How To Train Your Dragon Live-Action Movie Reactions Have Critics United

Live-action remakes are the bane of creativity and originality and a sign of the slow decay of Hollywood. Sure, there have been a couple of good efforts over the years, led by creative people with actual visions who managed to create adaptations with something to say. For the most part, however, live-action remakes are the new video game adaptation curse, with the vast majority being not just unnecessary but outright despised by audiences and critics — even if they still pull some serious cash.

This brings me to "How to Train Your Dragon." The original animated movie is incredible, a beloved and critically acclaimed film that kickstarted one of the best trilogies of the past 20 years regardless of medium. When a live-action remake was announced, there was (understandably) plenty of skepticism, but also reason to be cautiously optimistic. This was mostly due to the fact that Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the original movie, returned to direct the live-action remake and Gerard Butler would reprise his role as Stoic the Vast in all his bearded gloriousness.

Well, with the movie only a couple of months away, we're finally starting to hear reactions from people who have seen the final film. Specifically, the reactions come from reporters attending the CinemaCon movie industry conference in Las Vegas who saw an early screening of the film. It turns out, they all pretty much agree on one thing: Dean DeBlois still has got it, and "How to Train Your Dragon" remains great in any medium.

First of all, it is worth mentioning that "How to Train Your Dragon" is an "exceedingly faithful adaptation," as The Direct's Russ Milheim points out. If you've seen one, you've seen both movies. Still, Milheim praises the look and scope of the remake. "All of the dragons look absolutely incredible, and the movie cleverly does more to flesh out the characters."

Indeed, if there is one common thread uniting the reactions is that the movie looks gorgeous. That's a huge relief, as this was arguably the trickiest thing to pull off in live-action. No only do modern live-action blockbusters tend to look quite soulless (in addition to the dialogue being hard to understand), but animation as a medium is capable of breathtaking and impossibly stunning visuals that can't be replicated in live-action as that medium is restrained by, well, reality. The animated "HTTYD" movies were further enhanced by having cinematography legend Roger Deakins as a visual consultant, helping to give the animated trilogy its unique look.

Nevertheless, reporters and critics were amazed by the visuals in the "How to Train Your Dragon" remake. The Movie Podcast host Daniel Baptista praised the "breathtaking visuals" of the new film:

"'How To Train Your Dragon' is a GORGEOUS reimagining of one of the most beloved animated films of all time. Full of heart, it takes everything that made the original so special and soars to new heights with BREATHTAKING visuals and a spectacular story for a whole new generation."

Granted, not all the reactions are positive. Germain Lussier of io9 (and formerly of /Film) wrote, "The live-action 'How To Train Your Dragon' captures the magic of the original in almost every way. All the big moments are there, all the heart and excitement too. Wonderful performances all around." However, he added this caveat: "My only gripe is the new stuff, while good and subtle, never elevates things enough."

Audiences will be able to judge for themselves when "How to Train Your Dragon" soars into theaters June 13, 2025.