Live-action remakes are hardly novel in 2025, with Disney having produced over 20 in the past 15 years. But as a result of that influx, the perception is that the quality of these films is increasingly subpar, despite many being box office successes. After years of sitting on the sidelines, DreamWorks is finally throwing its hat into the live-action remake ring with How to Train Your Dragon. Will it come out on top and slay the box office, or be yet another dud in a graveyard of live-action failures?
How to Train Your Dragon tells the story of Hiccup (Mason Thames), a young Viking boy who desires to become a dragon slayer and warrior like his father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler); however, the gangly and weak lad is relegated to the sidelines as a blacksmith fixing swords and weapons. When his village of Berk is yet again attacked by dragons, Hiccup brings out his dragon-slaying contraption and manages to hit an elusive rare Night Fury before it crashes into the night forest.
When Stoick and the clan leave to find the elusive dragon nest to stop the dragons for good, Hiccup remains home to train with an upcoming batch of dragon warriors. After training, Hiccup sneaks away and tracks the whereabouts of the injured dragon. The dragon is trapped and instead of killing it as a true Viking would, Hiccup frees the dragon. Unable to fly due to the loss of its tail fin, the dragon is trapped in a ravine, so Hiccup works to gain its trust and creates a contraption to help it fly again. But Hiccup must keep this secret while continuing to face the trials of being a dragon fighter.
How to Train Your Dragon is a fun movie and adheres closely to the 2010 animated original, appearing nearly as a shot-for-shot remake (literally, as the framing of each shot is exactly the same). This is surprisingly welcome, as the filmmakers simply bring the story to a new audience in live-action form. They don’t meddle with the story for the sake of something new or update the themes for modern audiences. Having Dean DeBlois, one of the original directors, at the helm helps ensure that the film’s legacy and impact are maintained. And the proof is in the final product: this team loves and respects the animated classic.
The casting is well done, allowing for the vibrancy of the animated characters to translate to live action. Butler reprises his role as the Stoick, which is fitting since the character was basically a caricature him. Thames has big shoes to fill as the lead, Hiccup, and is more muted than both the original Hiccup and rest of the cast, failing capture the same goofy, sarcastic attitude, though overall he does a fine job and looks the part.
Many of the other characters—Gobber the Belch (Nick Frost), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), Snotlout (Gabriel Howell), Ruffnut (Bronwyn James), Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn)—are hilariously over-the-top, which is a breath of fresh air since many live-action remakes try to ground the films in realism, but these characters truly feel like animated characters brought to life. Tuffnut in particular is a worthy successor to T.J. Miller, mirroring his silly antics and energy with his facial expressions and performance.
The only real dud of the cast is Astrid (Nico Parker), who is flat in every scene. Animated Astrid is so lively, funny, and a believable physical threat, but Parker delivers her lines so monotonously, it’s shocking she was cast in the first place, as she really sticks out compared to the rest of the cast. This doesn’t help with the romance with Hiccup, as there is zero chemistry between the two.
The world is a bit dark and grounded in realism—for example, the dragons retain their cartoony design but less vibrant—something you don’t really notice until the final scene when the world is suddenly filled with color, making you yearn for what you’ve been missing the entire time. However, this is an obvious stylistic choice for juxtaposition, so here’s hoping that potential future sequels punch up the brightness because it really made a difference.
The film follows the brilliant structure of the original: successfully hitting all the right moments and character beats. However, the emotional moments, while still present, don’t hit the same highs as the original. Just like the scenery, they’re muted. Hiccup’s epic “Test Drive” scene where he fully rides Toothless for the first time, is exciting but perhaps because we’re watching an actor ride a CGI dragon on a greenscreen, it just doesn’t hit the same as a fully immersive animated CGI world.
The film does suffer from some modern remake tropes, which are getting stale at this point, such as the forced multiculturalism in a loosely historical fiction and the bloated runtime that add nothing to the plot. As it’s nearly a shot-for-shot remake, there’s nothing apparent that was added, but every scene is just unnecessarily longer, padding the runtime by nearly 30 minutes. By the time the final battle begins, you’re ready for the film to wrap up. However, these are minor critiques, as overall, the movie is an enjoyable ride.
How to Train Your Dragon is a perfectly acceptable live-action remake and reestablishes the standard for how studios should approach these films: stick to the source material, don’t rock the boat too much with new characters or plotlines, and you’ll turn out fine. Did it need to be made? No. Is it still a lot of fun? Yes. Does it make you want to just go back and rewatch the original? Absolutely. Nonetheless, both kids and adults will absolutely enjoy the flight with this fun summer flick.
How to Train Your Dragon hits theaters on June 13, 2025.
★★★½
