Anticipation.
Expectations were present but tempered – more a controlled spark than a roaring blaze.
Enjoyment.
When it soars, it soars – visually captivating, with fleeting gusts of the original’s enduring charm.
In Retrospect.
Never quite catches the updraft needed to soar to uncharted heights.
Dreamworks’ first foray into the world of live-action remakes is fairly unremarkable despite occasional sparks of magic.
Live-action remakes have come to dominate the kickoff of the summer movie season. Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, the creative duo behind early 2000s animated hits Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, have gone their separate ways, each now attempting to win the hearts of longtime fans and a new generation of moviegoers through live-action adaptations of their beloved animated classics. While Sanders has stepped back into the recording booth to reprise the voice of his mischievous alien creation, Stitch, DeBlois takes the reins as director of DreamWorks’ first ever live-action remake, steering the project in its entirety.
A live-action remake carries far more to answer for than an original film or even a sequel. In the case of How to Train Your Dragon, the adaptation largely follows its source material beat for beat, raising the question: what does the use of real actors and CGI bring to the table that animation does not and can that added tangibility truly offer an experience that surpasses the magic the original still holds to this day?
Get more Little White Lies
Like everyone else in the Viking community on the Isle of Berk, Hiccup (Mason Thames) longs to prove himself by slaying the dragons that terrorize his village, setting rogue fires and making off with their livestock. But when he finally comes face-to-face with a Night Fury, one of the most feared and elusive breeds of dragon, the moment that should define his bravery once and for all reveals something deeper. Blade in hand, he falters, not out of fear, but out of empathy, and makes a choice that sets him on a path no one in his tribe could understand.
Unlike his peers, such as Astrid (Nico Parker) – one of the tribe’s most promising young members – Hiccup struggles to meet the expectations of his father, Stoick, the tribe’s formidable chief. Time and again, Stoick is frustrated and embarrassed by his son’s perceived lack of toughness. But what Stoick doesn’t realize is that Hiccup’s empathy and inventive mind may be exactly what their community needs to survive.
Slowly but surely, Hiccup begins to train and heal the Night Fury he names Toothless, inspired by the dragon’s retractable teeth and endearing, gummy expression. As fans of the original will remember, Toothless’s behavior was famously modeled after a cat, and this adaptation preserves that playful, curious energy, emphasizing the timeless dynamic of a boy and his pet. The bond that forms between Hiccup and Toothless remains the film’s undeniable heart, just as it was in the animated classic.
What truly sets this live-action adaptation apart from its animated predecessor is the heightened sense of danger, driven not by changes to the story but by the dragons’ new designs. Rendered with CGI, the creatures feel visceral and imposing, their scale and textures giving them a physical presence that animation could only suggest. As Hiccup, Astrid, and the rest of the teen trainees come of age and step into the perilous task of dragon training, the stakes feel sharper. The threat of harm is real, and in the character’s interactions with the dragons is a more intense sense of fear and awe.
Mason Thames proves himself a strong choice to take up the mantle of Hiccup, capturing the character’s essence both physically and emotionally. He embodies Hiccup’s awkward charm, intelligence, and quiet empathy, though notably without the character’s iconic nasal voice (provided by Jay Baruchel in the animated films). Nico Parker delivers a faithful portrayal of Astrid, serving as a fierce and grounded foil to Hiccup, and together form a budding romantic tension that feels authentic. Notably, Gerard Butler effortlessly reprises the role of Stoick, bringing a natural authority to the character he has already shaped for years.
On the whole, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon plays it extremely safe. It’s perfectly passable, but only because it closely mirrors a narrative that’s already well-loved. Rather than evolve or reimagine, it delivers a near carbon copy of the original, and in doing so, loses some of the whimsical charm that made the animated version so special. What it does offer is visual richness in the form of stunning, tactile landscapes and impressively rendered CGI that give the world a more grounded and cinematic feel. Still, there’s little here that distinguishes it enough to become the definitive version. For most audiences, it’s hard to imagine this remake replacing or even rivaling the original.
