"The legend is real."
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Mason Thames
Hiccup
Nico Parker
Astrid
Gerard Butler
Stoick
Nick Frost
Gobber
Gabriel Howell
Snotlout
Julian Dennison
Fishlegs
Bronwyn James
Ruffnut
Harry Trevaldwyn
Tuffnut
Murray McArthur
Hoark
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Whatever happened to Brenton Thwaites? For some reason that crossed my mind as this thoroughly entertaining fantasy adventure gets off to a rollicking start and keeps going. Now if you are the “Hagar”-esque Viking chief (Gerard Butler) expecting your son to take over as fearless dragon-chaser after you, why would you call him “Hiccup”? Might as well call him “Buttercup”? Anyway, that hapless lad (Mason Thames) maybe isn’t the most adept on the muscle front but cerebrally he has something of the Leonardo Da Vinci to him as he determines to set about devising a weapon that will tackle the most formidable of their foes - the “Night Fury”. Well, would you believe it - his contraption actually works, but instead of slaying the thing this young man decides that the decades of combat between the species has accomplished nothing, so he decides a bit of co-operation might be in order instead. Of course, he has to be fairly clandestine about this as his dad will go ape if he finds out and fellow, and competitive, student “Astrid” (Nico Parker) - on whom he has a terrible crush - might decide to take her axe to both him and his new friend. There are a few slight modifications from the animation (2010) but otherwise it largely sticks to the story with a lovely hammy effort from Butler, an enjoyably mischievous one from his multi-appendage sidekick “Gobber” (Nick Frost) and two solid performances from the leads. It’s Thames who really steals the show amongst the humans, with a cheeky and personable effort which must have been quite a task as he spent much of the filming dangling in front of a green screen. As to the visuals, they are great. A combination of dragons galore, huge scale pyrotechnics and loads of imagination immerses you into a story of family and friendship without even the vaguest hint of the moralising that often peppers this genre. They say that, aerodynamically, a bee ought never to be able to fly: well I think that could be said of almost all of the critters here as they dart about menacingly and colourfully for a couple of hours of what is really good fun. It’s well worth a cinema outing as the whole thing looks and sounds great on a big screen and dare I say it, I might quite like a sequel if they can keep the standard of storytelling up to that of the imagery.
The How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake is a shot-for-shot remake of the original 2010 animated film. It is DreamWorks Animation's first foray into live-action and original screenwriter and director Dean DeBlois returns. The few highlights of the live-action version of the film are that the majority of the dragons transition to live-action or are computer generated to extremely satisfying results. Monstrous Nightmare (the red dragon with the long snout that can ignite its entire body on fire) is exceptionally cool. Visually, How to Train Your Dragon is stunning. Many live-action shots are realistic copies of what was accomplished in the animated film which is a major accomplishment regardless of whether it was shot on location or required a green screen and various other visual effects. No one is taking away from the fact that the film looks incredible. Gerard Butler, the one returning actor from the animated films, acts his ass off as Stoick. Butler’s performance was already solid, but him embodying the character and dressing as him brings out more emotion and more passion in his acting. DeBlois claims that Universal Studios wanted to tell the same story with this film; to embellish what made the animated film great. DeBlois says that the live-action version enhances the original, but the only significant enhancement is Butler’s performance. All of the jokes and story points are the same, which don’t hit the same in live-action. It seems like an obvious fault to say that a live-action film just isn’t as animated or as energetic as an animated film but that is exactly the case here. Performances lack that cartoonish nature that made How to Train Your Dragon entertaining, funny, touching, and memorable. None of the humor works here as none of the other casting choices work like they’re supposed to. The only reason this was remade was to add people of color to the cast. This would be fine if it was done for a valid reason, but nearly all of the black actors are background characters or have one or two lines. Ruffnut and Tuffnut are no longer actual twins. Ruffnut is suddenly a BBW and both twins are redheads. Julian Dennison (The Hunt for the Wildepeople, Deadpool 2) is Fishlegs and his performance is mostly fine as he captures the same energy, but it’s just too brief to make much of an impact. Astrid is now portrayed by Nico Parker while Gothi, the town elder, is played by Naomi Wirthner. Both characters are now portrayed by biracial actors. Wirthner is fine as Gothi because Gothi doesn’t have any lines. Parker portrays Astrid as a super bitch. In the original film, Astrid was trying to prove she was the strongest despite being a girl. Hiccup’s unorthodox methods and seeming entitlement annoyed her and the ride on Toothless softened the character and represented the fact that Berk’s stance on dragons could be altered. Now Astrid stomps around like an entitled brat for what feels like a two-hour tantrum. Not to mention Hiccup (Mason Thames) looks 25 and Astrid (Parker) looks 12. Thames is younger than Parker in real life, but still. I revisited the first two How to Train Your Dragon films before seeing the live-action remake and watched How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World after. With a franchise, it’s usually a good idea to revisit the older films so major characters and story points can be fresh on your mind. Doing so before this film made it incredibly boring. This new version of the film is made for people who either haven’t seen the original film in a very long time or for a new generation of people who have never seen it. Revisiting the other films just made this one feel boring and long; the live-action film is both of those things but seeing the other films beforehand made it feel even more boring and long. At least with live-action Disney films the animated films are used as a base and new material is built around that. The live-action Lilo & Stitch at least had the balls to try a new ending and Jumba was turned into the film’s major villain with no redemption arc. An exact replication feels so unnecessary on all accounts and something worked along the way because a live-action sequel is already greenlit. Dean DeBlois and Universal Studios have somehow recreated an incredible film about dragons and the struggle to survive and turned it into this lifeless, carbon-copy shell of its former self. Hiccup’s initial riding of Toothless has this magical and tingle-inducing aura about it in the original film and here it just feels like retreaded terrain with no charisma. This is a film aimed to enhance the filmmakers and studio’s pockets and nothing more.
Maybe some of the stellar reviews are based on some sort of nostalgia for the 2010 animated movie but I don't hold the same regard to that movie, although I did enjoy those movies. However, this live action version, like the ones Disney has been churning out, feels a bit pointless even though most of the CGI wasn't bad. It is certainly watchable but I found myself a bit bored having seen most of this before in the 2010 version. That said, the cast was pretty good, and I did like Nico Parker as Astrid. Not sure there's really any reason to see this one, just re-watch the animated version... **3.0/5**
How to Train Your Dragon is widely praised as one of the best animated trilogies ever made. It stands out for its emotional storytelling, especially the bond between Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and Toothless, which evolves from fear and misunderstanding into deep friendship and sacrifice. Many viewers love its animation quality, music, and strong themes about empathy, growth, and letting go.
In this swords-and-sorcery tale, good-hearted blacksmith Eyvind hides away infant Prince Siegfried after two malevolent kings murder his father. But a fiery meteor sent by the gods reveals Siegfried's destiny, sending him on the quest of a lifetime. To save a crumbling kingdom claim the heart of his true love, he'll have to slay the nefarious dragon, Fafnir.
As the son of a Viking leader on the cusp of manhood, shy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III faces a rite of passage: he must kill a dragon to prove his warrior mettle. But after downing a feared dragon, he realizes that he no longer wants to destroy it, and instead befriends the beast – which he names Toothless – much to the chagrin of his warrior father.
As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.
When the King Gareth dies, his potential heirs, twin grandchildren who possess the dragon’s unique strengths, use their inherited powers against each other to vie for the throne. When Drago’s source of power – known as the Heartfire – is stolen, more than the throne is at stake; the siblings must end their rivalry with swords and sorcery or the kingdom may fall.
Five years after uniting the dragons and Vikings of Berk, Hiccup and Toothless soar beyond their homeland, charting the vast unknown. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons -- and a mysterious dragon rider with a startling connection to Hiccup. And as the ruthless dragon conqueror Drago Bludvist rises to seize control of both dragons and people alike, Hiccup must step into his role as a true leader and, alongside his friends and Toothless, protect Berk from a devastating war.
This time around Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world.
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace, who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales... until she meets Pete, a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete's descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham's stories. With the help of Natalie, an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.
Hungry for adventure, Thor secretly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, joined by his loyal brother Loki, whose budding sorcery equips him with just enough magic to conjure up trouble, along with the Warriors Three - a band of boastful travelers reluctant to set sail on any adventure that might actually be dangerous. But what starts out as a harmless treasure hunt quickly turns deadly, and Thor must now prove himself worthy of the destiny he covets by saving Asgard itself.
In a fantasy world where magic is being superceded by technology, an orphaned teen discovers her destiny to become a dragonslayer.
Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play.