Parents' Guide to How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

This series' secret weapon has always been its gorgeous, atmospheric visuals; the third installment continues that strength but is weaker in other areas. Writer-director Dean DeBlois is still at the helm, but there's some magic missing this time around. The humor, except in flashes (such as Kristen Wiig's Ruffnut annoying her captors, or visual details such as Jonah Hill's Snotlout's failed mustache), falls flat. There is a memorable mating dance, of sorts, for Toothless and his lady dragon, that's among the series' more charming moments. But much seems poorly planned. There's more than one "secret" battle inside strongholds, that -- despite screaming, clanging, and things being burned to the ground -- somehow don't alert other warriors. Character threads go nowhere. The central human relationship between Hiccup and Astrid (America Ferrera) has little chemistry and presents a curious example for kids: We're told (not really shown) that these two love each other and are expected to marry, but there's not much evidence that they actually do nurture and support each other. The female dragon mirrors this in her relationship with Toothless.

But the movie's visuals really are special. As in the first two films, the artists' use of atmosphere, shadow, texture, light, and color gradation elevates How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. And Toothless continues to be one of the cutest beasties in popular film. You may find yourself wondering why it's called The Hidden World, when the movie spends about five minutes in that place. Still, it's family-friendly, and fans of the first two will likely want to see how the gang is doing.