Directed By Dean DeBlois

Starring – Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler

The Plot – As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup (Thames), an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.

Rated PG for sequences of intense action, and peril.

How To Train Your Dragon | Official Trailer

POSITIVES

As to where so many live action remakes fail on the weight of their own artistic ambition, “How To Train Your Dragon” and specifically DeBlois, succeed on impulses of remaining true to the quality and consistency of its original film, cementing not only one of the better live action remakes, but one that undeniably fans of the franchise will appreciate for how little has changed in the fifteen years since the first installment of the trilogy helped put Dreamworks Animations on the map. Admittedly, this is a shot-for-shot remake of that first film, but realized in live action rendering, and while some might feel skeptical about watching the same movie twice, without the dreamy lavishness of those animated illustrations, it’s nice to be able to let your guard down about this newest edition, especially in that so much of the appeal from its predecessor persists from the very same man who directed those previous films. In commanding such, DeBlois has proven that he hasn’t missed a single step with regards to what makes this world and these characters so warmly inviting, with an emphasis towards relationships and thematic impulses within the script that ground such a fantastical environment with a timelessness in humanity that so many audiences will inevitably find relatable. Whether in the complexity of the bond between father and son, the anxieties of teenage romance between Hiccup and Astrid, or especially the warming bond between the friendship of man and species, every arc is given ample time to vividly flesh out deep-seeded meaning in ways that can feel emotionally rewarding for experiencing audiences, and while this is undoubtedly Hiccup’s coming-of-age story, the depth and detailing that DeBlois supplants to those surrounding our protagonist proves as a director that he values every aspect of his life and surrounding world-building towards fleshing out a bigger picture, proving nobody better to brandish such respect and earnestness to the life obstacles depicted in Hiccup’s journey that evolve him before our very eyes. Not everything is a footnote in familiarity, as the film’s expanded 20-minute run time to the two hour mark helps to outline a deeper significance in backstory to characters who might’ve been overlooked in the original installment, specifically with Hiccup and Astrid’s relationship feeling initially tense and confrontational, long before romantic sparks flourished between them. In terms of production, everything from the wardrobe, to the on-site locations, to even John Powell’s masterfully rendered compositions help to appraise authenticity to the air of its atmosphere, however it’s ultimately cinematographer Bill Pope who inspires the biggest irreplaceable value to the film’s integrity, both with intoxicating scenery and breathtaking movements of the lens that bring all of the exhilaration and vulnerability of these riding sequences. This is where the transition from animation to live action feels most seamless, as Pope’s photography effortlessly immerses in the wind and velocity within the dragon’s clutches, helping not only to convey how powerless these human characters truly feel, but also the trust factors involved with this newfound friendship, and while the film’s PG rating would often deduce a film’s urgency and intensity, Pope captures the wonder and inspiration of living life at its most daring heights, with a compelling taste for danger with no shortage of urgency to some of the film’s best moments. The special effects of C.G towards Toothless and the other dragons is also quite impressively articulated, bringing with them not only a tangibility in texture that breeds influence, but also a conveying of emotionality in their designs that audiences can easily interpret. It certainly helps that Toothless is designed with these bold ocular outlines that effectively tap into the consciousness of the audience who fall head over heels in love with him, but even the subtleties of facial registries go a long way to communicate everything that the dragon is feeling at any given moment, without a single semblance of sacrifice to the design familiarities of the character that feel like they were effortlessly lifted from the animated movies that even in 2010 felt years ahead of its capabilities. On top of all of this, the casting proves to be impeccable, as the performances of Thames, Parker and Butler unanimously bring their characters to life, without anything in the way of impressions that would keep them from making the opportunities their own. This obviously isn’t the case for Butler, who served as the voice of Stoick during the original film, but even in live action form, Butler’s brutish exterior and sensitive underlining are in top form for his portrayal, attaining a three-dimensional versatility in characterization for what is essentially the movie’s antagonist. As for the new arrivals of Thames and Parker, they each appraise so much charisma and complexity to their respective portrayals, with Parker’s stoicism eventually giving way to tenderness, while Thames’ tepidly bumbling demeanor evolves to bravery and bravado, without anything that even slightly resembles Jay Baruchel’s iconic original turn. Cap this off with a scene-stealing supporting turn from a nearly unrecognizable Nick Frost, and you have chemistry and cadence behind every corner, making it all the easier to invest in a fourth film that we’ve seemingly already experienced.

NEGATIVES

In terms of live action remakes, this is easily one of the better occasions, but even in a harmless engagement with the best intentions in mind, there’s still an air of missed opportunity to its originality that makes this feel a bit superfluously shallow, especially in the lack of chances that it doesn’t take, which ultimately condemn it to predictability. As previously mentioned, there are some slight expansions on character outlines that utilize an additional twenty minutes to the movie’s integrity, but really nothing importantly that signifies changes to make this stand out among its predecessor, and while I would much rather have a film that respects its humbling beginnings, rather than one that desecrates the legacy of its memory, there’s something to be said about a film that fearlessly exists by its own rules, in which it leaves a lasting legacy by standing out, for better or worse, and though this deviation is established as early as the film’s opening minutes, with meandering overhead narration spelling out many of the things that we will experience on our own, there was at least some part of me disappointed with the lack of newfound developments, fifteen years later, ultimately keeping me from ever choosing this live action remake over the game-changing animated original that paved the road for my favorite animated trilogy of all-time. Also keeping this movie in the shadow of its iconic predecessor is the inferiority to its presentation, which fails to fully capture the colorful conveyance of one of Dreamworks’ most beautiful illustrations. Bill Pope’s flashy airborne sequences are the single biggest fight against the monotonous imagery that make up this lukewarm effort, but everything else surrounding it feels so blandly underwhelming and uninteresting that my eyes found themselves wandering whenever I felt uninspired by what they were conjuring, and though it would be difficult to ever bring to life the exuberance of an animated film, little in the production felt like it even attempted to match it, a fact made all the more tragic with infinite greenage surrounding our characters. Finally, I found the movie’s humor to not reach as consistently effective as its predecessor, perhaps as a means of settling for the exact same gags that were funny, albeit fifteen years ago. For my money, I could’ve used new or original gags in their place, as comedy is something very difficult to strike lightning twice, and considering comedy was such a vital part of the original film’s foundation, settling for the same gags here doesn’t age the material in ways that could’ve further justified the remake, resulting in a dry two hours, even if I was never bored or underwhelmed by the rest of the execution.

OVERALL
“How To Train Your Dragon” does for Dreamworks in one live action remake what Disney has rarely accomplished in a hundred, in that it’s an affectionately charming and harmless remastering that reaffirms your love for the original film, instead of crush everything that was special about it. While the lack of chances and creativity with the script does make the film feel a bit unnecessary in its derivative outline, the live action transfer and dazzling production values help the film to nearly soar to the heights of its studio-making predecessor, surmising a cinematic sure thing in an age of redundancy that breathes fire into this franchise once more

My Grade: 7.7 or B