It’s incredible (and terrifying!) to think it’s been 15 years since the beloved original from Dreamworks Animation first soared into cinemas, kickstarting a critically acclaimed trilogy and three spinoff television series (DreamWorks Dragons, Rescue Riders, and The Nine Realms.) Hot on the heels of the brand new Isle of Berk – Universal Orlando Resort’s newest theme park – comes the latest in a long line of live-action adaptations. While it’s been a mixed year for these marmite adaptation with Snow White and Lilo and Stitch, thankfully HTTYD is a very faithful adaptation to the original, but struggles to distinguish itself as more than a shot-by-shot remake.
Directed by Dean DeBlois (returning from director duties for the animated original), How to Train Your Dragon centres on misfit Viking Hiccup (Mason Thames) as he struggles to live up to his father’s – the battle hardened village chief of Berk, Stoick (Gerard Butler) – expectations. A long fought war between dragons and vikings rages on, but Hiccup’s surprising friendship with an elusive but injured Night Fury dragon nicknamed Toothless, could prove a monumental change to both dragons’ and Vikings’ futures.
While the major plot, centring on Hiccup and Toothless’ beloved friendship, remains a pretty much shot-for-shot adaptation, there are some slight changes. Firstly, the mythology and world building has been expanded to include a more diverse Berk, certain characters, such as Snoutlout and Astrid, have been further fleshed out with slightly differing arcs and the various battles are more expansive and extended. While these are welcome additions, there’s also a surprising omission, with the following scene after the iconic test drive missing.
While it might not appear a major cut, the scenes involving Hiccup and the Terrible Terrors does link to Hiccup’s crucial discovery that dragons aren’t entirely resistant to fire, what with Hiccup blasting one of the small dragons in the mouth, stunning it. This is an integral moment that directly influences the pair as they battle the terrifying Red Death dragon, proving an important clue to the climax of the film. While it’s seemingly only a small moment, it is pretty crucial in the larger narrative.
Mason Thames does an admirable job of bringing Hiccup to life, however he’s not quite as endearing as Jay Baruchel’s take on the clever but clumsy inventor. Thankfully, Hiccup’s and Toothless’ slow-growing trust and blossoming friendship is equally as emotional as the animated original though. His strained relationship with his father, which sees Gerard Butler excellently reprising his role in the live-action adaptation, is further developed thanks to additional sequences and dialogue. Nico Parker is thankfully also given more to do as Berk’s ambitious and most promising young dragon slayer – with an added anger of the class divide between her and Hiccup – while Nick Frost shines as the surprisingly caring Viking teacher Gobber.
Where the film truly soars is in the incredibly detailed set design, costumes and stunning real-life locations – filmed primarily in Northern Ireland. As a huge fan of the animated original – and Cressida Cowell’s series of novels – it’s fantastic to see the island of Berk come to life. Furthermore, the centrepiece ‘Test Driving Hiccup’ sequence is nearly as exhilarating as the original, especially in IMAX as the aspect ratio shifts, immersing viewers in an epic roller coaster ride. This incredible spectacle of that sequence is undoubtedly worth the ticket price, along with the (slightly re-worked) iconic score from John Powell.
While this is undeniably one of the best live-action adaptations yet, it’s a difficult one to review as Hollywood depressingly continues to pump out reboots, remakes and sequels for seemingly guaranteed returns at the box office. Yes the nostalgia is great and I’m sure it’s a special moment to share your favourite film with young children, but will this further encourage an over-reliance on this business model? Only time will tell.
Verdict
How to Train Your Dragon is a hugely faithful live-action adaptation with absolutely stunning locations, lavish sets and immersive action sequences. While it certainly recaptures the magic of the original, there are a couple of surprising (but small) omissions which could have tied it together as a more complete story. However, it’s undoubtedly still a heartfelt celebration of friendship suitable for the whole family.
