I am surprised that DreamWorks delivered a fantastic remake live during the first try

How to train your dragon Mark the first DreamWorks foray into the field of live adaptations of beloved animated films. This is a trend that has so far been dominated by Disney, and the studio has been very successful – but they have also resisted great failures. DreamWorks, to my surprise and my joy, seems to have understood it straight out. THE How to train your dragon The live remake is a fantastic film, not only imitating the animated original, but the elevant, while offering an exciting summer blockbuster ready to vibrate.

History will be familiar to all those who have already seen 2010 How to train your dragonBut to summarize: he follows Hiccup, a Viking of a tribe renowned for hunting for the dragon. Their house is often searched by dragons, and during such an attack, Hiccup tries to prove itself by capturing and killing a dragon. He almost succeeds, but when he was faced with killing him, he lets him go. From there, Hiccup and Krokmou, a formidable but friendly night fury form an unlikely but unbreakable friendship that will test what other Vikings, including Hiccup’s own father, can accept.

How to train the story of your dragon is exactly the same as before, but it looks better than ever

Really superb visuals only improve what was already an excellent story

How to train your dragon Isn’t that a remake taken for the 2010 animated film, although it recreated emblematic scenes. It is a beating remake for the pace, however, more or less bringing the same story to the screen. To take into account the 27 additional minutes of execution, there are minor additions and some extensions (which are more like fulfillments) – but it is almost the same intrigue as the animated film. And it’s great, because when the story is as excellent as How to train your dragon,, There is no reason to play with it.

Now combine this excellent story with truly magnificent visuals and wonderful performances, and you have a great film. It’s as simple as that. Except that we know it’s just simple to succeed, and I think How to train your dragon Only does it because he had perfect people behind the camera. Dean Deblois returns as a writer and director, and although he is not unknown for original filmmakers to come back for remakes, he seems special.

Deblois’ has designed a film which is both a loving tribute to the animated original and an exciting summer blockbuster full of shows and hearts. It offers the same sensations that just looked at it the first time. He knows which scenes should remain the same and which can be used, especially that it is live. It’s actually a bit surprising how much How to train your dragon Works, given that so many live remakes have not done so. But Deblois clearly came to this determined project, if not to raise what he helped before, then at least the equal.

As proof of this approach, seek no further than two of its employees. John Powell, the composer of the animated trilogy, returns to the note. Bringing it back is obvious and, of course, from the moment his score plays on the studio logo, you are immediately transported to Berk. For the director of photography, Deblois asked Bill Pope after a recommendation from the legendary filmmaker and the visual consultant of the animated film, Roger Deakins.

The involvement of the Pope could be one of the main reasons why live action How to train your dragon works as well as. His photograph is absolutely magnificent, bringing Berk to life in detail, comfortable interiors of the house and the workshop of Hiccup, with Icelandic views. Then there are the flight scenes, which will not disappoint. The film was filmed for IMAX, and it makes an excellent use of this large screen format, offering immersive sequences where you have the impression of flying just alongside Hiccup and Krokmou.

Speaking of toothless and many other dragons – they seem fantastic. The team of visual effects has really managed to translate their conceptions, from the animation generated by computer to a more realistic style. Of course, this is not real realism because the dragons do not really exist, but it probably only sells the illusion. From The Bunch, I would say that Krokmou looks the least “real”, appearing as a high definition rendering of his cartoon. It is good, however, because keeping part of your design of cartoons is what allows it to remain so expressive.

I am really shocked by the quality of how the training of your Dragon Cast is good

The similarities between their performances and the animated characters are strange (and I do not mean only Gerard Butler)

How to train your dragonBroken to me. Some actors reminded me so much of the animated characters, it honestly made me freak out a little. Gabriel Howell’s snotlout, for example, gives a performance that is just a perfect reflection of what Jonah Hill and the animators initially delivered; He, like the film, is both a tribute and enough of his own thing. All young adults are simply fantastic, but so much go on the Thame Mason hiccups, and he gets it out of the park.

Thames is about a decade less than Jay Baruchel when he expressed Hiccup for the first time in the 2010 film, but his youth is a welcome addition. Baruchel is a more sarcastic and older hiccups, but it is suitable for a hiccup to feel young and reckless, than the Thames Cloue. He is also hilarious and excellent in physical humor. The scene between hiccups and swords involving a fish (you will know the one I mean) is both hysterical and disgusting. It was at this point that I started to realize how funny this story worked live, because although funny in animation, the Ick factor added here makes the scene even more fun.

Nick Frost plays Gobber, taking over from Craig Ferguson in the animated trilogy, and he is fine. I cannot say that everything he brought to this role has ever exceeded what Ferguson has done, or even if different, and as such, it is a perfectly usable performance. At the opposite end of this spectrum, we have Gerard Butler, resuming his role as father of Stoick, chief and hiccup. I was delighted by Butler’s performance because he all understood the mission with all my heart.

The point of view of Butler on Stoick here is an extension of what he initially brought to this role, but everything is more composed. It is largely thanks to costumes, hair and makeup. Above all, having all this allows Butler to give a more achieved performance. And it goes – it is tall when it needs to become big, it really striking it if necessary, but it can also be so small and sad in these heartbreaking moments. It is an exaggerated performance, to say the least, but it corresponds to the tone of the film.

In fact, everyone in the distribution is on the same wavelength. From the main characters to the background actors, they all give slightly exaggerated performances which correspond to the increased reality of the world. This is just another reason why having unleashes at the helm was such an intelligent decision – he orders his cast to give committed performances which are never too excessive, but which are not too reserved or boring simply because it is a live action and nothing can be silly for fear that it is less “real”.

How to train your dragon made me a fan of live remakes

Well, at least one fan of this live remake because of its quality

Days after my screening, I am always a little amazed by how much I appreciated this vision How to train your dragon. I am not a fan of this trend to adapt animated films to live action, as if live cinema was somehow more legitimate than animation. It is a line of thought that no longer becomes exasperating when a film is announced as a live action is largely of the images generated by computer – AKA Animation! But I get lost.)

I really like the animated version. It is an almost perfect film. While we did not need a new one, looking at How to train your dragon changed his mind. This film is a real joy to watch, and the experience of seeing it on the big screen was one of the best moments that I had had for some time (my audience loved it, by the way). I cannot say that I look forward to each next live adaptation, but I certainly look forward to How to train your dragon 2.

How to train your dragon will be released in theaters on June 13.

How to train your dragon

8/ 10

Release date

June 13, 2025

Execution time

116 minutes

Director

Dean Deblois

Writers

Dean Deblois

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  Mason Thames

  Horrible Haddock III hiccup

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Advantages and disadvantages

• This adaptation is a love letter to the animated original.
• It’s the same story but with amazing visuals that have it better than ever.
• A casting that enters their characters, with performances that perfectly correspond to the tone.