How to Train Your Dragon Reviews

8.4 - This is one of the hardest to rank movies I’ve seen in a loooong time.

Did we need it? No, the original is a masterpiece, & it’s almost a shot for shot remake.

Did I enjoy it? Absolutely, the original is a masterpiece & it’s almost a shot for shot remake.

I’ve wondered with almost every live action remake that Disney has released over the lost decade or so - what would happen if they just remade it and didn’t change the story at all? My answer was always that it would feel too hollow & wouldn’t be enjoyable.

Here, DreamWorks has given us that answer. It does feel a little hollow, but when the story is right it’s still good.

I think a lot of credit goes to Dean DeBlois. Putting this project right back into the hands of the guy who gave us the original was smart. I still felt the love for the characters & their journeys. I imagine there were next to no internal squabbles over rewriting & new messages & morals, & I think you can feel that.

It’s not as magical, mystical, & gentle as the animated version - it just can’t be. But it is still full of life & heart - you don’t just lose that with good writing.

I know there was some public outcry early in promotion about some of the cast, but I think most of the actors nailed their roles, especially the main two kids. I don’t care that Astrid isn’t blonde.

Also the CGI teams, lighting, & sound teams all deserve immense credit. Where so many of these live remakes struggle is to capture the emotion of the animation. The dragons are still cartoony & playful - the opposite of The Lion King. The lighting is still bright & beautiful. And the score & sound are still powerful.

All in all, it’s everything I want a live action remake of an animated classic to be. But at the same time it hurts a bit to endorse it because I don’t want to encourage more of them to be made. But since I know that the money machine will continue to pump them out, I at least want to say use this as an example of how to do it well.

And the irony of the immense problems with the remake of DeBlois’s best work (Lilo & Stitch (2002)) being released almost simultaneously to this is not lost on me one bit. It may be as necessary a time as ever for Disney to hit the strategy reset button.

Entertaining but could have casted twins better

GIVE ME A DRAGON. NOW.

Not nearly as bad as the disney live action, but your better off just watching the animated movie.

music was PEAK, love john powell.
cast was PEAK, acting was PEAK.
12/10, fantastic movie 😍😍😍

While I do appreciate the how shot for shot it is, there’s no chemistry, no personality in this movie. Didn’t feel any sort of connection between Toothless and Hiccup, any of the Viking kids, or Hiccup and Stoic. Gerard Butler is always a plus though

Great movie - even better soundtrack - reminded me of my childhood. Got lots of nostalgia watching this…

trash

I understand shareholders and executives do the most to minimise risk, but it's a big-budget live-action dragon movie. That guarantees a return on investment enough, so was an almost shot-for-shot copy of a fairly recent film necessary? Regardless of what I think, the box office numbers give these lazy studio heads wet dreams, so we're going to get more. The production and visual effects are fantastic, but compared to the animated versions, it looks dull and feels soulless. The acting is fine, but the casting is a major downgrade, and the score could have been so much more impactful. Overall, not even my starved love for dragons would want this.

Uno de los mejores Live action que he visto👏🏻 después de lilo&stitch

no.

This film made me so emotional. I felt like I was overcome with joy and about to cry for the whole film. I only just realized now that as an adult, I need Toothless and Hiccup now more than ever. It was like being a kid again. Never could I have hoped for this to be this good.🥹

the cast and the synchronisation could have been much better, not bad but definitely not the same feeling as the original movie

Waitttt this is highkey rly good and there is huzz

Nah. There was no chemistry here, no spark and no connection. I still loved Toothless, but even he was lacking in personality. I didn’t like this from the opening scene. It was just bad.

Loved this movie. The animation to live action adaptation was basically shot for shot perfection. I loved the casting and the addition to some of the characters. One of if not the best live action adaptations out there.

“cause I said so.” “exactly.”

this was perfect. casting, acting, cinematography.
I don’t know what else to say tbh this was amazing

Wayyyyyyy better then rat race thats for sure

Only giving it love for the nostalgia of it, because it did make me happy to watch. The downside of it was the cast, mostly the younger characters. The acting lacked emotion and connection, felt very forced and rushed. The acting reminded me of Gal Gadot’s acting in Wonder Woman.

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love the OG movie.

Why the crap do we keep making the same exact movies shot for shot. It kills me to see the talent of the director, cast and crew wasted! You already made this fantastic movie! Don’t make it again! Make something new!