'How To Train Your Dragon' review: An exhilarating live action remake that actually works

Courtesy of Universal

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Does anyone need a live-action remake? Of course not. For the past decade, ever since Disney began raiding its animated vault and repurposing some of its most cherished classics into live-action reimaginings, I’ve been highly critical. And, as audiences have seen, these remakes rarely capture the heart, buoyancy, or spirit of their animated counterparts. The most recent example, “Lilo & Stitch,” proves you can recreate the look and sound of the original, but still fall short of its colorful, splashy magic. It also raises the question: maybe not every animated movie needs a live-action treatment.

The original “How to Train Your Dragon,” released in 2010, remains the crown jewel of the DreamWorks Animation catalog (apologies to any “Shark Tale” fanatics) and arguably the best animated film not made by Pixar. Its themes of identity, empathy, and turning perceived weakness into strength are timeless. It’s a warm, sincere hug of a movie, anchored by one of the most lovable characters in animation history: Toothless, the cutest, cuddliest dragon to ever grace the screen. So the task for director Dean DeBlois, who also helmed the original and, ironically, directed the original “Lilo & Stitch,” is simple: don’t mess up a classic and ruin childhoods in the process.

On that front, the new “How to Train Your Dragon” is a soaring success. A low bar, I know, but it’s easily the best live-action remake since Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book.” What sets this one apart is that it doesn’t try to fix what isn’t broken. Based closely on the original film (itself adapted from Cressida Cowell’s popular book series), the live-action version remains grounded in what made the first so magical. That loyalty to the source material is its greatest strength. It doesn’t feel like a glorified commercial for the newly opened Epic Universe at Universal Studios Orlando. Okay, maybe it is that too… but I digress.

This remake retains the emotional core of the original while adding an IMAX-sized scope that gives the film a thrilling new energy. Imagine “Game of Thrones” for kids — the aerial sequences alone, paired with a thunderous score, elevate the experience beyond what the animation could achieve. You know what they say: if it ain’t broke…

DeBlois smartly sticks to the formula. He knows he’s working with gold and avoids tinkering too much, opting instead to flesh out a few supporting characters and deepen some emotional arcs. If you’ve seen the animated version recently (or know it by heart), you’ll feel a strong sense of déjà vu. That’s not a complaint. That’s a compliment.

The story, set on the island of Berk, follows Hiccup (Mason Thames of “The Black Phone”), an awkward pip-squeak trying to find his place in a Viking society that prizes brute strength and dragon slaying. His father, Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role), is a fearsome warrior who dreams of passing the leadership torch to his son. But Hiccup, desperate to prove his worth, wounds a Night Fury — the rarest dragon of them all — and instead of killing it, chooses compassion. He nurses the creature back to health, names him Toothless, and the two form an unlikely friendship that changes everything.

Toothless is rendered exactly as he should be, complete with his adorable eyes, soft growls, and cat-like quirks. If anything, he feels more real here: tactile, expressive, and deeply engaging. Watching Hiccup and Toothless take flight is exhilarating in a way that builds on the animated version rather than just imitating it. In the original, the flying scenes were already top-tier by DreamWorks standards. But here, with real locations and live-action scale, they become genuinely awe-inspiring. As someone who grew up during the golden age of these kinds of films, I can only imagine how mind-blowing this would’ve been at eight years old. 

But it’s not just Hiccup and Toothless who get the live-action glow-up. The ensemble cast clicks, and the interpersonal dynamics hit the sweet spot. With actual actors, it plays like a Viking-era John Hughes film: complete with teen angst, humor, and a slow-burn romance between Hiccup and Astrid (Nico Parker, exceptional). Parker and Thames have real on-screen chemistry, something that’s often hard to replicate in animated films, where voice actors typically record their lines in isolation. Their connection is honest and affecting.

Thames doesn’t just do an impression of his animated predecessor. He brings a fresh, plucky earnestness to Hiccup as a teen caught between expectation and instinct, and who finds his voice as the story unfolds. One standout moment involves a heartfelt exchange with Nick Frost’s Grobber, who urges him to stay true to himself. That advice anchors Hiccup in the film’s emotional core, which culminates in a climactic battle featuring a monstrous foe that requires everyone to rise to the occasion.

Let this movie be a blueprint for future remakes. “How to Train Your Dragon” never strays far from its source material, nor does it make baffling creative choices like, say, “Snow White” did with the dwarfs or the third-act changes in “Lilo & Stitch.” Toothless will absolutely bring a smile to your face, and watching his bond with Hiccup unfold again is nothing short of joyful. The film doesn’t try to reinvent the franchise. Instead, it enriches what was already there and reminds us why we fell in love with it in the first place.

Grade: B+

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON opens in theaters everywhere Friday, June 13th.