How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Film Review: Faithful recreation surprisingly exceeds expectations

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It is an era of Hollywood trolling through their back catalogue to reimagine classic animated features into 'live action' re-dos. However, this time, instead of Disney, DreamWorks has followed suit to bring one of their most critically acclaimed and beloved adaptations to the big screen once again.

Loosely based on the 2003 novel by Cressida Cowell, it seemed like an unenviable task for the creators to enchant viewers for another action packed outing, many of whom fell in love with the mythical world of Berk and the sweet relationship between Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, and his human companion, Hiccup, when they were kids. Although the odds seemed strong when original screenwriter and director Dean DeBlois was confirmed to return and young up-and-coming stars Mason Thames (The Black Phone, 2021) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us, 2023) were brought in to play bumbling teenage inventor and wannabe dragon killer, Hiccup, and his fiery love interest, Astrid, respectively.

The endearing bond between boy and dragon is at the heart of the film's story

Needless to say that this film is a very faithful adaptation of the original animation, with several set pieces practically made as shot-for-shot recreations. Similar to several live-action remakes of the past ten years, this rendition adds a couple of new characters and extends dialogue in certain scenes; however, these small changes do not detract from the pacing of the film, despite being about half an hour longer than the 2010 version. These little tweaks to the narrative worked well in expanding the world and added further mythos to the historic setting. There is a remarkable attention to detail in the subtle nuances and physicality of the characters and costume design, as well as a truly outstanding production design, with the inspired decision to shoot among the beautiful clifftops of Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the Viking village and stunning flight sequences.

Every aspect of the set design and CGI for the dragons just screams high quality. The special effects look extraordinary and could genuinely pass off as real beings interacting with the human cast. We are at an age nowadays where technology has advanced so much that the magic of fantastical creatures can be recreated to a believable scale. Animation will always triumph over live action for the creative liberties that can be taken when stretching audience disbelief, and there are no limits to the imagination. In this version, the dragons themselves are slightly less expressionistic than their original counterparts, and the flying sequences, whilst spectacular in re-capturing the spectacle and wonder of the original, do sometimes appear a bit awkward, as we know that the actors were filmed against a green screen.

However, the film is worth seeing in the cinema just to experience John Powell's incredible score in all its surround sound glory and witness an exhilarating final act, which perfectly translates the high stakes and emotional weight of the animation. Re-living uplifting, adventurous tracks like 'Test Flight' to complement the awe and majesty of flying a dragon, as well as enhancing the touching brotherly dynamic between Hiccup and Toothless, was a pure delight.

Compassionate son of the Viking chief, Hiccup (Thames), defies odds and tradition when he befriends the dragons

The casting is pretty much spot on, with Gerald Butler reprising his role as the bold village chief, Stoic, whose strong physicality and mannerisms perfectly match the role he embodied fifteen years ago (I know, right?!). Thames accurately portrayed the awkwardness and social outcast side of Hiccup, as well as displaying impressive commitment to the role by making interactions with the dragons as believable as possible, despite the visual limitations. Parker also brought a fierceness and gravitas to the ambitious, strong-willed Astrid and shared good on-screen chemistry with her co-lead.

Although the movie does not need to exist due to the superb quality of the animated original, 2025's How to Train Your Dragon is one of those rare live-action remakes where sticking close to the source material actually pays off. There is a clear sense of dedication and passion behind and in front of the camera to pay a loving tribute to the multi-faceted narrative that captured the hearts of so many viewers. Every element of the production, from the design team to the writing and diverse cast, comes together seamlessly to great effect. Not a perfect adaptation, but a close one, and a fantastic time at the cinema in its own right.

Expectations for the follow-up, set to be released in 2027, are certainly high!

Check out the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!