Film Review: How To Train Your Dragon
The Legend Is Real
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film How To Train Your Dragon. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
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PLOT
Via Letterboxd: On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
REVIEW
We’re not even halfway through the year, and here I am reviewing my third animated-to-live-action remake of 2025. But this time, it’s not another Disney title getting the remake treatment, it’s DreamWorks’ turn with How to Train Your Dragon, the hit 2010 Oscar-nominated film that kicked off a beloved trilogy. Universal has big plans to remake all three films in live-action as part of a broader push to cement the franchise as a key piece of their theme park and IP branding strategy.
Going into this remake, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I grew up watching classics like Snow White and caught Lilo & Stitch in theaters as a kid, but by the time the How to Train Your Dragon films started rolling out, I was in my twenties and in less of a rush to catch more family friendly fare. I was a big movie buff, sure, but not yet fully entrenched in film criticism, and for one reason or another, I just never got around to them. So when the live-action remake of the first film was announced, I made a point to finally sit down and watch the original 2010 version before catching this new adaptation.
I didn’t grow up with How to Train Your Dragon, unlike many younger critics I’ve interacted with over the last few years. So when I finally watched the original, after so many had labeled it a modern classic or even a masterpiece, I have to admit I was a tad underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was a solid B+ film. It’s got charm, a great message, fun creature lore, and a well-executed and exciting third act. But I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. The romance between Hiccup and Astrid didn’t quite land for me, and the overall story felt like it was missing a certain punch. Still, it was easy to see why it resonated with so many, and I hoped the live-action version might tighten a few of those loose bolts while maintaining what worked.
Then the movie started, and within the first ten minutes, it became crystal clear - this was going to be a shot-for-shot remake.
Having just seen the animated version the day before, I could instantly recognize how precisely this remake was mirroring the original, down to near-identical camera pans and character blocking. Aside from a few reworded lines of dialogue that more or less say the same thing, this was the same film with a new cast and a switch in medium. Gerard Butler, returning as Stoick, is a welcomed holdover and easily the MVP of the film, but beyond that, everything else follows the blueprint of the original to a tee.
And that was disappointing. I was hoping this version might fix a few of the original’s shortcomings for me, the way some of Disney’s remakes have managed to do. For example, the live-action Little Mermaid gave Ariel and Eric’s relationship more dimension and emotional grounding. That kind of retooling could’ve gone a long way here. Instead, I got the exact same pros, and the exact same cons, all over again.
That said, let me give credit where it’s due. The CGI and creature designs are solid, the ensemble cast seems like they’re genuinely enjoying themselves, and the cinematography is better than some other big blockbusters. The score, unsurprisingly, is still fantastic, and the final act remains a high point, both emotionally and visually. In those moments, I was reminded why the original is so cherished. It’s still a fun, family-friendly adventure that works as a safe and enjoyable night out at the movies.
In the context of 2025’s remakes, How to Train Your Dragon is hands-down the best of the bunch so far, especially when stacked against the underwhelming efforts from Snow White and Lilo & Stitch. But it also gives fuel to the argument that these remakes are increasingly unnecessary. When the only real difference is live-action faces and digital dragons instead of animated ones, what’s the point beyond brand extension?
Ultimately, the film’s refusal to reinvent the wheel is both its biggest strength and most glaring weakness. This isn’t as lifeless as The Lion King’s near-frame-perfect remake, but it’s also not doing much to justify its own existence beyond technical polish. So I have to give it the same rating I gave the original, a solid B+. It’s a perfectly enjoyable popcorn flick for families, but also one that many already have access to at home anyways.
GRADING
