How to Train Your Dragon
There’s always an air of resistance from fans when it comes to live-action remakes. Although they may be commercial successes, a soulless quality remains in most of these projects. It’s a question of whether, on the one hand, a remake changes things too much, rendering the piece too far removed from the heart of the original. Or, if it’s too similar, is there even a point in remaking it at all? How to Train Your Dragon sits perfectly on the edge. Visually, it’s almost a frame-by-frame recreation of the animated picture, with details shifted for a more realistic approach. Script-wise, parts of the dialogue and beats diverge, developing side characters and certain relationship dynamics. But at the core of it, still, is a coming-of-age tale of fathers and sons, and brotherhood.
Hiccup, a gangly outsider with a penchant for getting into trouble, stars as the Viking hero in this epic tale of dragon training and romantic flights across the Aurora Borealis. Son of the chief of Berk, he longs to prove himself worthy of fighting and killing dragons. However, his clumsy lack of physicality and inability to socialise with his peers leave him shunned by the rest of the village. To gain their favour, he shoots down the mysterious Night Fury, a creature no one has ever seen. When the time comes to slay the beast, he hesitates and frees him instead.
The friendship between Hiccup and Toothless is the foundation of the entire Dragons franchise. While this version explores the beauty and significance of that connection, it’s not at the forefront of this feature. Instead, the focus shifts to the misunderstandings between father and son, and the budding romance between Hiccup and Astrid. Now that he has a clear path to the story he wants to tell, director Dean DeBlois is setting up for the future of this trilogy, compensating for some of the underdeveloped aspects of the original films.
A highlight throughout the picture is the father-and-son duo of Spitelout and Snotlout. Their elevated roles explore their strained dynamic, with Snotlout eager to make his father proud, and constantly being shut down – a picture-perfect parallel to Stoick and Hiccup. Astrid is also more pronounced in this version, with her jealousy over Hiccup stemming less from a competitive streak and more from a distaste for his privilege. Her later admiration for Hiccup’s conviction is more rewarding due to the initial friction between them and the fleshing out of her interactions with Toothless.
Most of the issues in How to Train Your Dragon lie in the pacing. It doesn’t have the same buoyancy as the animated version. Some of the lines feel out of place or mistimed, and other iconic quotes have been removed to keep the flow of the feature. This leaves a slight disconnect between the audience and the emotional weight of some scenes. Fortunately, John Powell’s legendary score rhythmically guides viewers with new and familiar sounds.
How to Train Your Dragon is an age-old story told in a different visual language, and the cast impresses with their brilliant rendition of the characters. Mason Thames is an excellent Hiccup, capturing his awkward indecision and unwavering determination. Nico Parker astounds as Astrid, embodying her fearless elegance and charisma, with a delicate edge to her interactions with Hiccup. One also can’t go wrong with recasting Gerard Butler as Stoick. DeBlois translates his aesthetic prowess from animation with stunning scenes of Northern Ireland and faultless VFX on the dragons. How to Train Your Dragon radiates hope for the future of this new era for Hiccup and Toothless.
Mae Trumata
How to Train Your Dragon is released nationwide on 9th June 2025.
Watch the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon here:
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