Dean DeBlois brings the heart, breathtaking visuals, and John Powell’s iconic score to life in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, while deepening the story by fleshing out several key supporting characters.
How to Train Your Dragon Overview
The live-action How to Train Your Dragon may sound like a cash grab, but it’s made with heart, reverence for Cressida Cowell’s source material, and just enough fresh perspective to justify its existence.
Set in the Viking village of Berk, the story follows Hiccup, a scrawny teen trying to live up to his father Stoick’s legacy as a dragon slayer. After capturing a feared Night Fury, Hiccup instead forms a bond with the creature, Toothless, forcing him to question everything he’s been taught.
Mason Thames plays Hiccup with a little more confidence than Jay Baruchel’s animated version, offering a grounded and emotionally sincere performance. The bond between Hiccup and Toothless remains the film’s heart, although their connection develops a bit too quickly. Gerard Butler returns as Stoick, this time in live action, and brings more humanity and humor to the role, deepening the father-son dynamic.
Nico Parker shines as Astrid, adding depth and edge to the character. After this and her performance in the pilot of The Last of Us, Parker is a star in the making. The rest of the young trainees, unfortunately, are flat and forgettable.
Visually, the film stands out. While a few dragons look off, most of the CGI is stunning, supported by sweeping cinematography by Bill Pope that captures the wonder and danger of the world.
This adaptation doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to. It finds just enough space to expand the emotional beats and deepen character arcs, showing care for both fans and newcomers. It’s what a live-action remake should be: respectful, thoughtful, and visually thrilling.
The animated How to Train Your Dragon film is available to stream on Peacock.
Hiccup and Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon
The bond between Hiccup and Toothless remains the emotional core of the film. Interestingly, it’s also the one relationship that sees the least expansion from the original animated version. A couple of scenes that helped develop their connection have been omitted from the live-action adaptation.
Their relationship begins on rocky ground. To earn his father’s approval, Hiccup captures Toothless. Though he initially prepares to kill the dragon, he ultimately can’t go through with it and sets it free. Toothless, wounded, and unable to fly, retreats to a nearby quarry. There, Hiccup begins to observe him, sparking the early stages of their unexpected friendship.
Toothless is wary and defensive at first, but gradually warms to Hiccup. As their bond deepens, Hiccup gains a new understanding of dragons and begins to question the way his Viking community has always viewed them.
Toothless remains the same endearing, stubborn, and expressive creature from the animated film. His live-action rendering is seamless, capturing both his personality and physicality with remarkable fidelity.
Thames brings a slightly dweeby charm to Hiccup, but also infuses the character with greater inner strength. Hiccup’s difficulty expressing his emotions feels grounded, especially in light of his father’s stoic nature.
Meanwhile, Hiccup’s relationship with Astrid begins with an imbalance—she has the upper hand. But as Hiccup gains confidence and insight through his experiences with dragons, he begins to assert himself more, doing so in a way that never undermines Astrid’s strength or agency.
Key Dragon Slayers
One of the most significant improvements in the live-action adaptation is the deeper development of Astrid and Stoick.
In the animated film, Astrid’s tension with Hiccup stems mainly from jealousy. While Hiccup’s crush on her remains, the live-action version gives Astrid grounded motivation. She’s frustrated by what she sees as Hiccup’s lack of effort in training, assuming he’s coasting on the privilege of being the chief’s son—someone destined to lead, qualified or not. Astrid doesn’t have that luxury, and this added perspective gives her no-nonsense attitude more depth.
Stoick also benefits from expanded screentime. Butler brings out more of the character’s emotional range, blending frustration, warmth, and understated humor. His misreadings of Hiccup are often played for laughs, but they never undercut the underlying tension or the desire for a father to understand his son. As Stoick begins to uncover Hiccup’s secret connection to dragons, Butler effectively conveys the complex mix of pride, fear, and disappointment.
Scenes involving Hiccup with Astrid and Stoick feel more emotionally layered in this version. The film gives both relationships weight, making Hiccup’s growth feel more earned and his choices more impactful.
The Groupies
Unfortunately, Hiccup and Astrid’s fellow dragon trainees fall flat. Most of the comedic beats involving them miss the mark, save for their trainer, Gobber the Belch. Nick Frost steps into the role previously voiced by Craig Ferguson and brings much-needed energy and timing, often rescuing the otherwise dull training scenes.
Snotlout (Gabriel Howell) is positioned as Hiccup’s rival for Astrid’s attention, but he’s more noise than threat, lacking any real presence beyond bravado. Fishlegs (Julian Dennison) is a walking dragon encyclopedia but has little to do beyond spouting stats, and any hint that he and Hiccup are friends is barely explored.
Ruffnut (Bronwyn James) and Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn), the chaotic twin duo, are reduced to one-note comic relief. They mindlessly latch onto whoever’s in the spotlight and never develop past that dynamic. With little characterization or growth, the group feels more like background noise than an integral part of Hiccup’s journey.
How to Train Your Dragon Final Thoughts
The live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon successfully honors its animated roots while confidently establishing its distinct voice. DeBlois retains the original’s emotional sincerity, complemented by standout performances from Butler, Thames and Parker.
Frost’s Gobber provides essential comic relief, energizing the training scenes.
Visually stunning, the film is further elevated by Powell’s enchanting score.
Although not flawless, this live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon is a genuinely thoughtful and emotionally resonant reimagining.
How to Train Your Dragon
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Great - 8/108/10
