How to Train Your Dragon captures every ounce of heart and magic of the beloved animated film, that with two wonderful lead performances from Mason Thames and Nico Parker and spectacular visual effects to bring to life the dragons, results in a live action remake that fans are going to fall in love with!

 

Audiences first met Hiccup and Toothless back in 2010’s beloved animated film How to Train Your Dragon, based on the novels by Cressida Cowell. Immediately falling in love with the characters, the film was a massive success that resulted in two theatrical sequels, three television series and numerous short films, creating a massive franchise for DreamWorks Animation. With the recent trend of remaking animated films into live action, it was only a matter of time before DreamWorks remade one of their many films, and they could not have chosen a better film to start with. Bringing back Dean DeBlois, the original writer and director of the animated trilogy, audiences are heading back to the Isle of Berk for another adventure with Hiccup and Toothless, but unlike they have ever seen these characters before. While incredibly faithful to the original film, so much that many scenes are shot for shot with the same dialogue, DeBlois recaptures the magic and heart of his animated film and delivers a high flying exciting live action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, resulting in a grander retelling of the story anchored by the excellent lead performances of Mason Thames and Nico Parker.

 

While some may claim that DeBlois' incredibly faithful retelling of his animated film is playing it too safe due to his almost scene for scene remake that does not expand much upon the original film, this allows DeBlois to expand the viewer’s experience into something far grander. From the impressive production design that transports viewers to the village of Berk to life and into the middle of dragon training within the training dome, the strong costume design that helps to bring the beloved characters to life, and the natural beauty of Northern Ireland and Iceland that captures this era of vikings with ease, the stage is set for DeBlois to work his magic. The visual effects work to bring the dragons to life is exceptional, capturing the playful and spirited nature of Toothless that ensures he is every bit as adorable as he was in the animated film, while making the other dragons more realistic and menacing, creating a sense of urgency to the vikings encounters with them. And while largely unchanged from the animated film, John Powell returns to score the film and delivers a more robust and triumphant iteration of his iconic musical score with a larger sounding orchestra, that to hear on the IMAX sound system alone on is worth the price of admission.

 

With this strong technical work to translate Berk from animation to live action, DeBlois is able to focus on the heart of the story, being the bond between Toothless and Hiccup and the father-son relationship between Stoic and Hiccup who don’t see eye to eye. This ensures that the emotional beats of the animated film are never lost, instead allowing them to be further  explored through the emotions of the performances of Thames and Gerard Butler. The set pieces are more exciting, notably with the rousing first flying scene for Hiccup and Toothless being more majestic than ever, and the exhilarating nature and danger of the final act creating a more thrilling showdown with the Alpha. Each of these sequences are only amplified by the expanded IMAX ratio sequences, even if the nighttime sequences are too dimly lit, allowing DeBlois to seamlessly transfer the beloved story to the real world while evoking pure movie magic in every frame. 

 

Given that the animated film holds a special place in the hearts of many viewers, the cast taking on the mantle of these characters had very big shoes to fill, but every single one of them knocked it out of the park. Leading the film with an excellent performance is Thames as Hiccup. Within seconds of appearing on screen, Thames instantly captures Hiccup’s heart and compassion as he develops this misunderstood young man and transforms Hiccup into a viking hero, effortlessly carrying the entire film on his shoulders that cements him as an excellent leading actor. The bond that Thames builds with Toothless is beyond heartwarming, ensuring audiences will be grinning from ear to ear as they watch this beautiful friendship come to life on screen thanks to his enchanting chemistry with the ever adorable CGI dragon that is the film’s beating heart. It may be blasphemy to say, but Thames feels like a much better fit to the character of Hiccup than Jay Baruchel in the animated film, finding that delicate balance of tenderness, intelligence and loyalty within Hiccup that sets him apart from his fellow vikings and allows him to become the hero they need and change their minds.

 

Alongside Thames is Parker, capturing the determination and strength of Astrid with a noble fierceness and an undeniable heart. In the training sequences, Parker becomes an action star as she captures the warrior within Astrid while running circles around her male counterparts, but in the quieter moments between her and Hiccup, Parker finds Astrid’s heart. It is in these moments where her wit, humour and kindness shines through as she helps Hiccup find his courage. Her chemistry with Thames is beautiful, helping to begin the romantic relationship between their characters with a sweet earnestness that has great potential to deepen in subsequent films.