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Movie Review: ‘How to Train Your Dragon' might have just redeemed the live-action adaptation

Movie Review: ‘How to Train Your Dragon' might have just redeemed the live-action adaptation

Ever wanted to soar through the skies on the back of a friendly dragon? The new 'How to Train Your Dragon' may be the ticket, from a decidedly safer, though possibly still vertigo-inducing, distance.
This live-action adaption of the underdog adventure story sends the audience cascading through the clouds with the teenage Viking boy Hiccup and his dragon friend Toothless. It's the kind of immersive sensation and giddy wish fulfillment that might just have you forgetting momentarily to breathe and, maybe more importantly, that you're still in a movie theater. Credit to veteran cinematographer Bill Pope, no stranger to fantasy worlds, whether it's 'The Matrix' or 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.'
'How to Train Your Dragon' doesn't stray far from the original, from shots to story beats. Gerard Butler once again plays Berk's Chief Stoick the Vast. The new Hiccup, actor Mason Thames, even sounds a bit like Jay Baruchel. But unlike so many live-action remakes of animated films, it also doesn't feel superfluous, or, worse, like a poor imitation of its predecessor that trades the magic of animation for photorealism.
Perhaps that's because filmmaker Dean DeBlois, who made the three animated films, stayed in the director's chair. Who better to kill their darlings than the one who brought them to the screen in the first place? And, crucially, to know where live-action might actually enhance the fabric of the world created by author Cressida Cowell.
It helps that dragon technology has come a long way since, say, 'DragonHeart.' These fire-breathing CG creatures feel disarmingly real. And though it might look like 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Game of Thrones,' the tone stays light enough for younger filmgoers. There are a few intense sequences, but none that takes it any further than the animated film did 15 years ago.
'How to Train Your Dragon' does start a little slow, however, which is odd because it also begins with a fiery battle between the Vikings and the dragons on the Isle of Berk. There's a lot of exposition and introduction that needs to happen before you can just give yourself over to the story. In this more multicultural version, the warriors on Berk have been recruited from tribes around the globe to try to defeat the dragons.
Hiccup is a Viking nepo baby. As the chief's son, he sits in a place of privilege, but he's also a general outcast in this world of ruthless warriors — skinny and weak, he just longs to be part of the action, not sharpening the weapons. Killing dragons is currency in this society, and his crush Astrid (Nico Parker) happens to be one of the most promising up-and-comers. His sole champion is Gobber (a delightful Nick Frost), the blacksmith and dragon slayer teacher, who convinces the chief to give the clever Hiccup a shot.
The film finds its internal engine when Hiccup finds Toothless, the wide-eyed 'Night Fury' dragon whom he can't bring himself to kill. Instead, he decides to study this discovery, who he finds is not as nearly fearsome as everyone assumes. 'How to Train Your Dragon' teaches empathy and ingenuity without a sermon.
Thames, a teenager himself, is the perfect embodiment of adolescent awkwardness and boldness. You can have all the cute dragons you want, but the audience would be lost if the human conduit to the relationship isn't up to the task. Butler seems to be having a good time, resplendent in fur and chest-thumping ideas about ancient duties. And Parker gives Astrid a relatable depth — the best in the bunch who is outshone in an unequal fight.
Kids deserve movies that are made on the biggest possible canvas. 'How to Train Your Dragon' is one that's worth the trip to the theater. It might just spark some young imaginations, whether it's to go back and read the books or dream up their own worlds. And, chances are, no one is going to be yelling 'chicken jockey.'
'How to Train Your Dragon,' a Universal Pictures release in theaters Friday, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for 'sequences of intense action and peril.' Running time: 125 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

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How to Train Your Dragon vs Lilo & Stitch: which live-action remake scored better on Rotten Tomatoes?
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When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The live-action remake of animated classics has been a trend for a while now, but it's hitting another level this blockbuster movie season, as moviegoers have the choice between two live-action remakes playing in movie theaters at the same time — How to Train Your Dragon, which releases everywhere on June 13, and Lilo & Stitch, which is playing in movie theaters right now. Lilo & Stitch is the latest in Disney's slate of live-action remakes, this one for the 2002 animated movie about a mischievous alien who is befriended by a young girl in Hawaii. Meanwhile, the live-action of 2010's How to Train Your Dragon about a young Viking who becomes the first in his village to befriend a dragon instead of hunt one, is one of the first live-action remakes of a DreamWorks Animation movie. Because of their proximity in release and the fact that they're targeting the same primary audiences (both young kids and even a number of adults who are nostalgic for the animated movies), How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch are going to be compared to each other a lot, including with what so many movies are based on these days, their Rotten Tomatoes scores. With reviews for How to Train Your Dragon now available, we're making it easy for you to compare the two with a breakdown of how both movies are scoring on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication (we'll update this post as How to Train Your Dragon gets more reviews in). As of June 10, How to Train Your Dragon has an 83% 'Fresh' score on Rotten Tomatoes. The early takeaway from critics is that the movie is a faithful adaptation of the original animated movie, maybe too much so. Helen O'Hara of Empire Magazine wrote, 'It's clearly made with real love and care, but shows far too much deference to its progenitor. Even in a remake, we need more originality and less playing the hits.' Slant Magazine's Justin Clark adds, 'As heartwarming as this story remains at its core, it's hard to shake that you already know how it will play out.' However, a number of critics praised what the live-action remake brought to the table. Brian Truitt of USA Today called How to Train Your Dragon 'a heartwarming, meaty adventure perfect for a new generation of young film fan (sic) but doesn't forget to entertain the older movie kids, either.' The Associated Press' Lindsey Bahr wrote, 'It's the kind of immersive sensation and giddy wish fulfillment that might just have you forgetting momentarily to breathe and, maybe more importantly, that you're still in a movie theater.' At this time, there are no fan reactions or scores for the movie. For comparison, the original How to Train Your Dragon has a 99% 'Certified Fresh' score on Rotten Tomatoes. The bar that How to Train Your Dragon will have to clear with critics on Rotten Tomatoes is Lilo & Stitch's 72% 'Fresh' score. However, it's worth noting that the Disney live-action remake has a 'Verified Hot' score of 93% from general moviegoers. The original Lilo & Stitch animated movie earned an 86% 'Certified Fresh' score. The critic consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is reminiscent of How to Train Your Dragon — the remake recaptures a lot of what movie fans loved about the original, though critiques revolve it either not quite living up to the original. Still, at 72% 'Fresh,' Lilo & Stitch has one of the better scores for a Disney live-action remake (ahead of 2017's Beauty and the Beast and 2023's The Little Mermaid). While the critical consensus can sum up the general feelings about a movie, the biggest factor for whether a movie is a hit or not is how it performs at the box office. And in that regard, Lilo & Stitch is a bonafide hit. The movie has made $335.7 million as of publication in the US, and $772.5 million worldwide. Those numbers make it the second highest-grossing movie of 2025 in the US to date, and the third highest-grossing in the world. You can watch Lilo & Stitch in movie theaters right now, while How to Train Your Dragon premieres worldwide on June 13. If you want to rewatch the animated movies as well, Lilo & Stitch is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus, while How to Train Your Dragon is streaming on Peacock and Max.

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