Fifteen years ago the world got its first glimpse of Toothless - an elusive, night fury dragon who was one of many dragons to attack the Viking village of Berk - and immediately fell in love. The black, scaly beast could soar through the night sky and sneak up on its enemy without any warning. However, when Hiccup showed Toothless some compassion, we saw a softer side of the dragon that melted our hearts. After two sequels, we said goodbye to the beloved, animated franchise but, thanks to Universal Pictures, we are once again going to be able to enjoy the friendship between Hiccup (Mason Thames; Black Phone) and Toothless, as the live action remake of How To Train Your Dragon hits theaters this month.
For those who are unfamiliar with the story, here is the synopsis: Hiccup lives on Berk with his father, Chief Stoick (Gerard Butler; 300). Stoick wants Hiccup to become a fierce, Viking, dragon slayer like him, but Hiccup isn't interested, nor is he very good at it. However, when Hiccup injures a night fury during an attack on their village, he hunts the creature, intending to kill it and finally make his father proud. Once he sees the beast, whom he has named Toothless, Hiccup decides he can't kill it and instead befriends it, making him see the dragons in a whole new way.
Part of what makes this movie so enjoyable is the script and the colorful characters it includes. Besides Hiccup and Stoick, there is Astrid (Nico Parker; Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy) who is the best young dragon slayer in their village and whom Hiccup has a crush on, Gobber (Nick Frost), who trains the young Vikings, and said young Vikings: Snotlout (Gabriel Howell, Bodies), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison; Deadpool 2), Ruffnut (Bronwyn James; Wicked) and Tuffnut (Harry Trevalwyn; The Acolyte). While Thames and Parker are the standouts, this is an ensemble that makes the movie as strong as it is.
With so many live-action remakes of animated features, there tends to be a trend of "biting off more than the filmmakers can chew," and when dealing with mythical creatures, that could be problematic. Luckily for How To Train Your Dragon, that isn't the case. The attention to detail assures that the dragons look realistic, especially Toothless. The shading variations of his skin accentuate the tones of blacks used to color him, and then the tiniest lines delineate each individual scale on his body.
The flying sequences are extremely well done and gives director Dean DeBlois (Lilo and Stitch, 2002) the opportunity to showcase some majestic cliffs and beautiful countryside. He balances the action with the dialogue and the plot so that one doesn't overpower the other, and since he wrote and directed all three of the animated films, he certainly brings a knowledge of the story and the characters, which serve him well with this live-action remake. He also has a knack for adding some well-placed humor without making it seem hokey.
Audiences can tend to be leery of a live-action remake of the animated feature, especially because of some of the ones that have been coming from a different studio in the past several years. However, no need to fear, Universal and DeBlois have done an incredible job with How To Train Your Dragon, so much so that they have already greenlit How To Train Your Dragon 2 Live action.
While the overall plot hasn't changed, there are some subtle differences between the 2010 version and this remake. However, while you will know what to expect, you won't be disappointed by this movie, and if you were a fan of the animated feature, you will definitely enjoy this one just as much.
Grade: B
