How to Train Your Dragon

The long-awaited live-action adaptation of the beloved animated classic How to Train Your Dragon exceeds all expectations. Directed once again by Dean DeBlois and powered by John Powell's unforgettable score, the film stays about 95% true to the original story: a young Viking who forms an unlikely bond with the very creature his people are sworn to destroy.

-Highlights:

The casting is surprisingly good - I had my doubts about Hiccup and Astrid, but the actors became their characters in the best way.

The CGI is epic. Every dragon - from Toothless to the fire-covered Monstrous Nightmare - looks incredibly realistic and faithful to the animated designs.

The music hits hard emotionally. Scenes like the sand drawing, flight training, the romantic flight, and the final battle with the Alpha dragon are breathtaking.

Visually, the landscapes and Viking setting are on another level - rich, immersive, and cinematic.

-What would I change? Honestly? Nothing. This is how live-action adaptations should be done. Hollywood finally got it right (unlike certain mouse-owned franchises... 🐭👀).

-Final thoughts: This movie isn't just a tribute - it's a stunning, faithful revival of Berk's magic for a new generation. A must-watch experience on the big screen!

Rarely does a remake pay homage to original, even rarer does a remake capture its heart and soul that made the characters and storyline so captivating.

How To Train Your Dragon (2025) is everything you hope for in a live action adaptation and usually don't recieve. The characters (Especcially Hiccup and Stoick) translate exceptionally well to live action and the special effects leave nothing to be desired. In many ways, this remake plays even better on the big screen than the animation ever did due to the sheer size of the set pieces and the impressively realistic dragon CGI.

The make-or-break of this film, however, was the score. Retaining John Powell's powerful, moving and emotionally resonant composition elevates this movie to a different level.

Other than some of the casting choices and acting perfomances not comparing to the original, this remake's only main flaw is that it's a remake. It's essentially a way of watching exactly the same movie but in live action, which while being its biggest flaw, also manages to be its biggest asset - Its the only remake in recent memory that one can truly claim has recaptured the magic of its source. Go see it, it may well be one of the best films you'll watch this year.

How to Train Your Dragon is an incredibly faithful remake where every change it makes is subtle and avoids having disastrous consequences for the original narrative. The heart of the story is intact and it mostly understands when to change a few things so they work better in live action as well as keeping the best moments virtually the same. It is comfortably better than nearly all of Disney's live action remakes in the last decade and easily ranks as one of the best ones ever made.

Mason Thames is perfectly cast as Hiccup, simultaneously delivering almost every single line in a spot on fashion whilst making the role his own and ensuring his bond with Toothless is believable. Gerard Butler rightfully returns to the role of Stoic with an even greater gusto and emotional heft somehow. Nico Parker benefits the most from the new material so her Astrid has slightly more depth and the same level of determination. Nick Frost also makes the role his own and feels like the right choice for the character.

Original co-director Dean DeBlois helming this one in his live action directorial debut makes it feel more like a director's cut of its animated predecessor. His involvement imbues the film with so much warmth and ensures it retains a strong pace despite being half an hour longer now. Bill Pope's cinematography makes all the flying scenes suitably thrilling again and the CGI is really good for the most part. John Powell's score remains absolutely faultless and a big reason for why this works as well as it does.

You could tell by the face, the voice, the posture, the presence that Gerard Butler really really loves his character. There is just so much right energy and inveatment coming from him in every Stoick The Vast scene. Joy to watch. The rest... Hiccup. Astrid and the twins are so plastic in their approach to the characters that it's hard to take them seriously. I don't know why but they looked more _animated_ than the animation veraions. Snotlout and Fishlegs were quite forgettable.

Hookfang looks absolutely amazing. Gorgeous. Stormfly not so much. Toothless is always beautiful but honestly all of his movement felt less natural than the animation. Especially in particular moment (I would like to keep it spoiler free) which mesmerised me when I saw the animated one back in 2010 and here looked more generic rather than emotional.

Green Death looks cool if a bit lazy.

I watched the original back in 2010 and there was just magic in there. I thought the 3d was way more effective than Avatar. Was it formulaic? Yes. Was it simple? Yes. But did it have a heart? YES. And huge one at that.

I don't think this version adds anything or is in any way needed but it can be enjoyable if you overlook the plastic acting. The score is still great. And seeing Gerard Butler care so much about his character is just lovely. So I'd rather be staying on this positive note.

Honestly... I didn't expect to feel the same way I did back in 2010, but this film brought it all back.

The remake went far beyond my expectations. The casting was spot on-even though I had doubts at first, the performances felt genuine and convincing. Especially Hiccup and Astrid: I found myself reconnecting with them like it was the first time.

Visually, it's stunning. The world of Vikings and dragons feels totally believable. The direction respects the spirit of the original, while adding a more grounded and mature tone.

This isn't just a copy-it's a heartfelt experience that stands on its own.