How ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Silenced My Concerns in Just 20 Seconds!

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Don’t talk to me; I’m entering my “dragons era” once again.

In all honesty, folks, the long-awaited live-action version of “How To Train Your Dragon” has arrived! It seems like only yesterday when the 2025 release was announced, and we began receiving casting news, story updates, set photos, and so much more. Now it’s here, and I must say, it might just be the best live-action adaptation I’ve ever witnessed.

Before we jump right into discussing the topic, let’s first tackle the real issue that crossed my mind before watching the movie and see how the film handled it swiftly. Shall we explore it together?

The Movie Itself Was So Much Fun And Held Up Well To The Original

Without mincing words, let me tell you that this live-action movie is grand on a substantial level. If you’re a fan of the How To Train Your Dragon series, you’ll find this film captivating. Essentially, it tells a similar story, and it seems as though it was taken directly from the animation and transformed into live-action, which I am incredibly excited about.

Beyond just being good, it had something special – the characters’ behaviors were authentic, the dragons were present, and Toothless looked incredibly lifelike. When John Powell’s music filled the air as Hiccup and Toothless embarked on their first true flight together, I was moved to the point of tears. It felt like a journey back in time.

The essence many Disney live-action reboots seem to lack is the core storyline that we all cherish from the originals. If you’re planning a remake, it’s essential to preserve the familiarity. Extravagant modifications aren’t necessary, or at least not for me. Moreover, this film delivered everything desirable and even exceeded expectations.

However, like I said, there was one concern I had going into it.

Astrid’s Race – As Well As Several Others – Was Always In Question

I mean, you shouldn’t be surprised.

To be completely honest, on an average day, I wouldn’t feel particularly invested in the physical appearance of characters from a children’s movie in a live-action remake. While Astrid from the original films is undeniably one of my favorites, it’s not because she’s uniquely designed but rather due to her strong and dynamic personality. She embodies a fierce girl who knows how to fight and is determined to excel beyond her peers and become the leader of her tribe.

You don’t have to be a particular race to pull that kind of personality off.

To clarify, while Hiccup and Astrid’s characters are inspired by real people, they aren’t exactly representative of those individuals in appearance. In contrast, Ariel from The Little Mermaid is a fictional character, open to interpretation regarding her physical appearance. However, the Vikings, upon whom this story is based, were predominantly white, and Nico Parker does not fit that description.

Regardless of race, I rarely find it significant in most situations, especially if the performance is captivating. Yet, Parker’s casting raised eyebrows, and upon learning that additional characters of the same ethnicity would be featured in Berk, my curiosity piqued about how they might justify this diversity.

Then I saw the movie, and everything fell into place.

They Answered It Within Twenty Minutes Of The Movie

I’ll openly admit that this movie swiftly addressed my queries about Astrid’s role, and their approach was so commendable that I find myself giving them a round of applause.

In a brief instant, Stoick rallies his warriors in preparation for a voyage across the sea to locate the Dragon’s Nest. He acknowledges to several Vikings that they have traversed great distances to reach Berk – some from the Silk Road, others from diverse continents, and so forth. Thus, your query has been addressed.

I’m not just here for those naturally born as Vikings; Berk is a place for immigrants, individuals who have ventured to Berk with the aim of transforming into Vikings themselves. That’s the origin story of Parker’s interpretation of Astrid, and where everyone else who doesn’t fit the stereotypical Viking mold comes from as well.

The swiftness of that explanation is such that it can easily slip by unnoticed unless you’re fully attentive, and it serves as a perfect conclusion to all discussions surrounding her role in the cast, in general.

It’s Never Brought Up Again, Which Is The Best Method

Do you want to know the best part about this? The fact that it isn’t brought up again at all.

What bothers me a lot about recent live-action Disney remakes is that these films frequently seem overly eager to present numerous ideas and thoughts, repeating themselves because they think the audience might be distracted or not fully attentive.

In the revamped version of Mulan, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated as the film seemed to repeatedly underscore the idea, “Mulan can’t fight because she’s a woman.” Frankly, by the third or fourth instance, this notion felt more than clear; it was almost unnecessary to continue emphasizing it. Instead, I would have appreciated the narrative delving deeper into Mulan’s journey, her self-discovery, and the challenges she faced as a female warrior, rather than constantly reiterating this premise.

The film executed its exposition effectively, delivering crucial information swiftly without requiring much thought, allowing us to dive straight into the primary plot. Essentially, it’s about battling dragons and such, making it one of my all-time favorite fantasy films due to its sheer entertainment value – absolutely thrilling!

I Think More Movies Need To Do This

This is a superb illustration of how to handle contentious situations, as I firmly believe that Dreamworks excelled with their approach in this instance.

As soon as Parker was announced to be in the cast, everyone just couldn’t stop discussing it for quite some time. Even when the initial trailers for HTTYD came out, people kept bringing it up. It was almost overwhelming. They could have made this movie a big declaration, but luckily they didn’t, and it retains the same warm spirit as the original.

Movies could stand to adopt that approach more often, in a subtle manner that doesn’t seem like constant repetition.

This approach suits us well, and I genuinely wish that if DreamWorks persists with live-action versions of their films, they’d consistently employ this strategy, as it’s exceptionally effective.

After watching “How To Train Your Dragon,” I find myself yearning for a return to the realm of fantasy; perhaps now is the perfect moment to indulge in a marathon of fantasy television series.

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2025-06-15 03:08