Oscars 2020: 'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' deserves Best Animated Feature award, here's why
DreamWorks Animation's 'How to Train Your Dragon' film trilogy is one of those rare franchises that not only tell great stories for children but also resonate with the adults in the audience. As coming-of-age stories go, there are a few movies out there, animated or otherwise, that can top the franchise and that's why it's so surprising that none of the movies in the series has won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature yet.
Interestingly enough, all three movies in the series have received Oscar nominations yet none have actually bagged the prize as of yet. However, that could change this year with the trilogy's final movie, 'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World'.
What sets the franchise apart from its competitors is the amount of thought that has gone into creating each installment. None of the movies have been simple cash grabs or nostalgia bait and each of them has only added to the greater tapestry of the series. While the first movie was a basic story of a child finding his place in the world, the second took things to the next level by having the franchise's hero Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) finally step up and accept his role in the greater society of Berk, his homeland.
The third movie goes on to complete the hero's journey by having him bid goodbye to the joys of his childhood, making the difficult decision to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of both his people and the dragons they've come to love. Beautifully animated and emotionally charged, the movie is a fitting conclusion to the franchise and it resonates extremely well with the audience that grew up with Hiccup, following his exploits every step of the way and seeing themselves in him from the time they were children to the present day. Not every movie can claim to have achieved that.
To be fair, there are a number of movies nominated in the Animated Feature category this year and each of them has its own merits. But that said, it would truly be a disservice not just to the artists behind the movie but also to the fans who have been moved by it if 'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' does not win the award it so clearly deserves.
'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' was released in theaters on February 22, 2019, in the United States. The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony will be held on February 9.