Film Review - How To Train Your Dragon
Images courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Time will tell, but the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon could be the rare remake that soars above the rest.
On the island of Berk, vikings and dragons are at war. A young boy named Hiccup (Mason Thames) is determined to prove himself to the other Vikings (and his chieftain dad) that he has what it takes to fight the flying beasts. One night, he captures the rarest dragon of them all, and his decision to spare its life changes everything.
2025’s How to Train Your Dragon is a full-blown shot-for-shot remake. Everything - evidently - feels remarkably similar to the 2010 animated film, even down to the script, where lines of dialogue are spoken word-for-word from the original. However, what separates this film from other animation-to-live-action remakes like Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (2017) or The Little Mermaid (2023) is that it still retains the strong heart of the original. With the director of the original trilogy, Dean DeBlois, at the helm as writer and director, the goal of the cast and crew is evident: to respect the animated film.
Like the original, the heart of this film is the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless, and Deblois nails it, just as he did before. Mason Thames’ performance as Hiccup has a different energy from Jay Baruchel’s vocal talent from the animated film. While Baruchel played heavily into the awkwardness of the character, Thames’s Hiccup feels more emotional and grounded. Meanwhile, Toothless looks like he was pulled right out of the original film with the VFX artists retaining his cheekiness, warmth and incredible design. When Hiccup and Toothless first fly together with John Powell’s iconic score playing in the cinema, it’s hard not to feel all the emotions.
The translation to live-action makes the franchise feel, at times, more epic and cinematic in terms of scale. The practical set design and costumes are as colourful as the original. None of the actors are trying to imitate their animated counterparts, instead adding more details to their characterisation. Gerard Butler’s return as Stoick the Vast in particular deserves praise, as he completely embodies his famous character. Meanwhile, Deblois and actress Nico Parker are trying to give more weight to Astrid, despite an already strong foundation. It comes off as unnecessary, but thankfully, Parker’s badassery still manages to shine through. However, the strongest aspect of this film is the VFX. All the dragons are faithfully designed and beautifully detailed, which demonstrates the care Deblois and the VFX team took to render the magnificent beasts.
Unlike other live action remakes, How to Train Your Dragon is not a chore to watch. You won’t feel anything new that you haven’t already felt before from this franchise, but it’s a hell of a ride.
How To Train Your Dragon is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.