‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Review: DreamWorks’ Live-Action Remake

Reviewing a live-action remake is a fraught task. How many times can you underscore the profit motive driving these endeavors? Or lament the lack of originality or creativity? Even when they are soulless, these remakes have made companies a lot of money (see: Disney) and many moviegoers embrace the experience of introducing their young ones to CGI-ified versions of their favorite animated features.

In light of these trends, DreamWorks has decided to follow in the footsteps of Disney and cash in on the remake industrial complex: How to Train Your Dragon is the studio’s first foray into that world.

The studio originally released How to Train Your Dragon, based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, as a charming animated feature in 2010. Now they’re running it back with Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the original with Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot). He serves as both screenwriter and sole director on this version, and is joined by a cast of new-ish faces whose formidable performances help carry an entertaining, if not quite necessary, feature. This version of How to Train Your Dragon doesn’t stray from the original all that much, but there’s a minor tonal shift, more robust characterization (especially for Astrid, played by Rico Parker) and the experimentalism of CGI. 

Mason Thames, a teenage mainstay of horror films, plays Hiccup, the clumsy and empathetic hero of this franchise. The actor brings a Disney Channel star kind of energy — that familiar, endearingly optimistic gusto — to his performance, which differs from Jay Baruchel’s more humorously weary and sometimes sardonic approach to the character’s woes.

When we meet Hiccup in DeBlois’ remake, he’s introducing us to the goings-on of his Viking village, Berk, while the townspeople are embroiled in a ferocious battle with dragons. Because Hiccup is a less-skilled Viking — not really gifted with agility, hand-eye coordination or any other traits that make one a competent warrior — he’s stuck sharpening tools and offering provisions. That is until he decides to test a new instrument he’s built to catch the most elusive creature of them all — the Night Fury breed. His plan predictably backfires and he humiliates himself and his father, Stoick, the burly Viking chief played again by Gerard Butler. 

If you’ve read Cowell’s books or seen the 2010 film, you know what happens next. The next day Hiccup ventures into the forest and finds the Night Fury he trapped with his Rube Goldberg-esque invention. He tries to kill the beast, but a moment of connection stops him. When Hiccup looks into the dragon’s lime green eyes, he sees not an enemy but a similarly fearful creature. He decides to tell his father he no longer wants to kill dragons. But before he can deliver the news, Stoick tells his son that he can train with the other young people in the village for the title of dragon slayer. This sets off a humorous but stressful few weeks during which Hiccup splits his time between befriending the Night Fury, which he names Toothless, and attending sessions led by his boss, Gobber (Nick Frost). 

As Hiccup gets to know Toothless, he uses the information gleaned to help with the dragon slayer training. Instead of fighting the caged creatures with hammers or protecting himself from them with shields, Hiccup disarms them with dandelions or repels them with eels (which they hate). Soon he’s surpassing Astrid (Parker), who was previously the best in the class.

Astrid grows suspicious and DeBlois further rounds out her backstory by explaining why she cares so much about succeeding. Hiccup’s other peers are played charismatically by Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldywn and the always winning Julian Dennison. Soon Hiccup becomes the talk of the town and transforms his reputation. He wants to share with others that everything they’ve learned about dragons is untrue, but the subject is touchy for the Viking community. 

DeBlois does a fine job capturing the intimacy of Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless, and fans of the original will be glad to know that the test flight scene remains, as well as the early encounter in which Hiccup tries to touch Toothless for the first time. On a tonal level, this version of How to Train Your Dragon seems much more geared toward children; most of the cutting and sarcastic jokes have been revised. There’s also the question of aesthetics: While the 2010 film didn’t have the most adventurous animation, it’s even harder to drum up enthusiasm for the live action, which never distinguishes itself visually. 

Still, How to Train Your Dragon honors the charm of the original. I’s not an essential remake, but at least it’s not an offensive one.