A review of the latest: The How to Train Your Dragon Live Action (2025)

***Spoilers Ahead***

Hello! If you have not seen the new live action How to Train Your Dragon (HTTYD) movie and intend to do so, please be warned that this is a review-based article that contains spoilers! Additionally, this relates to the original animated franchise, so please be aware of oncoming comparisons and major story spoilers (on an ultimate nerdy level)!!

Thank you and I hope you enjoy this nerd-out session :D

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I was excited to learn about a few key things when they released news of the new live action.

1) Dean DeBlois, the director of the original animated film, would be directing the live action.

2) John Powell, the creator and composer of the first films' soundtrack would be revisiting and recreating the score for the live action.

3) Gerard Butler, the original voice of Stoick the Vast, Hiccup's father, would be returning to his role as Stoick once more.

And boy, oh boy, this combo is brilliant.

Now, I will give you some (biased) context. And please be aware of the bias I have, because I have lived and breathed this series since it was first created and released in 2010. It is my childhood personified.

I am not exaggerating.

I have seen every TV series, Netflix episode and holiday special that exists; I know every character, dragon and could easily, EASILY quote the whole second movie because I own the DVD and have seen it too many times to count. Hiccup's 'Barmaid' speech from the first movie also lives rent-free in my head (iykyk)

I have watched the relationships between characters grow, change and flourish - I've cheered for the relationships (Hiccup + Astrid) who are couple goals, and questioned who Snotlout is ACTUALLY in love with (Valka, or Thor Bonecrusher Fishlegs?)

I wear my love for this series as a badge of honour; the exploration of forbidden friendship, rebellious teenage years, trust, loss, love, hope, joy and saying goodbye is unmatched in media today. Loud and proud I am a Dreamworks kid!

The HTTYD franchise is simultaneously a "kid's show" and a show that has grown and matured as its audience has, representing how kindness, love, and passion are integral in the world and demonstrating the change that happens when someone stands up for their beliefs and stays true to who they are in the face of adversity.

I carried all of this with me as John Powell released the song "Test Driving Toothless," the live action equivalent of "Test Drive"; as I watched the teaser trailers and side-by-side shot comparisons and stumbled through every critique of casting choices.

The internet is a harsh, cruel place; a place made by us.

~

Okay. We get to the juicy stuff now; Red, what are your thoughts, what do you have to say to the changes they made, the not-word-for-word script, and the design of the dragons.

I think...

(Lower the pitchforks, we're not in the French Revolution. Chillax.)

Okay.

I think they absolutely nailed it.

Hear me out! There are moments where I cringed, where I crawled to the comforting place in my mind where the film remains untouched, where a "perfectly fine" story was not rearranged to fit the new attention span for the Gen Alphas, where we have to simplify and explain every plotline, idea or plan that occurs out loud, as though the motivations, traits and skills of every single character weren't obvious already.

But these moments were few and far, far between.

I am happy with how they did it. I almost cried for every word of Gerard Butler's voice; the dragons were expressive and terrifyingly realistic (especially the Monstrous Nightmare) and the music, although strange without the classic bagpipes of the original, was bold and not distracting in the big moments of the film.

Mason Thames and Nico Parker were incredible in their roles as Hiccup and Astrid; not because they perfectly matched the descriptions of the 13-year-olds as depicted in the original show, but because they found the heart and soul of the characters they were playing, and made them their own. When Astrid kissed Hiccup by the cove, and again at the end of the film, they received many whoops, cheers and applause from the crowd of fans in the theatre (so proud to see the love blossom for the first time again)

I didn't want a carbon-copy of the original. I thought I did, but I didn't. I wanted my favourite movie to be put into live-action with heart, with love and delicate care, like handling a baby bird. Except that bird comes with intense responsibility, a legacy and a fanbase that is emotionally attached to everything that it represents. No pressure.

I'll reiterate: I think they absolutely nailed it.

The 'baby bird' was comforted and carefully fed. It was allowed to flourish. Sure, this baby bird was not the perfect, spitting, identical image of its predecessors, but how could it be? It found itself, and that's what matters. It was still a baby bird.

In this day and age, there must be room for changes; sometimes we must appreciate that what we want in that moment, is not what we need. Isn't that what Nanny McPhee told us?

We 'wanted' an Astrid who broke the stereotype of the 'dumb blonde' by being blonde and white, as she is in the original; we need a deeper character than that; we need diversity.

We 'wanted' a perfect replica of the gang; we need characters who support and complement one another, where Ruffnut is a 'girl's girl' for Astrid; the 'Trial of Flame' has higher stakes for Astrid being considered as a future Chief; where Snotlout has a visibly challenging relationship with his dad, and Fishlegs' intelligence and dragon knowledge is quickly recognised as a unique talent and passion.

We 'wanted' a Berk where Hiccup was the only character visibly different; we need a Berk of diverse clans, a place with history of travellers coming together to fight dragons; where there are Vikings descended from all places united in the mission to kill dragons, still in opposition to Hiccup.

Okay. Let's take a breather.

I could dwell on the moments that, as I've said (dramatically) that made me long desperately for the original film, however; instead, I want to praise Dean DeBlois for trusting his gut and bringing changes that are new, refreshing and unique to right now, into this story.

Why?

Because it is brave.

It is brave to change something treasured. It is brave to think outside of the box and choose actors for their talent, for their care for the storyline, as opposed to avoiding 'controversy'. I think it is brave to trust the fanbase to accept these changes, to back the characters and their journeys because at the end of the day, it is an opportunity to live the whole series again.

It is brave that he revisited this series for the reasons he made it in the first place, keeping the 'spirit' of the story and setting up the franchise (once again) on a trajectory that will mature. It still shows the world that being yourself - being "different" - is okay.

It is okay to see things differently, to be imperfect, to be YOU.

And I think choosing Nico Parker for Astrid was the first step. Bronwyn James as Ruffnut was the next step. And so on, and so forth. Because diversity, acceptance, love - it matters.

It matters now, it mattered back in 2010 when the world shook because a dragon and a boy became friends.

To me, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise represents hope; it always, always will.

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Please keep in mind that these are just my thoughts - we're allowed to think and feel differently! However, if we're talking about it, let's keep it kind in the comment section.

I get it. It's hard to accept change; but when the changes made are in the spirit of the story, and not for the sake of profit/popularity, it's a little easier to handle. And mostly, I think it is important to value the bravery that that takes these days.

Let me know what you thought about this informal tangent!

I'd love to hear about your go-to comfort movies/series too!

As always, thanks for reading for whatnot!

- Red 💖🌱✨