As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to ... Read allAs an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
Pete Selwood
- Drül
- (as Peter Selwood)
Featured reviews
Kept true to the story. No unneeded changes. Tiny differences made it even better. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. The actors were perfect. The CGI amazing. The story true to the original. I watched the original with my baby daughter when she was 6. Went to see it with her today and we both cried. Amazing amazing amazing. Loved every second of it.
Hicup did an excelent job playing his role.
The secondary actors were perfectly cast.
Of course they couldn't go wrong with Gerard Buttler since he was the original voice in the first place. Yet seeing him in his role was epic. There was a moment that I couldn't unsee him as Leonidas in 300.
Astrid worried me but I was pleasantly surprised and now realize how wrong I was to be worried. She was perfect for the role.
Hicup did an excelent job playing his role.
The secondary actors were perfectly cast.
Of course they couldn't go wrong with Gerard Buttler since he was the original voice in the first place. Yet seeing him in his role was epic. There was a moment that I couldn't unsee him as Leonidas in 300.
Astrid worried me but I was pleasantly surprised and now realize how wrong I was to be worried. She was perfect for the role.
The long-awaited live-action adaptation of the beloved animated classic How to Train Your Dragon exceeds all expectations. Directed once again by Dean DeBlois and powered by John Powell's unforgettable score, the film stays about 95% true to the original story: a young Viking who forms an unlikely bond with the very creature his people are sworn to destroy.
-Highlights:
The casting is surprisingly good - I had my doubts about Hiccup and Astrid, but the actors became their characters in the best way.
The CGI is epic. Every dragon - from Toothless to the fire-covered Monstrous Nightmare - looks incredibly realistic and faithful to the animated designs.
The music hits hard emotionally. Scenes like the sand drawing, flight training, the romantic flight, and the final battle with the Alpha dragon are breathtaking.
Visually, the landscapes and Viking setting are on another level - rich, immersive, and cinematic.
-What would I change? Honestly? Nothing. This is how live-action adaptations should be done. Hollywood finally got it right (unlike certain mouse-owned franchises... 🐭👀).
-Final thoughts: This movie isn't just a tribute - it's a stunning, faithful revival of Berk's magic for a new generation. A must-watch experience on the big screen!
-Highlights:
The casting is surprisingly good - I had my doubts about Hiccup and Astrid, but the actors became their characters in the best way.
The CGI is epic. Every dragon - from Toothless to the fire-covered Monstrous Nightmare - looks incredibly realistic and faithful to the animated designs.
The music hits hard emotionally. Scenes like the sand drawing, flight training, the romantic flight, and the final battle with the Alpha dragon are breathtaking.
Visually, the landscapes and Viking setting are on another level - rich, immersive, and cinematic.
-What would I change? Honestly? Nothing. This is how live-action adaptations should be done. Hollywood finally got it right (unlike certain mouse-owned franchises... 🐭👀).
-Final thoughts: This movie isn't just a tribute - it's a stunning, faithful revival of Berk's magic for a new generation. A must-watch experience on the big screen!
Rarely does a remake pay homage to original, even rarer does a remake capture its heart and soul that made the characters and storyline so captivating.
How To Train Your Dragon (2025) is everything you hope for in a live action adaptation and usually don't recieve. The characters (Especcially Hiccup and Stoick) translate exceptionally well to live action and the special effects leave nothing to be desired. In many ways, this remake plays even better on the big screen than the animation ever did due to the sheer size of the set pieces and the impressively realistic dragon CGI.
The make-or-break of this film, however, was the score. Retaining John Powell's powerful, moving and emotionally resonant composition elevates this movie to a different level.
Other than some of the casting choices and acting perfomances not comparing to the original, this remake's only main flaw is that it's a remake. It's essentially a way of watching exactly the same movie but in live action, which while being its biggest flaw, also manages to be its biggest asset - Its the only remake in recent memory that one can truly claim has recaptured the magic of its source. Go see it, it may well be one of the best films you'll watch this year.
How To Train Your Dragon (2025) is everything you hope for in a live action adaptation and usually don't recieve. The characters (Especcially Hiccup and Stoick) translate exceptionally well to live action and the special effects leave nothing to be desired. In many ways, this remake plays even better on the big screen than the animation ever did due to the sheer size of the set pieces and the impressively realistic dragon CGI.
The make-or-break of this film, however, was the score. Retaining John Powell's powerful, moving and emotionally resonant composition elevates this movie to a different level.
Other than some of the casting choices and acting perfomances not comparing to the original, this remake's only main flaw is that it's a remake. It's essentially a way of watching exactly the same movie but in live action, which while being its biggest flaw, also manages to be its biggest asset - Its the only remake in recent memory that one can truly claim has recaptured the magic of its source. Go see it, it may well be one of the best films you'll watch this year.
This movie runs mostly as the original animation. Could be said, one of the most stunning live-action remake. Graphic cool, CGI cool (like animation dragons but upgraded a bit more real), landscape sooo cool, casting fine enough, music nice, plot same as origin but I saw some minor changes that don't affect the story. Flying scene very fantastic. For emotional, beginning to middle (for me) feels a bit neutral until toothless started flying scene cuz it was the same as animation, and mid to end was a bit intense, I saw they tried emotional act at final a bit more than original. Personally, I like to see a bit dark as origin with iconic music (not as animation's) however since this is children film, I can't blame on them. Anyway and overall, I really enjoyed the film as if I saw 1st original while I was young. It brought some nostalgia back. I'm looking forward to 2nd movie. Thank you, DreamWorks!
Honestly... I didn't expect to feel the same way I did back in 2010, but this film brought it all back.
The remake went far beyond my expectations. The casting was spot on-even though I had doubts at first, the performances felt genuine and convincing. Especially Hiccup and Astrid: I found myself reconnecting with them like it was the first time.
Visually, it's stunning. The world of Vikings and dragons feels totally believable. The direction respects the spirit of the original, while adding a more grounded and mature tone.
This isn't just a copy-it's a heartfelt experience that stands on its own.
The remake went far beyond my expectations. The casting was spot on-even though I had doubts at first, the performances felt genuine and convincing. Especially Hiccup and Astrid: I found myself reconnecting with them like it was the first time.
Visually, it's stunning. The world of Vikings and dragons feels totally believable. The direction respects the spirit of the original, while adding a more grounded and mature tone.
This isn't just a copy-it's a heartfelt experience that stands on its own.
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- TriviaGerard Butler's mother Margaret fell ill during production in Belfast, so he would go back to Scotland most weekends to be with her. She finally passed away in February 2025 at age 81. Butler, who grew up without a father, shared how touched he was that director Dean DeBlois paid tribute to her at the end of the live-action remake of the animated franchise: "I was so excited for her to see it, but I had a feeling she wouldn't. So Dean very kindly dedicated the movie to her." DeBlois shared that he brought the idea to Universal Pictures so he could surprise Butler with the dedication. "I knew that the loss of his mother was a deeply felt wound and that he was having a tough time recovering from it," DeBlois said. "So to honor her with a dedication in the credits just seemed like the right thing to do in that moment." Butler, who had already voiced Stoick in the franchise's animated films, shared how his mother knew, "Since I was a kid, I wanted to be an actor. If Stoick had a mum, that would have been my mum. She was an amazing woman, but she was strong, she was fiery, and she was graceful, and she was beautiful. When I saw the movie, I noticed that I had put more of my mother than of myself into that role."
- GoofsWhen the initial attack on the dragon nest begins, a small crew of Vikings are shown pulling down the ropes on a catapult in order to make the projectiles launch.
This method is physically and historically inaccurate, as catapults are designed to only work using a counterweight mechanism that gets released before launch. The energy required to make this work through human muscle alone would be impossible.
- Crazy creditsBefore the credits roll, a dedication is given to Margaret, Gerard Butler's mother who fell ill during production and passed away before the film's release.
- ConnectionsFeatured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Road to the Oscars 2023 (2023)
- SoundtracksYou Are My Homeward
Written by Dean DeBlois, John Powell
Animated to Live Action Movies
Animated to Live Action Movies
How to Train Your Dragon and more side-by-side looks at animated features and their live-action counterparts.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Cómo entrenar a tu dragón
- Filming locations
- Iceland(on location)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $150,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $257,108,535
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $84,633,315
- Jun 15, 2025
- Gross worldwide
- $606,468,535
- Runtime2 hours 5 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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