Fifteen years and some change after Universal and DreamWorks launched the first of its three successful animated How to Train Your Dragon movies, their live-action remake, complete with CGI dragons, cruises along with a nice tailwind from 2010’s first adaptation of Cressida Cowell’s books, which earned an Oscar nomination for Animated Feature.
While certain details in specific scenes were modified and some dialogue subtly shifted to enhance the story, the new version follows the original plot’s three-act structure to a tee. While some might question going to see a movie that swaps in real people and follows the original story almost exactly beat for beat — give or take a cut scene or additional moment — there is comfort in knowing what to expect, while still seeing the relationships, emotions and overall human dynamics re-interpreted. An added line of humorous or genuine dialogue in big moments also helps the film feel less formulaic.
Director Dean DeBlois, who directed the original with Chris Sanders from a script the pair wrote with Will Davies, returns for the live-action film, which stars up and comer Mason Thames (Incoming, Regretting You) as Hiccup (originally voiced by Jay Baruchel in the animated films), Nico Parker (The Last of Us, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy) as Astrid (voiced by America Ferrera in the animated films), and Gerard Butler reprising his voice role in the flesh — or Viking furs, rather — as Hiccup’s father Stoic the Vast, chief of the Isle of Berk.
Hiccup, who makes up for his lack of his dad’s physical build with both logistical and emotional intelligence, has never felt the same need to kill the dragons that constantly attack his homeland and steal their sheep. One night, during a common raid by the beasts, Hiccup snares a Night Fury, a swift and cunning dragon that the Berkians know little about. Hiccup finds the dragon, prepares to kill it and tell his father what he’s done. He can’t bring himself to do the deed, however, instead cutting the beast free, though in the process his snare cut off one of the dragon’s crucial tail flaps, rendering him unable to fly on his own.
Hiccup closely studies Toothless, as he names the dragon for his retractable teeth, and fashions a makeshift fin to eventually ride the dragon with a connected foot pedal. He does all of this while he is in Viking training and his dad has taken most of the island to search for the dragon’s nest and exterminate the beasts once and for all. Hiccup is of one mindset — that man and dragon can coexist — while the majority of Berk is of the other. These competing viewpoints come to a head when Stoic figures out where the nest is and uses all means necessary to exterminate the scaly, winged creatures once and for all.
Thames does a great job balancing the tone set by Baruchel with Hiccup’s dry humor and making the lines his own, infusing them with earnestness and urgency. The inclusion of spot-on details like his chin scar as well as Hiccup being left-handed will satisfy the well-versed viewer and ease them into the hero’s story. His curiosity and ability to not take himself too seriously make him a stark contrast to Parker’s ambitious Astrid, who has her eyes on the prize, aka the chiefdom, of Berk. Julian Dennison makes a great Fishlegs, casting Hiccup in a slightly less nerdy or dorky light, though at the end of the day both their brands of enthusiasm for dragons are needed in the climactic third act. Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn shouldn’t be counted out as Ruffnut and Tuffnut, either; their quips and jokes ease tensions while Hiccup and his father butt heads, in addition to Hiccup clashing with Astrid in Viking training.
Though Butler said many of the same lines in the animated original, he still brings nuance to the battered father, delivering them differently as himself in the live-action film. Nick Frost rounds out the presence of wizened adults as Gobber.
Many of the film’s transitions — between Viking training (in the live-action version more specifically called The Trial of Flame, with the winner being dubbed Top Slayer) and Hiccup getting to know Toothless — while already set up by the animated film, still address the key conflict at the heart of the film: the enmity between Vikings and dragons.
If anything, the parallel of what keeps Toothless from killing Hiccup after Hiccup refrains from killing the dragon and cuts the dragon free from his trap become more pronounced thematically. Reliving the gut-wrenching final battle between Toothless and the giant Alpha queen dragon also hits home the importance of a simple apology as well as words of affirmation, from Stoic the Vast, specifically, who previously had not really respected his son’s way of thinking. Another slight change from the original film is the sharing in leadership by Hiccup with Astrid, who takes charge when the six Vikings-in-training bond with their own dragons and save the rest of their island population from the queen of the nest.
The stubborn love between father and son also has its spotlight during the denouement, and the thought of who might portray Hiccup’s mother Valka (voiced by Cate Blanchett originally) in the live-action sequel already in the works is intriguing. Ultimately, this first installment has laid the foundation for the theme of nature vs. nurture and answering the age old question of whether man and creature can get along. Animated or not, we could all use a story with change of mind and empathy at its heart right now.
The adrenaline and joy come through wonderfully in the scenes Hiccup flies with Toothless, and the bond between boy and dragon pulls the heartstrings when Thames sheds tears at the thought of losing his friend, and also when the Night Fury saves his rider from some scary situations that could resulted in his death. John Powell’s return to compose the music and build on his previously established themes helps the story soar.
Title: How to Train Your DragonDistributor: UniversalRelease date: June 13, 2025Director: Dean DeBloisScreenwriters: Dean DeBlois (based on the book by Cressida Cowell and the original film written by DeBlois, William Davies and Chris Sanders)Cast: Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, Murray McArthurRating: PGRunning time: 2 hr 5 mins
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