The live action How To Train Your Dragon movie captivated viewers with its nostalgic and magical flair. graphic by Laine Gaherty
Against all odds, the new live-action How To Train Your Dragon turned out to be a crowd pleaser.
I wrote an article last year called “How to Train a Movie Director.” It expressed my extremely negative opinions regarding the upcoming release of the live action How To Train Your Dragon (HTTYD). I was expecting the movie to be similar to past live-action movies that have gotten massive amounts of hate. I was preparing myself to see my favorite animated movie turned into a cheesy reenactment with an awful cast and worse computer-generated imagery. However, as the lights dimmed and the words “This is Berk” echoed throughout the theater, goosebumps erupted across my skin and I was finally transported back to the world I hold so deeply to my heart.
The director of the movie is Dean DeBlois, who also directed the original animated movie. He ensured that the live action portrayed an almost perfect shot-for-shot, line-for-line copy of the original movie. DeBlois also worked with the original music composer John Powell. It is well known that the theme song and soundtrack of the HTTYD franchise is iconic. Powell did an excellent job including the original soundtrack while still creating a new flair for fans and new viewers alike. Gerard Butler, who played Stoick, was also the voice actor for Stoick in the original film. Often, companies alter the plot or characters for live-action movies thinking it will enhance the movie, when in reality it degrades the film to a lesser version of the original. I believe that the decision to stay true to the origins of the animated movie ultimately saved this movie from failure.
Overall, the actors did a great job portraying the original characters while also incorporating their own style. The actor who played Hiccup, Mason Thames, did an incredible job copying Hiccup’s mannerisms and voice. He also looks a lot like the original character. The actors for Snotlout (Gabriel Howell) and Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn) were also incredible choices for the film. The actors who played Astrid, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut were okay in my opinion. They didn’t really look like the original animated characters and the actors sometimes struggled to portray the characters they were playing. While I have some reservations about these members of the cast, I ultimately think the actors did a good job interacting with each other and delivering their part of the movie.
I have no complaints about the dragons. Universal Pictures did a wonderful job creating realistic versions while also keeping the loveable dragon features present. The CGI used for Toothless was perfectly executed. They correctly incorporated his cat-like movements and expressions while keeping his dragon features present. The scenery was also beautifully done. It properly encompassed the wild and opportunistic characteristics of the Viking world. Throughout the movie I genuinely felt like I was experiencing Hiccup’s journey myself, which was a pretty magical and satisfying experience.
I was hesitant walking into the movie theater for the first time, but I’m happy to report that the movie was an accurate representation of the original animated film. The movie was one of the first live-actions that has represented its franchise in a positive light. As of right now, due to the first movie’s success, they are currently planning on releasing the second live action movie on June 11, 2027, and it’s safe to assume that the second will be just as good as or possibly better than the first.
