The usual approach to any live action version of any animation is to be cautious. Disney’s tack-less parade of live action remakes that have been one bore after another and in some cases, not as profitable as the House of Mouse had hoped for, have become a staple in the cinematic calendar. Each year a new abomination makes it’s way to the big screen or small screen and reviews are usually middling, good but not great, ok but not necessary. The obvious reason as to why these films get made is, money. Disney want to make money but peddling the same ideas and not creating new ones, which is a creative shame. The worry that other studios that have produced beloved animated films would follow suit had been at the back of my mind for sure. But I never thought it would be Dreamworks with How to Train Your Dragon.
How to Train Your Dragon first arrived in cinemas back in 2010 and was a welcome sensation. Spawning two sequels in 2014 and 2019, along with spin off series and shorts exploring the world of dragons with the same characters. The world built around these characters and their dragons felt like nothing before, hence why the films and extras were so successful. When the filming was quietly announced, it felt like a prank that a live action version was being filmed until suddenly a cast was ensembled and the film had been shot. You could say, the film’s release coincided on purpose with the opening of Isle of Berk at Orlando, Florida and that maybe the two were creates to market the other. All is probably true but we still got a film that we didn’t see coming.
HTTYD is essentially, if not shot for shot, sometimes line for line, the exact same as the 2010 original. But its still feels the same. Carrying the emotional wave, we felt 15 years ago but just a little more realistic. Hiccup is still the outsider in Berk, his father is still the chief disappointed that his son is not exactly Viking material. Hiccup still injures and eventually creates an unbreakable bond with Toothless the Night Fury dragon and together they change the course of Viking and dragon history. Story wise, it is the same. There is nothing to fault the storytelling or the plot, its what we know, what we love and nothing to fault it.
The casting for the film is very satisfying, especially with the re-casting of Gerard Butler as Chief Stoick the Vast. The stand outs are of course is Mason Thames who embodies Hiccup completely and Nico Parker as Astrid who jumps into this role whole heartedly.
But the most magical and they always will be, are the dragons. Apparently, some thought they were too scary for kids, but this film is really for the adults who saw the original, if we’re being honest. The dragons still maintain their characters, which is usually what is lost in live action films when it comes to animals. Thankfully, Toothless still feels and looks like Toothless. The other dragons too have their moments and it’s a relief to still see them maintain that wonder.
Overall, apart from a few wobbly non important contextual plot points but in essence, HTTYD live action has the same beating heart of the original animation. So, beyond saying, its all for money, if the film is essentially the same, no matter how good it is, what was the actual point?