Director: Dean DeBlois
Writer: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz

To many Gen Z and younger Millennials, the original How to Train Your Dragon books and/or animated film is dear to their hearts, and with Disney’s not-so-great run of live-action remakes, they were probably fretting over Dreamworks doing their first live-action remake with this huge fan favourite. The 2010 original film, also co-written and -directed by DeBlois, featured an award-nominated score and spawned an entire franchise of sequels, short films, a television show, a video game and even a live show. Being such a money-maker, it was only a matter of time before Dreamworks got onboard the remake train. Does this live-action version live up to its original counterpart, or might the filmmakers invoke the fiery wrath of the fandom?

Young Viking Hiccup (Thames) lives in a village called Berk on an island that is perpetually attacked by dragons on the hunt for food. Hiccup is considered weak amongst his peers and doesn’t get involved in the fights against dragons. One night, Hiccup injures a particularly fierce dragon called a Night Fury, and when no one believes him, he sets out to find it. Despite a rough start, Hiccup befriends the dragon, naming him Toothless on account of his retractable teeth, and he soon discovers why the dragons are always attacking Berk. When Hiccup’s father, the village chief Stoick (Butler), finds out the whereabouts of the dragons’ nest, Hiccup does all he can to prevent his father and other Vikings from endangering themselves and hurting the dragons.

The original film was decent, even if it wasn’t the most solid of stories, and this remake follows much the same plot, almost word-for-word and shot-for-shot though adding or removing pieces here and there. It loses some of its pacing now and again, even getting repetitive as Hiccup goes between his dragon slayer training and caring for/hanging out with Toothless, but in staying loyal to the original that was the way it was always going to go, rather than looking at the original more objectively. It works to build the relationship between boy and dragon but goes on perhaps a tad too long and slows down some of the action. Then again, if it works for the kids, who are we adults to really say anything? Where it is really solid is in the lead character of Hiccup, as he retains the clumsy charm from the original yet somehow manages to become even more endearing – perhaps that’s because of the live-action aspect: knowing we are watching a real human helps to make a stronger connection. Some of the other characters didn’t come across quite as strong as their animated predecessors, but in remakes, you win some and you lose some.

Where the films also boasts more strength than the animation is in its visuals. With the mix of real actors and CG dragons, it allows for a stronger connection, as mentioned with Hiccup, to not only the characters but the stunts and action. Hiccup soaring through the skies with that theme music and the fights with dragons somehow become more real. Hiccup riding Toothless was giving The NeverEnding Story Atreyu/Bastian-riding-Falcor vibes, and any kid of the 80s/90s who knows that feeling will be happy a new generation has their own version to submit their imaginations to. The relationship between Hiccup and Stoick also feels more tangible, as does that between Hiccup and Astrid, and so many aspects are more immersive in this live-action version.

Much of the reason why Hiccup is just as strong, if not stronger than, the animated version is because of the casting. Mason Thames is Hiccup, from his mannerisms and looks to his voice and personality, everything just hit the nail on the head. A truly top performance (and far more age appropriate than original voice actor Jay Baruchel, who was mid-late twenties when voicing Hiccup). Gerard Butler, the original voice of Stoick, returns in the same role and it actually worked very well to make it a more immersive experience. Parker’s Astrid felt a little more rigid than the original and came across as more of a romantic interest than a character in her own right in this film, sadly. The ensemble of other young Vikings also didn’t stand out as much as they did in the original and didn’t come across as such a cohesive gang. Frost portrayed a good rendition of Gober, Stoick’s friend and a mentor to Hiccup, with Frost’s usual humour taking a little more of a backseat to allow for a stronger character to emerge.

Perhaps part of the difference between Dreamworks’s decision to remake HTTYD and Disney’s decisions on their remakes is that Dreamworks are capitalising on the current trend of dragons, with TV shows such as Game of Throne/House of the Dragon and books such as Rebeccas Yarros’s Fourth Wing series being very popular over the past few years (or so). Business-wise, it was a smart decision. Audience-wise? It was risky, but I believe the risk paid off for this one. Bringing back DeBlois was the correct move to ensure loyalty between the two films, and casting Butler in his original role also gives it a feeling of familiarity, something that may prove comforting to long-term HTTYD fans.