Brief Summary
This video reviews the 2025 live-action remake of "How to Train Your Dragon." While the remake closely follows the original 2010 animated film's story, it falls short in several areas.
- The movie takes longer to reach key plot points.
- Astrid's character feels less expressive, and her romance with Hiccup lacks chemistry.
- The CGI, while faithful to the original dragon designs, doesn't feel like a significant improvement over older films.
- The return of composer John Powell and Gerard Butler is a highlight, maintaining a connection to the original's charm.
Intro
The reviewer introduces the topic of the video, which is the live-action remake of "How to Train Your Dragon." He notes the trend of live-action adaptations of animated classics and mentions that "How to Train Your Dragon" is not owned by Disney.
Overview of the Remake
The 2025 live-action "How to Train Your Dragon" is a remake of the 2010 animated film. Dean Delah, who directed the original trilogy, returns as the director. The remake closely follows the original story: Hiccup, an outcast and son of the Viking king, befriends Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, and changes his village. The reviewer notes that the remake takes longer to get to the point compared to the animated version.
Casting and Performances
Mason Thames plays Hiccup, filling the big shoes of Jay Barishell from the animated version. Thames does a great job bringing the awkwardness and heart of Hiccup to life. Gerard Butler returns as Stoic, which was a casting choice many anticipated. However, Astrid's character feels wooden, and the chemistry between Astrid and Hiccup is lacking, despite the actors having good chemistry in interviews.
Pacing and Story
The romance between Astrid and Hiccup, which was always secondary to the main story of Hiccup and Toothless, is not well-executed in the remake. The movie adds extra scenes to show Astrid's initial dislike and disrespect for Hiccup, creating a larger chasm between them without adequately mending it. Jokes from the original animation land well, but new ones do not. The live-action version is a half-hour longer than the animated film but doesn't improve upon it.
Music and CGI
The standout returning element is the music, with composer John Powell returning to compose the score. The reviewer questions the degree to which the remake feels like live-action, given the heavy use of CGI. He compares the CGI quality to older films like "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and expresses disappointment that the technology hasn't advanced further. The dragons look like their animated counterparts, which is a positive aspect.
Final Thoughts
The movie is enjoyable and does pretty much the same thing as the original, but it takes longer. It feels like an extended cut of the animated film, with scenes that were likely cut for the sake of flow. The reviewer suggests waiting for it to come out on streaming. He concludes by asking viewers for their thoughts on the remake and which animated movies should be left alone.
