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How To Train Your Dragon
                             review by Bobby Blakey

In 2010 Dreamworks unleashed the monster franchise How To Train Your Dragon that has since spawned two film sequels, numerous TV series and more. Now the dragons are flying back into the theaters with a live action adaptation of the original film aptly titled How To Train Your Dragon starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, Murray McArthur and Gerard Butler reprising his role from the animated franchise and director of the animated trilogy Dean Deblois back in the director’s chair. Could this live action version deliver more of the same the fans love, or will it fail to make it fly? 

 

How To Train Your Dragon follows the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, but Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies 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. With the fierce and ambitious Astrid and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding. As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.

 

It's always tricky trying to pull this off and Disney has already had mixed results, but bringing dragons to life is old hat. The designs of the dragons, while whimsical and creative in the animated classic, would they come off silly coming to life. I am glad to report this film manages to knock it out of the park on all fronts. There are some changes to a few of the characters that some have already complained about, but they all work perfectly fine. I initially had an issue the first time seeing

Ruffnnut mostly because they nailed Tuffnutt so perfectly. As it goes along it works better, especially with one of the twin jokes and they were great together.

 

The film is almost a shot-to-shot retelling of the animated film, and any changes made are easier to accept with director Deblois at the helm again. There was nothing that I felt changed, anything too drastically and so much was so exact it pulled me right into the source material of the film we already know and love. Every element looks excellent from the costumes and settings to every single dragon. They changed very little in terms of their designs and they are awesome. The highlight of the film is seeing all these various dragons in full display doing their thing.

 

The film still hits all the same marks but does lose a little of the original impact already knowing where it’s all headed. That is also part of its charm seeing it all translate to this live action format. I am not sure if they are planning to remake the other two if it is a success, but they would be much bigger undertakings that I would love to see pulled off. If you are a fan of the original franchise, then this not only works but is a love letter to the original film in all its glory.

 

Return to Berk and check out How to Train Your Dragon in theaters now from Universal.

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