Fifteen years later and we are going back to the Isle of Berk! DreamWorks takes the latest Disney trend of turning their beloved animated classics into live-action films. First on the list is “How to Train Your Dragon,” a huge swing for DreamWorks, considering the original is considered one of their best and flagship films.
So, how did it do? It’s a tall order, and as of late, Disney’s new takes have been big misses. Being completely honest, the original “How to Train Your Dragon”, to date, is one of my favorite animated films. It set a new standard at the time for animated movies, and it really exceeded their expectations. That said, I might prefer this version to the animated one.
That’s hard to believe, and I’m surprised to feel this way. But somehow, DreamWorks took everything from the original movie, copied it scene for scene and still made it better.
“How to Train Your Dragon” (2025) Review: A Live-Action Remake Done Right
Adding a Human Element
Human emotion adds a lot to a movie. You can feel it in the original. But to see it and feel it is an entirely different aspect. Seeing the emotion displayed on the actors’ faces leveled this up even more for me. Gerard Butler returning as “Stoick” was the best thing they could’ve done. Seeing him bring the character to life in live-action was a ton of fun. Mason Thames, our new “Hiccup,” stood his ground well. He had big shoes to fill, but there was no way the casting crew would hire a 43-year-old Jay Baruchel to reprise the role of a kid. So props to him for making it his own, while still following the original blueprint to a “T.”
Newcomers to the franchise, Nick Frost (Gobber the Belch), Julian Dennison (Fishlegs Ingerman), Gabriel Howell (Snotlout) and Peter Serafinowicz (Spitelout Jorgenson) all did great, taking classic characters and adding their spice to the recipe. The most impressive to me, though, besides Butler and Thames, was Nico Parker, who plays “Astrid,” the love interest of Hiccup. I enjoyed her rendition of the character and what she brought to the table. She’s strong, noble and one heck of a badass Viking Warrior.
Overall, I was very pleased with the cast in this, and being able to take the animated characters, holding true to what we know and yet making them their own. They added that human element that was missing from the original.
Visuals That Grab On & Don’t Let Go
Going from an animated environment and landscape to actually filming on location in Ireland is what truly did it for me as a whole. This is a beautiful film, and the Faroe Islands have never looked as magnificent as they do here. Everything looks serene and exemplifies the visuals from the original. Namely, when they’re in the air, there are some absolutely breathtaking shots of Hiccup and Toothless flying, and it made it so much better not being animated. I also appreciated how they kept Toothless looking nearly identical to his animated self. There are some slight differences, but they’re all for the better. In fact, I liked how all the dragons looked, a lot less cartoony, so to speak.
Credit to the Crew
Bravo to director Dean DeBlois for nailing this film on two occasions. Not only did he crush this at the animated level, but from what you just read, he delivered again in live-action. Some flowers should also be delivered to the composer, John Powell. For two films, his scores are such juggernauts of success that they can draw a reaction out of you. That first time Hiccup and Toothless fly together has one of the best needle drops in cinema. It’s straight goosebumps. I would be thrilled to see him get an Oscar nomination for this score.
A Live-Action Remake Worth Watching
“How to Train Your Dragon” is, in my mind, the best way to deliver these remakes. It is true to the original as closely as possible, basically scene for scene. Some will say that doing so is a mistake, and you should take risks; Deviate from what we know and love. But when you play a great film this close to the chest and do it properly, you deliver a product of this magnitude.
I still can’t believe how much I loved this and how much I like it more than the original. But DreamWorks delivered the best animated-to-live-action remake to date, and “How to Train Your Dragon” is my favorite film of 2025 thus far.
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