THE STORY – As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.
THE CAST – Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz & Murray McArthur
THE TEAM – Dean DeBlois (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 125 Minutes
It was only a matter of time before DreamWorks joined Disney in its mission to remake its animated classics. Choosing “How to Train Your Dragon” as the first of these remakes makes plenty of sense as well. The 2010 animated film is among the most acclaimed in DreamWorks’ history, and one of their only human-led films (I fear the day we face a live-action “The Croods”). Maybe the only real surprise here is the director. Dean DeBlois makes his live-action directorial debut after helming the entire animated “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy. So many of these live-action remakes try and fail to replicate the heart of their animated counterparts, but no one knows this franchise more than DeBlois. Perhaps that’s what made all the difference. “How to Train Your Dragon” is one of the best live-action remakes in recent memory, and a genuine thrill on the big screen.
In good ways and bad, this remake doesn’t stray far from the original. Mason Thames (“The Black Phone”) stars as Hiccup, a young resident of Berk, the dangerous island community that’s lived at war with dragons for generations. Hiccup lives in the shadow of his father Stoick the Vast, the chieftain of Berk, and heralded warrior against the dragons. Gerard Butler reprises his role as Stoick, whom he voiced in the animated film. Though Hiccup is expected to battle the dragons as they attack, he’s not exactly warrior material, preferring to tinker and build devices instead of wielding a weapon against the creatures. It’s the classic coming-of-age setup, in which the son must learn to live the best version of himself, not simply become who his father wants him to be.
Thames is perfectly cast as Hiccup, full of all the awkwardness and confidence that made this character soar in the past. He doesn’t imitate Jay Baruchel’s voice performance, but naturally sounds a bit similar, and carries himself with the air of someone who’s never gotten the chance to show what he’s truly capable of. The rest of the cast fills the shoes of their animated counterparts well, especially Nico Parker (“The Last of Us“) as Astrid.
But of course, it wouldn’t be “How To Train Your Dragon” without the titular monsters. While “live-action” remakes like “The Lion King” try so hard to make their animals feel so realistic that it robs them of their character, this film preserves the more cartoonish look in all the right ways. Toothless looks quite similar to what we know and love, and still has all the charm he needs. Many of the sequences are nearly shot-for-shot emulations of the animated film, including the pivotal moment of Hiccup befriending Toothless. While having so many sequences pulled straight from the original doesn’t help this movie stand on its own two feet, it does maintain much of that film’s emotional impact.
Though the animation of the dragons is particularly strong, the visual effects throughout are a bit hit or miss. There are many sequences, particularly walking around the village of Berk, where the sets look as though they were clearly on a soundstage. Cinematographer Bill Pope knows how to craft a stunning image, but some artificial backgrounds are easy to pick out, notably in the cove where Hiccup befriends Toothless. And yet, there are other moments that appear more breathtaking, especially an epic third-act battle that was genuinely stunning. As expected, the flying sequences are thrilling, especially paired with an updated version of John Powell’s iconic “Test Drive” score. Those are the moments that truly feel majestic.
While a movie that sticks so closely to its original can be strange at times, or even confounding, “How to Train Your Dragon” manages to find a magic of its own, soaring on its own strengths. The eye for thrilling visual storytelling that DeBlois has showcased throughout his career in animation has translated with ease to live-action. But most of all, he’s maintained all the heart of the original.
Is this better than the animated film? Well, no. Did we need this remake? Not really. But neither of those things means this is a bad film. On the contrary. “How to Train Your Dragon” may not soar as high as the original, but thanks to DeBlois’ spectacular storytelling instincts, Thames’ strong performance, and some explosive battles, this is an exciting new update that will have fans soaring.
