Rated: M
My Raiting: 9/10
There are remakes, and then there are films that feel like something entirely new while still holding onto the soul of what came before. How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is that kind of film. From the moment it opens, it pulls you straight back into the world of Berk, only this time it feels more real, more powerful, and somehow more emotional than ever before. I went in thinking there was no way they could top the original animated classic. I walked out thinking they just might have.
This film is absolutely stunning. The CGI is honestly some of the best I’ve ever seen. Toothless looks incredible. Every scale, every twitch of his ear, every expressive movement is captured so beautifully that you forget you’re watching something computer-generated. The environments are just as impressive. Berk looks like a real place. It’s moody, windswept, and rough around the edges in the best way. The sky feels endless. The cliffs feel dangerous. The dragons feel like living, breathing creatures with history and soul.
But it’s not just about the visuals. The score is phenomenal. Composer John Powell returns and proves once again why the music of this franchise is so iconic. It swells in all the right places, builds tension when it needs to, and makes the emotional moments hit that much harder. There were scenes where the music and visuals worked together so perfectly that I actually got chills.
Then there’s the acting. Mason Thames is honestly perfect as Hiccup. He’s awkward, he’s clever, he’s got heart. It’s a tricky role because Hiccup isn’t your typical hero, but Mason makes him so easy to care about. You believe every moment of his journey. Nico Parker as Astrid is strong too. She brings a different energy to the role but makes it her own. There was a lot of online noise when she was cast, but she’s great here. She’s tough and vulnerable and has excellent chemistry with Mason.
It was also really nice to see Gerard Butler return as Stoick. He gives the film a sense of continuity and weight. He’s more grounded here than in the animated version, and that gives the father-son dynamic more of a punch. Nick Frost as Gobber brings the humour, but it’s never overdone. He knows when to pull back and when to lean into it.
What really impressed me, though, was how much I cared. This film made me feel invested all over again. I already loved these characters, but seeing them brought to life with this much attention and emotion made me fall for them in a whole new way. The bond between Hiccup and Toothless is just as powerful, maybe even more so in live-action. There’s a scene where Hiccup reaches out to touch Toothless for the first time, and it’s quiet, simple, and absolutely breathtaking.
The story itself sticks fairly close to the original, which I think was the right choice. It’s a great story. But where this version shines is in how it deepens the emotional beats. There’s more stillness. More reflection. It lets the characters breathe. The humour is still there, but it’s not afraid to take itself seriously either. The danger feels more dangerous. The consequences feel more real. It’s still a family film, but it’s one that respects its audience enough to sit in the heavier moments when it needs to.
Dean DeBlois, who directed the original trilogy, clearly understood what needed to change and what needed to stay the same. The film doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It just makes the ride smoother, richer, and more immersive. It’s respectful of the original but not afraid to expand on it. That’s probably what makes it work so well. It’s not just nostalgia. It’s storytelling done right.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to love this film as much as I did. I thought it would be good. Maybe even very good. But I didn’t expect it to be this beautiful or this moving. It’s easily one of the best live-action adaptations I’ve seen in years. It’s big and epic and full of heart, but it also knows when to be small and quiet and sincere.
How to Train Your Dragon was already one of the best animated films of the last twenty years. This live-action version might be even better. It’s different in the best ways. It’s the same in the ways that matter. It got to me. It reminded me why I fell in love with the story in the first place.
I give it a 9 out of 10. Absolutely worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find.
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