CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Film Review: Satisfying Emotion in ‘How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World’
CHICAGO –All fiery things must come to an extinguishing point, and the “How to Train Your Dragon” animated film series concludes with its third entry, subtitled “Hidden World.” To finish things up the creators turn on the Dragon power, there are literally thousands of them flamed up and ready to go.
Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
The series is notable for the connection that the hero Hiccup creates with his dragon pal Toothless, and that theme is carried through to an appropriate and emotional conclusion, which is the biggest selling point of the film. The atmosphere is mind-bogglingly rendered into a significant created universe, including the so-called “hidden world” of Dragonland, which turns up the volume on psychedelic color schemes … the film is available in 3D, IMAX & RPX options. As it is said, if you have followed the first two films, you’ll be properly satisfied as it comes to an end.
Hiccup (voice of of Jay Baruchel) is now the chief of his Viking/Dragon village, in a sense hiding the mythical creatures from dragon hunters, led by the evil Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham). Hiccup’s pals, Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig) and Tuffnut (Justin Ripple) are all on his side, but become wary of protecting the village, especially as Hiccup keeps talking of a “hidden world” of Dragons.
Grimmel is wise, and decides to use a female dragon to lure the male Toothless to give up the village location. This works as sure the birds and the bees, and suddenly the whole collective is in trouble. Although Hiccup is willing to let Toothless find his mate, he worries for his responsibilities, including his burgeoning relationship with Astrid (America Ferrera).
Stop Dragon His Heart Around: ‘How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World’
Photo credit: Universal Pictures