How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

By: Mike Ward on Thursday, June 12

PG Running Time: 125 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

It is hard to dissuade people from seeing this, especially if the 2010 animated film, or How to Train Your Dragon animated franchise has meant anything at all to you.
Toothless might be one of my all-time favorite cinematic characters. No joke.
Technically impressive, the visual effects, score, and several of the action sequences are quite stunning, especially in an IMAX setting (if that’s an option for you).

NO

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
I understand the financial draw in remaking classic movies for new audiences, however How to Train Your Dragon is barely 15 years old and available on multiple streaming platforms. Why not watch that film instead?
The realism diffuses the magic and escapism that made the 2010 film stand out. While the live actors try their best, they simply cannot recreate the power and emotional depth of the original film.

OUR REVIEW

One person’s nostalgia is oftentimes another person’s indifference. Increasingly, as movie studios take their classic animated features and remake them as live-action movies, the question becomes who are these adaptations made for? In the case of Disney, there seems to be a “throw-it-at-the-wall” approach when it comes to producing flesh-and-blood remakes of Snow White, Cinderella, and Aladdin, among others. No real strategy per se, just a hope to breathe new financial life into the catalog by creating new versions of beloved films. Even if critics and diehard fans balk at most of these remakes, they keep being made because audiences are throwing lots of money at these newer, live-action reimaginings of the classics.

DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures have decided to join the fray, remaking 2010’s nearly perfect How to Train Your Dragon as a live-action fantasy that recreates many of the same shots and scenes from the original animated feature. Snow White was first released in 1937, Cinderella in 1950, and the recently released Lilo & Stitch updates a 2002 film, How to Train Your Dragon is a mere 15 years old. The third animated film in the franchise was just released in 2019. Point being: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders’ 2010 film is still relevant to this day. As of this writing, you can stream it on HBO MAX and Peacock and it has become one of those films that parents introduce to their children as they grow up.

So I have to say the quiet part out loud - why does this movie exist at all? DeBlois has mentioned that he jumped at the chance to bring this movie to life. And he has … nearly shot-for-shot and scene-by-scene. Savvy viewers will notice a few changes: dialogue may veer into new territory here and there, the movie is nearly 30 minutes longer, and the violence and action is a bit more intense in the battle sequences than in the 2010 film.

While there is a healthy amount of CGI and visual effects on display here, so much so that a moviegoer commented afterward that the film was “still animated … just in a different way,” Dragon strives to make the fantastical seem real. Sliding into the leading role of Hiccup, young actor Mason Thames, playing the teenage son of Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, recreating his voiceover role), carries much of the movie on his back. And Thames proves to be a solid choice, even resembling the animated version of his character in stature and profile.

DeBlois serves as writer, director, and co-producer. (His former filmmaking partner Chris Sanders has his live-action Lilo & Stitch in theaters at the same time). He has a masterful knowledge of Cressida Cowell’s 2003 book and there is never a doubt that DeBlois has a vision for telling this story. In 2025, the visual effects are crisper, cleaner, more photo-realistic and seamless in execution. If you see the film in an IMAX setting, it is easy to become lost in the sweeping camerawork of cinematographer Bill Pope or in the vibrant score of returning composer John Powell (who scored each of the three previous films).

Plus, when you have a character as wonderful as Toothless, the legendary, mysterious “Night Fury” dragon who forms a lasting bond with Hiccup when the young Viking spares his life after a chance encounter, it is hard to create a bad film. Toothless is adorable and formidable, kind and protective, with emerald green eyes and a presence that reminds you of the most trusting and/or loyal pet you have ever had as your own.

With so much going for it, How to Train Your Dragon should be a no-brainer of a recommendation. If the 2010 film did not exist, this would be completely fine. However, DeBlois feels like the lead singer of a legacy band on an upscale casino tour. The voice is recognizable, the hits still familiar, but performed by a new backing band with the rhythm and pacing a step or two slow.

The battles can drag a bit. The rift between Hiccup and his father over Hiccup’s lack of interest in fighting the dragons Stoick believes are to blame for his village’s bad fortunes and a deeply personal tragedy, seems mean-spirited and less forgiving. In the original film, the writing was surprisingly smart and astute as a coming-of-age story, where a young man tries to understand his place in a world that seemingly rejects his more peaceful nature. And while Hiccup develops nice chemistry with Astrid (Nico Parker), as she learns of his kindness and innate ability to calm the dragons who attack Berk each day, their friendship feels more authentic and genuine than a romantic storyline that feels more forced than necessary.

There are some entertaining moments: Butler is having the time of his life playing his over-the-top animated character, brandishing a massive beard and even more massive Viking gear. Nick Frost, as the town blacksmith, and the ragtag group of teenagers who form a bond with Hiccup offer some fun exchanges and amusement.

And in full disclosure - sitting with a full crowd, the younger viewers cheered at all the proper places and appeared to have a wonderful time with DeBlois’ remake. However, in this presentation, the film never finds the emotional power of its predecessor. With live actors in place of the animation, the movie offers a different experience, as its attempt at realism dulls the imaginative filmmaking that made the original so unforgettable.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Gabriel Howell, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Peter Serafinowicz, Murray McArthur

Director: Dean DeBlois
Written by: Dean DeBlois
Based on the book “How to Train Your Dragon” by Cressida Cowell
Adapted from the film “How to Train Your Dragon” written by Will Davies, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders
Release Date: June 13, 2025
Universal Pictures

It is hard to dissuade people from seeing this, especially if the 2010 animated film, or How to Train Your Dragon animated franchise has meant anything at all to you.

Toothless might be one of my all-time favorite cinematic characters. No joke.

Technically impressive, the visual effects, score, and several of the action sequences are quite stunning, especially in an IMAX setting (if that’s an option for you).

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

I understand the financial draw in remaking classic movies for new audiences, however How to Train Your Dragon is barely 15 years old and available on multiple streaming platforms. Why not watch that film instead?

The realism diffuses the magic and escapism that made the 2010 film stand out. While the live actors try their best, they simply cannot recreate the power and emotional depth of the original film.