HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
Starring: Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Gabriel Howell, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn
Director: Dean DeBlois
AMARÚ
Having seen the original countless times, it’s hard to judge this remake strictly on its own merit since I knew what was coming. But I do envy those who haven’t seen the animated version, because they are in for a blast. The visuals are even more breathtaking in live-action, the story beats still hit hard, and it’s really good to see Gerard Butler embody Stoic as well as he voiced him. But truly, this film came down to whether Mason Thames could deliver his own version of Hiccup without feeling like a shell of Jay Baruchel. Well, kudos to him, because deliver he did.
ADRIANO
I'm sure I'd be hotter on How To Train Your Dragon if a much better version didn't already exist. The acting is serviceable, and the sets are solid recreations. Some of the cinematography looks rough, while some sequences look great. But this movie is more egregious than even Disney's live-action remakes (for the most part) with its shot-for-shot adaptation. Director Dean DeBlois returning does give it more heart and weight than, let’s say, Lilo & Stitch's recent lifeless debacle. But I can't in good faith give this movie credit for what amounts to the strengths of another movie.
NICK
As someone who has never seen the original How to Train Your Dragon (I have a bit of a DreamWorks blind spot), I enjoyed my first trip to Berk. The world-building is fresh, the characters are endearing, and I liked its focus on various relationships (Hiccup and Toothless are the focus, but there are many others such as Hiccup/Astrid and Hiccup/Stoick). I'm not as negative on these "shot-for-shot" remakes in a new medium as others are, as I believe they help these stories reach new eyes. It’s just a matter of whether they maintain the soul of the original which this one seems to do.
