The How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake is a beautifully shot and well-acted movie, but one that was ultimately not needed at all.
Director: Dean DeBlois
Genre: Live-Action, Family, Adventure, Fantasy
Run Time: 125′
Rated: PG
U.K. Release: June 9, 2025
U.S. Release: June 13, 2025
Where to Watch: In U.K & Irish cinemas and in U.S. theaters
Set in the island of Berk, a mythical Viking village, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) starts with Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Mason Thames), the village chief’s awkward son. In a place that relies almost exclusively on killing the dragons that inhabit the island, Hiccup feels out of place with the rest of the Vikings, as he seems to be a lot less inclined when it comes to dragon-slaying activities. In order to prove himself, Hiccup is desperate to kill the most dangerous dragon of all: a Nighfury.
But when he finally manages to come face to face with it, Hiccup ends up befriending the creature, whom he names Toothless. As he learns more about what dragons actually are, Hiccup will defy the people in his village and the century-old Viking tradition of killing dragons.
The casting for the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake is very spot on and accurate to the original characters many of us in the audience know and love. Mason Thames in particular is the perfect Hiccup, embodying the main character both in his humour and body language, with a performance that ends up being the standout of the entire movie. The soundtrack and cinematography are also very impressive and memorable, matching the scope and magnitude of the story. They are both essential to translate the magical aspects to the live-action format, which the film does really well.
The film’s visual effects are very good and help create the perfect atmosphere for an action fantasy movie that relies so heavily on fantastical elements, such as the dragons. With each shot, How to Train Your Dragon invites us on a journey to Berk and immerses us in the setting of the island. With colourful and different designs, the dragons are the most exciting visual element of the entire film. The movie does a really good job of creating a unique look for each of them, making every single one unique and identifiable from the first time we see them on screen.
If How to Train Your Dragon were a standalone, it would be an incredible film. But it is part of a bigger franchise that most of the viewers watching will be familiar with. As the movie went on, I could not help feeling like I had seen it before. And that is because I had, in fact, seen the entire film before, since the live-action is an almost shot-by-shot and line-by-line remake of the original animation of the same name.
Therefore, the movie quickly becomes very predictable; those in the audience who remember the original How to Train Your Dragon will know exactly what line will be said next and even how it is going to be filmed. While nostalgia is natural when it comes to remakes, this latest one plays into this element too much, leaving the audience wondering why we would even need a remake at all. Despite the fact that the movie does add a little bit to some secondary characters’ backgrounds, the newest film does not add anything new to this story at all, or to this franchise overall. Ultimately, this inevitably feels like a wasted opportunity to expand on existing characters or plotlines that the previous movies may not have explored in depth.
Overall, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is undoubtedly a wonderfully made film. Fans of the franchise will appreciate how loyal the live-action remake remains to the original one, but it may also easily feel like you have seen this exact movie before. However, what it lacks in originality, it does make up for in its impressive use of soundtrack and cinematic techniques to make us feel like we are also flying on Toothless’ back in Perth. It is a film best enjoyed on the biggest screen you can see it on and with the best sound system to really appreciate the work that went into these technical elements to make Berk and its inhabitants come to life.
How to Train Your Dragon (2025): Live-Action Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III befriends Toothless, a dragon believed to be incredibly dangerous and that he had been determined to kill before finding himself face to face with it.
Pros:
- The actors embody the spirit of their respective characters in the original film, especially Mason Thames, who delivers a standout performance.
- It is also incredibly fun to see the dragons come to life in this film with unique designs that set each of them apart and make them unique.
Cons:
- The movie is also a shot-by-shot remake of the original animation, thus lacking originality and becoming very predictable.
- It plays on the nostalgia element too much without distancing itself enough from the original to become its own film.
The How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake is now available to watch in U.K. and Irish cinemas and will be released in US theatres on June 13, 2025.
