How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

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While Disney is taking the lead with their live-action remakes of animated classics, DreamWorks has come along with 'How to Train Your Dragon,' illustrating that other studios are also getting into this money-making idea. However, without being too cynical, unlike the Disney collection, this translates less as a simple cash-in remake and more as a revamping of the classic 2010 film, especially since the same writer and director, Dean DeBlois, is responsible for both the remake and the animated version.

While this film is doing well with audiences, who have been praising it, it remains average. This title isn't quite like 'Beauty and the Beast,' which had me wondering what made it so special, meaning I can see some of this movie's real positives. However, it still falls under the category of 'copy and paste,' which is the most significant criticism I have of the Disney live-action titles, with few exceptions. Besides adding a scene here or removing a scene there, it will still generally boil down to the same overall story with the same lessons, morals, and so on.

For those who haven't seen the original animated movie (which is still probably better, surprising no one), in centres on a Viking boy named Hiccup (Mason Thames) who lives among seveal other rough and tumble Vikings, including such figures as his chieftain father, Stoick (Gerard Butler), and blacksmith, Gobber (Nick Frost), whom he's apprentice to. Unlike many villages whose pests are common, like mice or mosquitos, in their town of Berk, these Vikings have to deal with dragons constantly threatening their livestock and their homes.

Hiccup has an overwhelming desire to down one of these ferocious dragons, as it would help make up for his stringbean-like strength and impress his father. During a dragon raid, Hiccup uses a bola launcher on the most elusive and cunning dragon species of them all, the Night Fury: a fast and furious dragon that cannot be seen under the cover of night, but Hiccup manages to take it down. In his attempt to prove himself, he heads out to finish the job, but upon seeing the creature's eyes, Hiccup cannot follow through with the kill.

Out of compassion for the creature, Hiccup releases the Night Fury, befriends it, and names it "Toothless," due to its retractable teeth. As he goes back and forth from Toothless to his village, he teaches a lot of the other young Vikings; dragon geek, Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), cocky coward, Snotlout (Gabriel Howell), twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut (Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn, respectively), and Viking warrior to be, Astrid (Nico Parker) a thing or two about how perhaps violence against the dragons isn't the answer, and maybe they can be tamed.

Beyond understanding the misunderstood, there are also themes of finding one's place while seeking acceptance and the desire to prove oneself, illustrated mainly by the relationship Hiccup has with his father. It may all be better done here, but it's not enough to say I prefer this one over the classic. However, I can appreciate the desire to enhance one's creation, not so much in a George Lucas way by overwriting what he's done, but by creating a separate product altogether. One might prefer DeBlois' animated version of the film, while others might prefer this version.

There's a lot to enjoy about this version of the film, regardless of my opinions on it. Doing things like being able to offer some 3D, live-action dragon flying sequences makes things look good, but once it's out of theatres, it'll go 'Avatar' and the impact will be lost. I could take or leave this movie, which is not to say that it was bad or that I didn't enjoy it. But it always comes back to the same thing for me, knowing that a classic version of the film already exists, and that this is essentially the same thing, utilizing today's technologies to make something live-action look good.

3/5

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