HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, US, 2025. Starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison. Directed by Dean DeBlois. 2hr 5m. Rated PG (Mild fantasy themes and violence).
Once upon a time, there was a Vikin village in the Arctic called Berk. Life was tough. And, there was continued threat of rampaging dragons. In the Viking tradition, the way to win was to conquer the dragons in battle – but, the Vikings were often thwarted, even with the staunch leadership of Stoick. Audiences were introduced to this adaptation of popular stories by Cressida Cowell in 2010. This was through the highly entertaining animated version of How to Train Your Dragon. There were also two popular sequels.
In recent decades, there has been the Hollywood trend of making live-action versions of animated films, with varying success. In fact, the director of How to Train Your Dragon was a co-writer and co-director of the original Lilo & Stitch as well as of the live-action remake, which broke box office records around the world only a month before the release of Dragon.
When it was suggested that there be this live-action remake of Dragon, Dean DeBlois decided to direct it. And, while he brings the magic touch of his animated films, he has made the transition to a vigorous and enjoyable live action. At times this film is spectacular – extraordinarily rugged cliffs and clifftops, surging seas. The director has been able to use, often scene by scene, the screenplay of his original film. It works well.
The casting is also strong. This time the young Hiccup, son of Stoick, expected to follow in his chieftain father’s warlike footsteps, is played by Thames, an affable young man. With ballet training, the actor easily cavorts with his favourite Dragon, Toothless.
Butler voices of Stoick, and is able to use his Scottish accent after all those action shows in the US, but he is not just a cartoon character. He is a proud father, initially disappointed in his son but ultimately forced to acknowledge the boy’s moral strength, as well as his courage and wisdom with the dragons.
The casting effectively chooses live-action actors who resemble cartoon characters! (It is always a pleasure to see New Zealand’s Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), here as one of the Dragon-fighting students.) Parker proves that female Dragon fighters can be as good as, even better, than so many of the men.
And training one’s Dragon? The moral of the story is the importance of brains over brawn. Hiccup Is intelligent, with a scientific and engineering mind and imagination, and when he encounters a friendly dragon, he finds ways of befriending and taming the dragons to achieve peace in the village.
If you enjoyed the animated films, try this one because the fantasy and live action combination creates the impression that this is what those Viking times were really like.
Universal
Released 12 June