The movie titled “How to Train Your Dragon” poses an intriguing question: “Imagine if Leonardo da Vinci were to paint the Mona Lisa once more, what new insights would he bring?
2002 saw Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, two gifted filmmakers, bring the beloved animated film Lilo & Stitch to life. After this success, they continued to thrive in their careers, including directing the 2010 movie How to Train Your Dragon. Interestingly, both of these directors’ exceptional animated creations were transformed into live-action films, released just three weeks apart. The remake of Lilo & Stitch introduced some daring alterations that not everyone found appealing, but it showed courage by taking risks and stirring things up a bit.
The live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon closely mirrors the original animated film. Watching them back to back made me feel like I was watching the same movie twice. You might wonder, “Well, it’s a remake, so naturally it will resemble the original!” However, we have seen countless remakes recently. Remakes are quite common in Hollywood nowadays. Why create a new story when you can simply warm up someone else’s leftovers? To be clear, the original was tasty. But if you’re going to serve me leftovers again, I at least expect a different seasoning.
Hey there! As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got to say that remakes aren’t about finding the familiar; they’re all about discovering the fresh and new. The 2002 Lilo & Stitch was crafted by Sanders and DeBlois, and I was ready to see Dean Fleischer Camp’s unique perspective on it. However, here we are with another live-action How to Train Your Dragon film directed by none other than the talented Dean DeBlois, who has been at the helm for this series. He’s a brilliant director, but watching him revisit his own work doesn’t offer much new; it feels more like self-plagiarism.
The initial How to Train Your Dragon film is simply remarkable. This animated masterpiece resonated deeply with countless children, and its visual beauty is truly awe-inspiring. Redefining something so exceptional can be quite challenging; enhancing perfection seems like an impossible task. In a way, this predicament mirrors the dilemma faced by the remake of The Lion King, where the original was so flawless that alterations were deemed unnecessary. As the saying goes, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Unfortunately, the Lion King remake fell short due to stripping emotions away from the animal characters. In contrast, How to Train Your Dragon manages to preserve all the emotions, but lacks the innovation found in other aspects of the story.
This movie isn’t a catastrophe at all; in fact, it’s quite enjoyable for families with kids to watch together. I didn’t find myself disliking it during the viewing. Compared to other live-action remakes, How to Train Your Dragon doesn’t commit any major mistakes. There are no regrettable creative decisions like those seen in Snow White and Mulan. However, this adaptation is so loyal to the original that it borders on repetition. If you’ve already watched the first film, you may not find anything fresh or exciting in this one. DeBlois seems to have exhausted his creativity with this story; he’s retold it before, and he’s doing it again. When a story is told twice, it loses some of its initial charm.
From the very first scene back in Berk, it feels like we’re watching a carbon copy of the original script. I’d say around 70% of the dialogue is directly taken from the first film. While some lines may be different, each scene adheres strictly to the same rhythm. This isn’t a fresh movie experience; it’s more like watching a rerun we saw 15 years ago. It’s disappointingly predictable because DeBlois didn’t seem keen on experimenting with this film. He already had a near-perfect movie, so he didn’t feel the need to make daring creative decisions. This film lacks the excitement that comes from taking risks in creativity.
It’s fascinating to observe how this movie doesn’t seem to venture beyond the familiar, effectively representing a safe choice for Hollywood. It’s essentially rehashing old scripts, updating them, and filming them. The studio knows that families will flock to see it with their children, ensuring a substantial box office return of several million dollars. Moreover, the movie’s success will likely encourage visits to the Isle of Berk in the recently launched Epic Universe at Universal Orlando, generating additional revenue. However, this isn’t cinema; it’s corporate profit masquerading as children’s entertainment. The fact that it retains the essence of the original doesn’t diminish its status as a money-making scheme.
In the past, unique tales took center stage in the theater, with animated movies, sequels, and remakes of these productions being released straight to DVD. Nowadays, leveraging intellectual property (IP) has become Hollywood’s preferred strategy, as remakes and sequels generate the most revenue. Originality is rare; it’s more common to find exceptions. Creativity appears to have diminished, while nostalgia thrives. Filmmakers today are primarily revisiting past successes rather than creating something new. From framing to dialogue, most elements in this film have been reused. The movie includes a couple of extra scenes that don’t contribute much to the narrative except for explaining Stoick the Vast’s whereabouts during part of the second act.
It’s unfortunate that the film lacks originality despite having talented actors such as Mason Thames who excels as Hiccup. I was taken aback by his performance since he was previously impressive in The Black Phone, and he delivers here with conviction. Mason Thames really elevates this movie to what it needs to be. It’s clever to have Gerard Butler reprise his role from the animated film as Stoick, given his larger-than-life presence which Butler portrays brilliantly. The aerial sequences are stunning, especially in IMAX. John Powell’s score is as captivating as always. This movie will keep you engaged due to its strong source material. However, it seems that in a few years, we might be using A.I. software to convert animated films into live-action, and the result could resemble this film – a live-action adaptation without any truly groundbreaking elements.
This movie has garnered more acclaim than many live-action adaptations due to its strong adherence to the essence of the original story – the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless. Frankly, there’s little to fault with this film. The bond is genuine, and it rings true. The CGI used for Toothless and all the dragons is remarkable, showcasing the dedication of the VFX team in creating lifelike characters. However, the commitment to staying faithful was my main issue. It seems the filmmakers were so afraid of tarnishing the original that they failed to introduce anything fresh or innovative. Instead of pushing boundaries, they opted for mimicking, which is a letdown and a squandered chance for something truly unique. I appreciate their respect for the source material, but a remake without significant new elements feels like a lost opportunity.
As a gamer, I’d say: “If you’re looking for something fresh and daring, How to Train Your Dragon (the live-action remake) just isn’t it. It’s not the absolute worst, but it’s a far cry from the creative risks some other remakes have taken – even when those didn’t quite hit the mark, they tried. This movie, on the other hand, seems to shy away from any form of experimentation, which makes it feel rather uninspired. It’s like reheating yesterday’s leftovers instead of crafting a new, mouth-watering dish. And with a sequel already in the pipeline for How to Train Your Dragon 2, it seems we’re just popping the same food into the microwave again and again until it loses its flavor. At this point, I’m not exactly hungry anymore.
SCORE: 5/10
According to the review guidelines on ComingSoon, a rating of 5 means “Average” or “Mediocre.” In this case, the film’s strengths and weaknesses balance out, resulting in a neutral assessment.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our How to Train Your Dragon review.
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2025-06-11 01:10