'How to Train Your Dragon' (2025) Review: A Breath-taking Live-action Triumph
- Dan Bremner
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
By Dan Bremner - June 9, 2025
As a die-hard fan of the How to Train Your Dragon animated trilogy, I went into the BFI IMAX for the 2025 live-action remake ready to hate it on principle. DreamWorks aping Disney’s soulless remake trend and cannibalizing their own classics like a dragon eating its tail felt like a betrayal. Instead, I was floored by a faithful, heartfelt adaptation that not only captures the spirit, heart, and world of the original but stands as the finest live-action reimagining of an animated film yet. With stunning visuals, emotional depth, and a soaring scope, it’s an IMAX event that’s got me hyped for the 2027 sequel.
Is 'How to Train Your Dragon' an Exact Remake?
The story hews close to the 2010 original: Hiccup (Mason Thames), a scrawny Viking on Berk, befriends Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, defying his dragon-slaying culture. Their bond faces trials like Hiccup’s stern father Stoick (Gerard Butler, reprising his role), a looming ancient threat, and Berk’s war with dragons, culminating in a quest for peace.
Subtle tweaks add depth, like Hiccup’s sharper wit and expanded dragon lore, while keeping the emotional core: Hiccup and Toothless’ friendship, plus his fraught tie with Stoick. How to Train Your Dragon is not a beat-for-beat rehash but a fresh take that honours its roots, avoiding the pointless bloat of some remakes.
The cast breathes new life into Berk’s heroes. Thames channels Hiccup’s awkward charm and quiet courage, his chemistry with Toothless stealing every scene. Butler’s Stoick is a gruff, towering presence, his tender moments with Hiccup hitting hard as he reprises his role from the original trilogy. Nico Parker’s Astrid brings determined fire and shares strong chemistry with Thames, while Nick Frost’s always warm presence is extremely welcome. Each actor infuses their role with personality, grounding the fantastical world with human stakes, making even sidekicks like Julian Dennison’s Fishlegs Ingerman pop with charming energy.
That soaring tale dazzles thanks to Bill Pope’s cinematography, which makes Berk’s rugged cliffs and stormy seas feel alive on IMAX. Real sets that were built practically with weathered wood and Viking texture blend seamlessly with polished CGI that’s reserved for dragons and fire. Toothless, a live-action triumph, boasts cat-like twitches and soulful eyes that convey unspoken endless personality and emotion, while other dragons sport jaw-dropping designs: scaly, luminous, or spiked. Unlike Game of Thrones’ often janky dragon flights, the CGI here feels finished, every scale gleaming, every location in these vibrant Highlands looks spectacular.
John Powell’s score, reprising his iconic themes, weaves triumphant horns and ethereal strings that lift every flight, amplified by IMAX’s bone-rattling mix. Sound design roars with dragon screeches, clanging forges, and crashing waves, immersing you in Berk’s chaos. The action sequences soar, such as Hiccup and Toothless’ high-flying battles outshining other ropey dragon scenes from even more expensive productions, with dizzying dives and fiery blasts choreographed with energy. Dragon-training trials, where Hiccup tames beasts using Toothless’ tricks, are standout set-pieces, blending humour and heart.
The whole event hinges on the Hiccup-Toothless relationship, their bond as moving in live-action as in animation. Supporting characters like Stoick and Astrid deepen the stakes, though some, like the late addition gigantic queen dragon, feel slightly underdeveloped despite its menace. Director Dean DeBlois, returning from the trilogy, infuses the film with the same soul, expanding the lore with new dragon species and ancient myths without losing focus. The film’s superb pacing keeps its 125-minute runtime breezing by, every frame cinematic and packed with craft. While I’m not clamouring for a live-action Kung Fu Panda or Shrek (the stage musical’s the only live-action ogre we need), this triumph has me all-in for the sequel.
Does 'How to Train Your Dragon' Work in Live-action?
How to Train Your Dragon is a breath-taking live-action triumph that soars with heart, spectacle, and fidelity to its animated roots. Dean DeBlois’ careful direction done with love of the source-material, Bill Pope’s gorgeous cinematography, John Powell’s rousing score, and the Hiccup-Toothless bond make it the best animated-to-live-action remake yet. A cinematic IMAX event film that was a shockingly pleasant and heartfelt surprise. A far cry from the usual live-action remake we're blasted with.
'How to Train Your Dragon' is out now in UK cinemas, coming to US cinemas June 13
Want more film reviews? Check out more content on our website Film Focus Online!
