Train Your Dragon: Urgent Review, Stream, and Download Now

The latest rendition of “How to Train Your Dragon” fails to surpass its predecessor in any substantial way. While it isn’t as uninspired as some of the other live-action revivals—such as Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Lion King”—which seem to exist purely for profit, this film falls short of offering anything innovative. Directed by Dean Deblois, one of the original film’s creators, it tends to play it safe. If a film is to be remade, especially one that is still cherished, it should strive to introduce something fresh. Audiences often gravitate towards familiar stories, yet I find it hard to justify the creative decisions behind this adaptation. Although these films tend to perform well financially, it feels more like content manufacturing rather than genuine storytelling, leaving fans of the acclaimed animated trilogy wanting more.

If you’ve experienced the 2010 interpretation of Cressida Cowell’s book, you can easily skip over much of this review’s plot summary. The film adheres closely to the original, revisiting Berk, a land entangled in a long-standing conflict between Vikings and dragons. The leader of this Viking clan is Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role), who is fixated on discovering the dragon’s lair to ultimately conquer the creatures that raid their livestock and set fire to their homes.

Stoick’s son, however, is not exactly mirroring his father’s ambitions. Clumsy and apprehensive, Hiccup (Mason Thames) aspires to invent a weapon that can take down the notorious Night Fury dragon, illustrated in an extensive introduction to the film. He encounters the dragon, whom he names Toothless, echoing the sentiments of the classic tale Androcles and the Lion, where a man befriends a beast after aiding it. In this scenario, Hiccup crafts a new tail for Toothless, forming a bond that showcases how peace and understanding could potentially end the feud between dragons and Vikings.

The beloved animated side characters return, including Nick Frost as the enthusiastic Gobber, who instructs the Viking trainees that Hiccup ultimately leads: Snotlout (Gabriel Howell), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), Ruffnut (Bronwyn James), Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn), along with Astrid (Nico Parker), the fierce young warrior and Hiccup’s love interest.

Despite lacking any notable changes to the storyline, the 2025 adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon” clocks in at 27 minutes longer than its animated counterpart. This extended runtime is primarily filled with additional dialogue, deeper backstories, longer flight scenes, and frequent return visits to training sequences, as well as the stylistic differences between live-action and animation. While this may not seem significant to die-hard fans, the lengthening affects the viewing experience in ways that are hard to overlook. The poetic flow of the original film (along with its sequels) feels more cumbersome here from the outset. Even the introductory scenes don’t quite hit the right rhythm; pacing issues persist, not just because we already know the outcome. This version of “HTTYD” lacks the spark and seamlessness of its predecessors, almost resembling an unrefined director’s cut.

The primary justification for remaking this film 15 years later is to harness today’s advanced special effects to bring the original story to life in ways that were previously impossible. Some of the visuals in this new “How to Train Your Dragon” are indeed striking, particularly during the intimate moments between Hiccup and Toothless, where you might forget there’s merely a tennis ball or puppet before them. However, not all visuals are flawless; some aerial sequences reveal how much of the action is fabricated. It’s interesting how easily we suspend our disbelief in animation, accepting the extraordinary as real, but in live-action, the CGI flaws become more evident.

Regarding performances, Butler adeptly embodies his character, throwing himself into the Viking archetype. However, Thames struggles to capture the complex blend of hopefulness and intelligence that Jay Baruchel brought to Hiccup, reducing him to a supporting role rather than the main character of the story. Nico Parker shines, fully embracing Astrid’s assertiveness and arguably delivering the standout performance of the film. She demonstrates a range that could make her a potential star, making unexpected choices even within this predictably structured film (she previously appeared in Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” remake, exemplifying Hollywood’s trend of revisiting tales). Aside from Butler and Parker, the rest of the cast fails to leave a lasting impression, with characters like Ruffnut and Tuffnut feeling more like caricatures than genuine personas.

In essence, this film amounts to little more than an elaborate homage. It features fans alongside some original creators putting on their costumes, reciting prior lines, and reenacting the narrative without ever addressing the underlying question: Why? The focus appears to be on commercial interests, as evidenced by the film’s tie-in to an entire theme park section at the newly-launched Epic Universe in Orlando, themed around Berk. Is it a stretch to claim that an army of creators has produced an elongated advertisement for a theme park? Perhaps. Still, it is disheartening that this is even a question we must consider.