124 min | PG | June 13, 2025 | Universal Pictures
Dean DeBlois remakes his own animated masterpiece in live-action and discovers what works and what doesn’t. The dragon is perfect. The humans are adequate.
Live-action remakes of animated films face an impossible task. The original exists and is usually better. How to Train Your Dragon compounds this problem by having the same director remake his own film. Dean DeBlois wrote and directed the animated trilogy and understands this story intimately. The question is whether translating it to live-action adds anything or just recreates what already worked.
Mason Thames plays Hiccup with genuine awkwardness and heart. He finds a character in what could have been just voice-acting translated to physical performance. Nico Parker plays Astrid with strength and warmth. Gerard Butler returns to voice Stoick and brings the same gruff affection. The young supporting cast, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, all do solid work. Nick Frost voices Gobber and provides reliable comic relief.
The real achievement is Toothless. The dragon is rendered with effects that make him feel present and alive. The flight sequences are spectacular. The bond between Hiccup and Toothless translates completely to live-action. When the film focuses on this relationship, it works. When it tries to recreate the ensemble dynamics of the Viking village, it struggles. Live actors cannot match the expressiveness of animation.
DeBlois shoots with care and respect for the source material. The production design creates a Viking world that feels authentic and lived-in. The film is beautiful to look at. The question remains whether this needed to exist. The animated film is perfect. This version is very good. That is not the same thing.