No movie made me more skeptical than the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon. Hearing the news of Universal and DreamWorks taking a crack at one of their films a couple of years ago didn’t seem right to me. Because you talk about the original animation from 2010, it was nothing short of a heartwarming surprise that everybody loved, including me, when I saw it as a teenager. To this day, it remains a beloved classic, alongside its sequels, that ranks among my favorites from the studio, alongside the first two Shreks and, most recently, The Wild Robot. However, we’ve reached a point where adults are less interested in these types of adaptations, as it can be challenging to replicate what came before. Especially since Disney’s track record is very inconsistent. With that hesitation in the back of my mind, just hoping its existence is worth remembering, How to Train Your Dragon isn’t an epic masterpiece by any means. Still, although it doesn’t hold any surprises, it’s a genuinely good remake that works.

What’s the Story: The Viking Isle of Berk has to deal with the most dangerous pest that attacks them daily: Dragons. Hiccup (Mason Thames) is a teenage Viking who doesn’t get much respect from his people, one of whom is his chieftain father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler). On the night of another dragon raid, Hiccup manages to shoot down the mysterious Night Fury, which no one believes he did. Though he finds the Night Fury in the forest, and just as he is about to kill it to prove he can kill one of them, he decides to set it free and spares its life. Thus, a friendship begins when Hiccup dubs him Toothless. However, as their bond grows stronger, an ancient threat emerges that endangers both species.

With the concept of remakes meaning changing things up to improve what came before, How to Train Your Dragon goes out of its way to essentially be a nearly shot-for-shot remake. Having rewatched the original 24 hours before seeing this, about 95% remains the same, particularly in terms of dialogue and certain shots. The question that comes to everyone’s mind is, why was this made at all? That was how I felt 10 minutes in since the original was still fresh in my mind. Surprisingly, that problem went away quickly. I didn’t think of this as an expensive Broadway play. It may be a wise decision for the original co-writer and director, Dean DeBlois, to step back into this world based on Cressida Cowell’s book series, allowing the adventure of Hiccup and Toothless to take a cinematic turn. In the hands of another director, they would’ve made this have no soul to latch onto. Unlike what we saw with 2019’s The Lion King, we see DeBlois knows how to capture the heart in this retelling, as it was his creation, bringing a new generation of audiences who need good family entertainment, not just another cash grab.

We’re all familiar with what goes on. In keeping this secret, Hiccup grows an attachment to Toothless, and he uses the newfound discoveries he learned to fight the other dragons while in training, noticing not all of them are evil after all. With the technical ability to bring his vision to life, DeBlois crafts a thrilling coming-of-age story that inspires us to overcome differences and not judge appearances by things we probably don’t understand. Providing the same emotional connection might differ depending on how you feel about these live-action remakes in general. Running about 20 minutes longer, it doesn’t do damage to the original, despite a few changes here and there.

Mason Thames, whom I’ve been excited to see in anything after his breakout in The Black Phone, was perfectly cast as Hiccup. Thankfully, it wasn’t a performance that was an impression of Jay Baruchel, voice and all; he made it his own by being a character who wanted to prove he was worthy of those around him. The heart of these movies has always been the relationship that grows between him and Toothless once he learns more about him. Nico Parker, as Astrid, was also good, having excellent chemistry with Thames, and provides a reason why she’s willing to fight against these dragons and hopes to become chief. Having Gerard Butler reprising his role as Stoick from the animated movies was the right call, given that there was no one else to bring the stern yet reasonable chef to life, thereby adding depth to the character. The casting of Nick Frost as Gobber the Belch was perfect and provided the right amount of comic relief that only a comedic actor like Frost can pull off. Though much like its animated counterparts, the rest of the dragon-fighting characters, besides Astrid, still feel undeveloped, carrying their traits. The only significant change within them is Snoutlout (Gabriel Howell), who’s made out to be more of a foil to Hiccup, adding a layer of tension and dynamics in the story as he attempts to earn the respect of his father, Spitelout (Peter Serafinowicz).

The atmosphere in presenting the world of Berk wasn’t trying to be perfect, but realistic enough to make you feel as though Vikings are doing their best to save themselves and their stock. Visually, not everything looked flawless when combined with Bill Pope’s beautiful cinematography. Still, it allows you to bring the world to life, which is something to admire in its overall scope. The designs of the dragons themselves, such as The Deadly Nadder or The Monstrous Nightmare, were awe-inspiring and almost realistic enough to resemble the more frightening dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park franchise. Toothless’s appearance is more in line with how he looked prior, but he still looks adorable in a live-action environment without coming off as a distraction. One of the main reasons to seek this out in IMAX is to witness the flying scenes, and the iconic test drive moment of Hiccup soaring through the air on Toothless was exciting to see recreated, accompanied by John Powell’s updated score (one of my favorite scores from an animated film).

Chances are, you’ll walk out of this pleased with what DeBlouis did. The main criticism many will take away from this remake is that it’s the same story told on a bigger budget. Because of that, it’s not game-changing by any means, and you wish it changed things up. There are some noticeable differences between the two, such as providing a bit more backstory about Hiccup’s mother (who appears in the second installment) and making Berk a more diverse community with Vikings from around the world.

With this new How to Train Your Dragon, did it need to be remade 15 years later? Probably not, although we’ll likely complain about everything getting the same treatment every time. But did I have a good time with it? The experience could’ve been better, but I’m one of those who did. This doesn’t mean DreamWorks should follow Disney’s footsteps by remaking other movies. Lord knows what a live-action Shrek will look like. However, if I had to choose which one I would watch again first, it would obviously be the original, since I’ve seen it more often. However, when it’s streaming, I’ll give it another go. And the announcement of a sequel, which gets pretty dark if you’ve seen it, gives me confidence it will be just as faithful.

Overall, How to Train Your Dragon is the live-action remake we didn’t ask for, but thanks to Dean DeBlois handling the job better than anyone else, he gives this story the passion it deserves. Like its animated predecessor, it soars in delivering a touching friendship between two lost souls. The visuals are not only pleasing but also stimulate the senses, making the adventure even more thrilling. Just don’t go in expecting to be the best movie you’ll see all summer, and have fun.

Grade: B