I Watched Early Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon Footage, And Here Are My Honest Thoughts

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After the Super Bowl reveal on Sunday, a fresh trailer for the 2025 film “How To Train Your Dragon” surfaced, stirring memories in DreamWorks enthusiasts such as myself. Prior to Universal debuting a sneak peek of the live-action “How To Train Your Dragon”, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of some early footage from the upcoming movie, and I can’t wait to share my initial impressions about its release.

Over the years, Disney has been releasing numerous live-action remakes of its animated films, and this trend continues this year with Snow White and Lilo & Stitch. However, since these remakes have often resulted in forgettable blockbusters, I must admit I’m a bit wary about the upcoming live-action adaptation of How To Train Your Dragon from DreamWorks. Recently, I had a sneak peek at some scenes from the movie during a presentation at Universal’s offices, and while there are things that excite me about the summer release, there are also reasons for concern.

I’m Most Excited About Seeing Toothless And Hiccup’s Friendship In Live Action After Seeing Their First Flight

On the 30th of January, Universal previewed three unfinished scenes from the upcoming “How to Train Your Dragon” movie. Among these, the standout moment was undoubtedly the initial flight scene featuring Hiccup and Toothless, hinted at in the latest teaser trailer.

Recently, it’s been a while since I last watched the 2010 timeless masterpiece, but revisiting the scene where the two friends soar through the sky for the first time in live-action format stirred up precisely the response I desire from live-action remakes. It evoked a sense of nostalgia from recalling that scene in animation, while simultaneously demonstrating how captivating it is to witness a more realistic portrayal of the bond between the boy and the dragon. The sequence, filled with emotion and excitement, was the most impressive aspect of the film for me, reminding me just how uncommon it is for family movies featuring dragons to seem this authentic.

In the creation of this live-action adaptation of the Dragon series, which Dean DeBlois, the writer and director of both the original animated trilogy and this new film, was involved in, they found it essential to maintain certain elements from the original storyline that weren’t present in the trilogy. One such instance was where they chose to “pay tribute” to specific scenes from the original, even replicating some shots closely. I am particularly glad that Toothless’ appearance wasn’t drastically changed; he looks adorable and brims with personality.

He assisted me in understanding why reusing certain shots is crucial, and now I’m genuinely excited to watch the live-action movie and hopefully rekindle their friendship on screen. After viewing the footage from their initial flight, I feel even more optimistic about their success in that area. Furthermore, I believe it’s a significant advantage that the person who initially created the animated films is overseeing everything.

It Also Looks Like The Remake Will Deepen Multiple Storylines

Since Mason Thames and Nico Parker were chosen for the roles of Hiccup and Astrid in the live-action adaptation of “How To Train Your Dragon”, I’ve become more enthusiastic about this project. During the event, DeBlois mentioned that the movie would allow them to develop Astrid’s character further, as she was somewhat underdeveloped in the original animated films. I completely understand his perspective and agree with him. Although I enjoyed Astrid in the initial movies, I often felt her character lacked depth at times. I’m looking forward to seeing a new generation appreciate an enhanced version of her character.

In the initial clips, there’s a sequence showing the trainees practicing combat with a dragon, and Astrid undeniably has an exciting action scene. Despite this, it’s worth noting that the film appears to cater more towards children and families (which is perfectly reasonable), but this might make some dialogue less subtle or sophisticated than one might expect from a Viking-themed movie in live action. Nevertheless, it’s fascinating to observe how interwoven character narratives could be enriched by human performances.

I’m particularly excited to explore Gerard Butler’s character, Stoic, and his bond with Hiccup (their father-son dynamic) in the third scene we’ve been shown so far. It’s intriguing to see how Butler transforms into Stoic with his costume, and the emotional depth of their strained relationship really resonates in this crucial scene. In it, Hiccup faces off against a fiery dragon for his graduation, adding an extra layer of excitement to the storyline.

The Setting Of The Franchise Does Lend Itself To A Live-Action Movie

To sum up, the visuals of “How To Train Your Dragon” left an impact when I saw it in live action form. Although some animated films that have been remade don’t seem suitable for a comeback to me, I appreciate that this movie was filmed in various locations such as Belfast, Ireland, and other places. Not all the dragons in the film looked stunning with CGI effects, but witnessing the grandeur of the story unfold on a large screen made me realize how impactful it can be to re-encounter such grandiosity in this format.

What I’m Still Concerned About After Seeing Early Footage Of The Movie

Based on my initial reactions to the previews, although I’m certainly intrigued, I must admit I harbor some doubts about this film. To be frank, I would have preferred an innovative production set in the same universe or revolving around vikings and dragons. Nevertheless, there’s a glimmer of hope that this live-action movie could turn out to be an engaging and emotionally satisfying action family flick suitable for summer enjoyment.

As a die-hard film enthusiast, I must admit that predicting a movie’s greatness from three key scenes and a trailer can be as challenging as deciphering riddles in an ancient scroll. A trailer alone might stir up memories of a beloved franchise, leaving me yearning for more at a press event, wishing the whole film was unspooling before my eyes instead of ending all too soon. However, we’ll only know definitively if this reboot of “How to Train Your Dragon” was a brilliant move once it graces our cinema screens on June 13.

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2025-02-12 16:07