"My New Favourite Movie": reviewing the How to Train Your Dragon live action
- Christopher J. Watt
- Jun 14
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since hearing that Dreamworks was going to produce a live action remake of How to Train Your Dragon. Every few days I’d do a quick search on Google to see if there were any further updates on the production, cast, and release date. I was one of the first to watch the teaser trailer—just 8 hours after it was published on YouTube. The trailers, website, and cast interviews have left me teary-eyed in excitement as I anticipated the day How to Train Your Dragon arrived in cinemas.
Dreamworks hasn’t waited very long before joining the new live action trend, releasing this new movie just 15 years after the animated original, and only 6 years after The Hidden World. I remember seeing The Hidden World in cinemas when it came out, crying at the end when it hit me that this was the end of the trilogy. Thankfully, we haven’t had to wait very long before the beloved franchise has taken to the screens again.
The story of How to Train Your Dragon
I grew up on How to Train Your Dragon— the movies, books, and TV shows. I’ve read every book, seen every movie, and watched every episode produced by the franchise. How to Train Your Dragon 2 has been my favourite movie of all time, and the other two aren’t far behind on my Favourite Movies list. To say that How to Train Your Dragon was a pivotal part of my childhood is an understatement.
Now, that legacy continues. With the same director as the animated ones (Dean Deblois), the live action remake is a faithful adaptation of the original animated movie.
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies 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.
With the fierce and ambitious Astrid and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.
As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.
Inspired by Cressida Cowell’s New York Times bestselling book series, the beloved DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon movie franchise has captured the hearts of the global audiences, earning four Academy Award® nominations and grossing more than $1.6 billion at the global box-office since the release of the first film in 2010.
My thoughts on the new movie
I’d be lying if I denied that I cried during the introduction. I’m by no means a movie crier, but the nostalgia and significance of the moment simply overcame me. (In fact, I’m actually getting a little teary-eyed now, just thinking about it again.) When you see something that had such an impact on you as a child, now literally brought to life before your very eyes, it hits you hard. And that’s exactly what happened at the beginning of the movie when I heard This is Berk.
The visuals
As modern technology grows, so does the visual quality of films. And there’s no exception for How to Train Your Dragon—the filmmaking crew have done an exceptional job in bringing the landscape, seas, village, and dragons of Berk to life. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have guessed they found real dragons to use (do you think I could rent a Night Fury?). I was a little disappointed with how they did the Deadly Nadders, though. The head shape and small eyes meant that Stormfly’s face is less expressive, but aside from that, the dragons are incredibly lifelike.
Toothless is also less expressive, but that was to be expected. It’s not easy to make a reptile appear adorable and lifelike (sorry, reptile lovers!). So many times I looked at what Toothless was doing or how he was acting, and thought to myself “I can see Shadow doing that!”—which is exactly what Dean Deblois and the creators intended.
The story
This live action is an incredibly faithful adaptation to the original film, to the point where most quotes are either identical or slightly paraphrased. Some critics don’t like this, and I can understand. If it’s a new movie, it should allow for more creativity. But honestly, I really appreciate the fact that the live action How to Train Your Dragon is so close to its 2010 predecessor.
There were a few differences: for one, they added more backstory to the characters. We discover more about Hiccup’s mom Valka than in the original first movie (I won’t give spoilers for the second, don’t worry). In the animated film, we see Astrid as a Berkian warrior with anger issues. In the live action, she’s got a deeper character with more motivation: she doesn’t just want to make her village proud; she aspires to be chieftess. The village elder, Gothi, also plays a more significant role with the "Trial of Flame" (formerly known as "Dragon Training"), though she's far more comical in the animated movies.
The Berkian demographic is also more diverse: we see warriors from Asia and Africa as well as traditional European Vikings. While yes, it shows the left-wing push for “inclusion”, I appreciate how they did it; acknowledging that these characters are not European by heritage, but immigrant warriors who came to Berk with a united purpose.
One would think that an almost scene-for-scene remake would make the movie boring, but that’s not the case with How to Train Your Dragon. They allowed for the iconic characters and story to stay intact, while adding a new creative flair that made everything far more epic. It’s exactly what a live action remake should be (take notes, Disney).
The cast
As someone who’s been likened to Hiccup myself, I had extremely high standards for the live action actor. Mason Thames did an exceptional job; capturing the emotion, voice, awkwardness, and courage of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III seamlessly. It’s clear that he was destined to play the role; if I could, I'd thank him personally, as I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d have rather seen on the big screen with Toothless.
When I originally saw the casting for Astrid, I followed the trend in disappointment that she was not a blonde actress. However, as I got involved with the hype before the film—seeing the trailers, interviews, and promotional material—I quickly forgave this issue. Nico Parker was an excellent choice for Astrid’s role and fit perfectly with Mason’s embodiment of Hiccup.
Another grand cast member was Gerard Butler, who returned for the live action to reprise his role as Stoick the Vast. Again, he took on the character fantastically and truly brought the commanding Chief of Berk to life.
Conclusion
How to Train Your Dragon is a special film franchise to me personally, and I couldn’t be more delighted with the spectacular live action remake. Not only were the visuals, story, and characters perfect, but so was the music. John Powell is nothing short of a musical genius, smashing the film's soundtrack with This Is Berk, Test Drive, and the franchise's classic melodies and arrangements. It gave me chills.
I’d honestly give this movie a solid 9, or even 10, out of 10—and I don’t say that lightly at all. How to Train Your Dragon is undoubtedly my new favourite movie. In my opinion, there’s no denying that it ranks superior to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
There’s only one other movie that can top it: a live action How to Train Your Dragon 2.
Expertly written...like usual! Your posts are a true delight to read Christopher and I am so happy that this live version of HTTYD exceeded your expectations!
Even more excited to go see this now. Counting down the days till I'm at the theater...
SUCH a good post, Christopher!!! This was so well written, wow. I feel like I know now everything I need to know about the live action! I watched HTTYD forever ago but this is making me want to watch it again. Thanks for sharing your review!
Wonderful post, my friend!! Ahhh this makes me even more excited to watch the second and third animated HTTYDs, and hopefully someday the live action as well! Although I’ve only seen the first one… and quite recently, at that, this franchise already holds a special place in my heart.