How to Train Your Dragon (2025) released in theatres worldwide earlier this week and is based on the 2010 animated film by Dreamworks Pictures
A FAITHFUL LIVE ACTION
The primary problem that audiences usually have with live actions based on popular animated movies is their unfaithfulness to the source material. Recent live action adaptations like the Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) and Mulan (2020) have been deeply criticised for not retaining key elements that made the animated movies so special. How to Train Your Dragon (2025), however, stays true to the animation in every aspect through its shot-for-shot remake of the 2010 film – from character development to action sequences, everything was done beautifully.
BRILLIANT CGI EFFECTS AND VISUALS
Many of the fans of the HTTYD movies were initially sceptical of the idea of a live action version of the same. Given how live actions of other popular animations have been received, this was an expected reaction. Yet the movie’s brilliant CGI and visual effects had the audiences moved. The scenes where Toothless, Hiccup’s dragon soars into the sky while being trained how to fly and the action sequences where the squad trains with the dragons were absolutely breathtaking to watch.
CASTING CHOICES
While audiences were happy with the casting choice for Hiccup (Mason Thames), the same wasn’t the case for Astrid , who in the animation has blonde hair. She is played by Nico Parker who is a brunette. Ultimately, Parker’s physical appearance doesn’t have any particular bearing on the story or the character. It was eventually seen as a casting choice that simply diversified the cast. And to add a tad of nostalgia to the mix, Stoick The Vast (Hiccup’s father) is played by the actor who voiced the character in the movies who, to no` one’s surprise, brought the character to life.
Thus, How To Train Your Dragon (2025) is definitely worth watching and serves as a great standalone movie as well as a tribute to its predecessor animated movie series.
