How To Train Your Dragon Review: Dean DeBlois's Fantasy Drama Is Redundant Yet Thoroughly Enjoyable
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A visually dazzling and emotionally grounded remake that proves some stories are worth retelling.
Some tales are beyond redundancy. Despite the utmost familiarity and success, they get retold again and again throughout history, and we call them classics. Hence, a question about the purpose of a new iteration of an age-old classic is unnecessary, to an extent, absurd. How To Train Your Dragon, written by Cressida Cowell, is one such story. Hence, despite the tremendous success of its animated adaptation of the same name that was released in 2010, we now have a live-action version. However, DreamWorks Studio's decision to do a live-action remake has more to do with easy profit than anything else. Following Disney's route, the studio has ventured into this new space, and one should say they have hit a jackpot. Despite being a faithful remake of the original, the live-action remake retains the joy and visual spectacle that is a treat to both sets of audience: those who are and are not aware of this delectable world of dragons and Vikings.
For the uninitiated, How To Train Your Dragon is a story of Hiccup (Mason Thames), a shy boy in the Viking village named Berk. It is not any other Viking village but one where the best of them have gathered to fight their arch-nemesis—dragons. 'Most people would leave. Not us. We are Vikings. We have stubbornness issues," Hiccup says in the opening lines of the film. Unlike his dad Stoick (Gerard Butler), Berk's chief, Hiccup is rather timid. Even his father considers him not to have what it takes to be a dragon slayer. But Hiccup has something that no other Viking in the village has, and that something makes him pet a dragon; not any dragon, but one belonging to the mysterious breed, Night Fury. Even the century-old book of Berk doesn't have any information about Night Fury, but Hiccup turns it into his dear friend.
His friendship with the dragon, which he names Toothless, provides him with abundant knowledge about dragons and how they are not as bad as his clan thinks them to be. With all this information, he becomes a hero of the village, winning their ritual tournament that involves taming dragons. However, his popularity is short-lived. When the village learns he is a friend of one of their foes, everyone, including his father, admonishes him. Worse, they take Toothless hostage to find the Dragon's Nest, the home of all dragons, to put an end to the centuries of trouble once and for all. Unaware of what's lurking in the Dragon's Nest, the whole of Berk's warriors embark on a journey, and it is up to Hiccup to save them.
While almost all of the original version is retained in the new adaptation, what becomes new and effective is the performance of the aptly cast actors. While there were several criticisms and doubts regarding the choice of actors, the film has put an end to it all. Mason Thames is perfect as a skinny and shy Hiccup. His scenes with Gerard Butler as Stoick are some of the best acting chops in the movie. To make it more real, the makers have imbibed a serious tone in the conversations and performances, which is not seen in the original. This brings the much-needed depth to the live-action remake and saves it from becoming cartoonish.
The other wonderful aspect of the film is its visuals. The makers have struck a great balance in retaining the vibrant tone of the animated version but have still managed to create a realistic fantasy world. The design of Toothless is the best example of this perfect blend. The texture of the creature is realistic but still retains the cuddliness of the comic version. The production design and the costumes are also in perfect sync with the overall tone of the visuals, making the film a visual treat. The moments of Astrid's first ride on Toothless with Hiccup through the clouds and the Northern Lights hit the right spot and bring back the memories of watching the animated film for the first time, and you realise why you fell in love with this simple but deep story that undercuts the general notions of courage, valour, and bravery.
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