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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Starring: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, Cate Blanchett, and Gerard Butler
Synopsis: It's been quite a year for animated films so far, with "The Lego Movie 2" opening February and dominating and the third and final installment in the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise opening the final weekend of February. These animated treasures bookended the month, and not coincidentally are my favorite films of 2019 so far. It's early yet, but I'd imagine both will be in the running for awards come this time next year, too. "The Hidden World," the third film in this franchise, brings the story of Hiccup (Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless to a beautiful end. These films have always been about friendship, ultimately, and this one is no exception. It's also about growing up and moving on. For both Hiccup and Toothless that means taking a new step in their personal journey, as well as in their journey as leaders. Hiccup has to protect the people of Berk, while Toothless is the king of the dragons. And both move their people to safety and a brighter future. That also means warding off danger in the form of rival clans and a dragon hunter named Grimmel (Abraham). I won't spoil the plot too much here, but I will say I thought this was a moving and beautiful film. There were many things I enjoyed and I thought the final moments were a beautiful and fitting end to this franchise. There was humor, endearing characters and a solid story. And this film did a great job providing closure to the story and honoring the unbreakable bond of these two unlikely friends.
Rating: PG for adventure action and some mild rude humor.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Isn't It Romantic
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine, Betty Gilpin, and Priyanka Chopra
Synopsis: By now, we're all familiar with the trappings of the standard romantic comedy. Whether you're a fan of the genre or not, the cliches are unavoidable. For some, they elicit groans. For others, they elicit warm and fuzzy feelings. But either way, "Isn't It Romantic" seeks to deconstruct the standard formula, while following it perfectly. (In some ways it feels like the romantic comedy version of what "Scream" once did for horror films in 1996.) In the film, Natalie (Wilson) isn't a fan of romantic comedies after her mother (Jennifer Saunders) soured her on their unreality years earlier. In fact, Natalie spends most of her day poking holes in the standard plot, much to the dismay of her best friend Whitney (Gilpin), while missing the obvious romantic overtures of her co-worker Josh (Devine). When she hits her head, hard, she finds herself transported to an alternate reality, one that looks an awful lot like a PG-13 Romantic Comedy. There she's courted by wealthy hunk Blake (Hemsworth) and has to figure out how to find a way home. I like Wilson as a performer, and the rest of this cast was good, too. And this film had some light and fun moments, and some great musical numbers. However, it was fairly predictable and took some easy shots at the format. I thought the film was OK, but didn't come together as well as it could have. It was an interesting twist on the format at times, and probably worked OK for those looking to have a Valentine's Date Night, but it wasn't particularly memorable.
Rating: PG-13 for language, some sexual material, and a brief drug reference.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.