelling parts of “The Hidden World” that validate it. Read full review
60
CNNBrian LowryMay 21, 2019
A solidly made animated feature, but one more notable for the height of its aspirations than its consistent ability to deliver on them. Read full review
60
The AtlanticDavid SimsMar 1, 2019
The narrative thrust of The Hidden World sputters any time humans are involved. Much of the plot exists only to stall the characters until the film winds its way to a touching conclusion. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriFeb 22, 2019
Despite the visual splendor of this movie — the beautifully animated creatures and elegantly imagined settings — what will ultimately determine whether you respond to this final How to Train Your Dragon is how well you remember the earlier entries. For some, it’ll be a moving conclusion to an epic series. For others, it’ll be one less kids’ franchise to worry about. Read full review
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenFeb 19, 2019
It’s the visuals, though, that really soar. With master cinematographer Roger Deakins again lending his eye as consultant, the camera weaves in and out among photo-real flora and fire-breathing fauna. Read full review
60
The TelegraphRobbie CollinFeb 19, 2019
For a series that has always torn through technical boundaries at speed but whose storytelling stays scrupulously between the lines, it’s business as usual to the last. Read full review
60
EmpireBen TravisJan 28, 2019
DreamWorks Animation’s most heartfelt series bows out with a beautifully designed finale, but the long-awaited emotional goodbyes for its beloved central duo don’t quite soar. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Feb 20, 2019
As an act of storytelling, it’s curiously perfunctory, never rising to the level of effort and care put into creating its cornucopia of visual pleasures. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 19, 2019
The dialogue has no snap, crackle or you-know-what, the dragons are better defined but aren’t really the focus here. Read full review
40
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelFeb 21, 2019
One kudo to this lazy effort: The climax does have a real end-of-a-trilogy feel, making further sequels less likely. Silver linings, folks. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawJan 31, 2019
All the fire and lifeblood of this idea has been sucked out and we are left with something bland. Read full review
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