How to Train Your Dragon (2025), a Film Review
Promo images from Dreamworks on IMDb
How to Train Your Dragon (2025): Action/Adventure
In 2010, DreamWorks released How to Train Your Dragon, an animated film that quickly became a fan favorite. It was one of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of the year, earning nearly $500 million worldwide.
15 years later, DreamWorks and one of the original directors, Dean DeBlois, are bringing the beloved story back. But this time, following the growing trend of live-action adaptations.
How to Train Your Dragon (2025): An Unlikely Friendship
How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is set on the Isle of Berk, a place where Vikings have been fighting and killing dragons for generations to survive. Among them is Hiccup, an inventive but clumsy young Viking who longs to prove himself by killing a dragon.
However, his inventions often cause more trouble than help, leaving the other Vikings, especially his father, the chief, disappointed and frustrated with him. When Hiccup manages to trap a rare dragon known as a Night Fury, everything begins to change. He names the dragon Toothless, and the two form an unlikely friendship.
Through this bond, Hiccup learns that dragons are not as bad as Vikings believed them to be. But when a threat arises, endangering both dragons and Vikings, Hiccup and Toothless must work together to save them all and create a new future for everyone.
How to Train Your Dragon (2025): Childhood Unlocked
How to Train Your Dragon (2025) was announced back in January 2024, with a teaser released to the public later that year. It is a live-action remake of the animated film How to Train Your Dragon (2010), which was also based on the book by Cressida Cowell, first published in 2003.
The 2010 version is one of DreamWorks‘ most popular films and eventually became a full-fledged franchise with four TV series, shorts, and three main movies, now including the live-action remake of the first. When news of the live-action remake was announced, fans were thrilled.
Based on the trailer, everything looks just like the animated version, with similar scenes, music, and lines that bring a wave of nostalgia. Many fans are excited to see how it all comes together, with comment sections filled with enthusiasm and people sharing how it feels like they’re getting to relive a piece of their childhood.
The best part of this trailer is that it gets something right when it comes to remakes; it stays true to the original, keeping almost everything the same as the animated version. It might be one of the most faithful adaptations compared to other recent live-action remakes.
Rewatching the original is a great idea if you want to make a better comparison, especially if you’re like me and haven’t seen it in years. But as I sat there watching the new version, it felt like déjà vu. It brought the original movie back to life in my mind, helping me naturally spot the similarities.
Even though it’s been a long time since I last watched the original film, old memories came flooding back, and I recognized many familiar moments in the live-action remake.
How to Train Your Dragon (2025): As Good As the Original?
The remake came as a surprise to some, but it was well-received, especially by those who hadn’t seen the original. They enjoyed the visuals and were excited to see a movie centered around dragons. For those of us who grew up with the original How to Train Your Dragon, the trailer alone brought back that same joy and nostalgia.
While remakes often get a bad reputation for straying too far from the source material, director Dean DeBlois stayed true to what made the original special. Every character, scene, and dragon looked just as I remembered. There were a few minor changes, but they were subtle and barely noticeable.
Even the original jokes made a comeback, and now that I’m older, I appreciate them even more. They had me laughing all over again. Quietly, of course, since I was in a dark theater with other people watching the movie. But that didn’t stop other people, adults and kids alike, from laughing like a clown was performing on stage in front of them.
Overall, this remake truly honors the 2010 film. From the cast and music to the dragons themselves, everything was spot on.
The audience broke out in applause and some stayed in their seats to watch the credits. With how well this was done, I wouldn’t be surprised if DreamWorks moves forward with a remake of the second film.How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is one of the best remakes this year, and the audience agrees that DreamWorks knew what they were doing. It’s definitely a movie for the whole family to watch and for those who grew up with it to show to their kids to get them on the How to Train Your Dragon hype train as well.
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Janaye Roberts
Janaye Roberts is a writer with a focus on pop culture, fiction, and romance. She is currently pursuing her graduate degree in Writing Arts at Rowan University, where she also earned her bachelor’s. Her experience includes editorial and writing roles with Rowan’s pop culture zine Halftone and the entertainment site Dead Talk News. Most recently, she became part of the editorial team for Art-emis, a student-run literary magazine. In her free time, Janaye enjoys reading romance novels and watching YouTube videos.
Connect with her on Instagram.
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