The 2025 live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon arrives with a heavy weight on its wings; the legacy of a fantastic animated film. While visually arresting and lovingly crafted in parts, this reimagining struggles to recapture the emotional depth and magic of its animated predecessor.
Directed by Dean DeBlois, the same filmmaker who helmed the original trilogy, there’s a clear reverence for the source material. Iconic moments and lines are recreated almost shot-for-shot, but in doing so, the film sometimes feels more like a high-budget cosplay than a fresh retelling. Newcomers Mason Thames (Hiccup) and Nico Parker (Astrid) are charming enough, but the chemistry feels tentative. More flicker than flame.
The real star, as always, is Toothless. The CGI work is impressive, with the Night Fury looking tactile and expressive, though some of the whimsy is inevitably lost in the leap to realism. Berk itself feels like a place you could physically visit, with sweeping aerial shots that make you want to hop on a dragon and ride through the skies. Technically, it’s polished. Emotionally? A bit flat.
Long-time fans might find themselves caught in a weird in-between space: it’s nostalgic, yes, but less moving than the original. The humour is toned down, and some emotional beats feel rushed, likely in service of fitting the film into a tight runtime. Children seeing it for the first time may be awed, but adults hoping to relive the enchantment of the 2010 classic might feel the absence of that indescribable spark.
It’s not a disaster. Just a safe retelling that plays with fire-breathing dragons but never really takes flight.
