Item: How to Train Your Dragon
Rating: 5
Author: Alexandria Wyckoff

how to train your dragon review — Credit: Universal Pictures

After fifteen years, viewers around the world are being transported back to Berk.

How to Train Your Dragon has a new live-action look, an (almost) completely new cast, and an incredible story about a boy and a dragon to retell to fans, young and old.

Check out our How to Train Your Dragon review below, and remember, spoilers ahead!

How to Train Your Dragon Review – Breaking Down Plot, Setting, Characters

Plot

The original film’s plot is undeniably good, and the live-action film stays true to that. Hiccup is still the awkward Viking who doesn’t seem to fit in with anyone else, and Toothless is still the fierce yet loyal dragon he shoots down one night.

The two’s story gets enhanced by the live-action scenes, from the “Test Drive” scene to their matching lost limbs at the end. Some plot points I especially liked were the tweaks made during Stoick’s speech, and the added relationship between Snotlout and his father, Spitelout.

Stoick’s speech may not have had the iconic line of “those who stay here will watch over Hiccup,” but it provides a much-needed dive into the casting of the film. Stoick brings up Berk as a crossroads of the best dragon warriors, making the idea of different ethnicities on one island not so difficult to believe. Berk is not only a crossroads for warriors but dragons as well, as Hiccup shows the Vikings the true power of befriending a dragon. Stoick’s speech was grand, proud, and exactly what I would expect from the famous Chief of Berk. I got chills watching it.

As for Snotlout and Spitelout, it was an interesting aspect to add. While we don’t get much of their relationship in the animated film, the Netflix series Race to the Edge gives viewers a glimpse into the immense pressure Snotlout has trying to impress his father Spitelout.

Adding small details throughout the live-action film was a perfect way to bring the show to the film and add more depth to a beloved character.

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Setting

Ah, the setting. Berk is beautiful in the animated film, but there’s something about seeing the Dragon Academy, Hiccup’s house, and the dragon’s den in real life that’s just breathtaking. The setting made me smile the whole film, bringing to life one of my favorite films ever.

Each scene was full of details, from the locks and chains on the dragon cages to the grittiness of fighting a dragon up close. My favorite scenery was perhaps when Hiccup and Toothless are first getting to know each other (“Forbidden Friendship scene”) or just the sweeping views of Berk.

While the island looked a little odd at first, I quickly fell in love with the setting and how much it resembles the animated film.

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Characters

What can I say about my favorite characters? In a word, incredible.

While I am partial to the animated originals, the new live-action cast brought their own perspectives to the Viking world, and I think they did each character justice.

Hiccup may not have been as small compared to other Vikings, but he excelled in being an outcast. A Viking who doesn’t know how to be one, who later becomes prized for the things he hated most about himself.

Astrid was strong, sassy, and willing to give it all up to side with Hiccup (a slight deviation from the original).

The twins were, well, the twins, and Snotlout brought his confidence in spades. Fishlegs made me laugh with his outbursts of dragon “stats” and the way he was cautiously hopeful about everything.

Stoick played again by Gerard Butler is just incredible, from his presence on Berk to the way his voices translates from one film to the other. Gobber was a little odd for me, but I gradually enjoyed his character. I feel like it would be incredibly hard to replicate his character in the films, though.

Overall, I loved these characters and the new depth they brought to each character.

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Prominent Actors in How to Train Your Dragon

The cast of How to Train Your Dragon is full of established and up-and-coming actors who have appeared in several hit films and TV series. Check out some of the main stars below:

Mason Thames (Hiccup Haddock) – The Black Phone, Incoming, The Gorge
Nico Parker (Astrid Hofferson) – The Last of Us, Dumbo, Suncoast
Gerard Butler (Stoick the Vast) – How to Train Your Dragon, Den of Thieves, 300
Julian Dennison (Fishlegs Ingerman) – Y2K, Deadpool 2, Uproar
Nick Frost (Gobber the Belch) – Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Get Away
Bronwyn James (Ruffnut) – Wild Bill, Wicked, The Palace
Harry Trevaldwyn (Tuffnut) – Sweet Sue, Ten Percent, The Acolyte
Gabriel Howell (Snotlout) – The Fence, Nightsleeper, Sunday Brunch

How Does it Compare to the Original?

This is one of, if not the, best animated-to-live-action adaptations out there.

The plot and soul of the film were never lost, and if there were any changes, they were minor. While other adaptations take out whole plot lines or characters, the live-action breathed new life into our favorite characters, scenes, and moments that make this franchise unforgettable.

Nothing will ever compare to the first time watching the animated film as a little kid, but I really did feel like I was watching Hiccup and Toothless become friends for the first time again.

This is how you do live-action remakes.

How to Train Your Dragon Review: Final Thoughts

I loved this film. I smiled throughout the whole thing and quoted each line as it came out of the actors’ mouths.

While some of the memorable moments were changed, the heart of the film remained with an awkward Viking and an injured dragon, unlike any other. I think the actors, setting, and plot were incredible, and added depth to a franchise that has been going for a decade and a half.

I cannot wait to watch the second film and continue watching these characters and actors grow.