How To Train Your Dragon might just be the best live action remake yet!

no spoilers here - don't worry friends

I wrote in a previous opinion piece that when it comes to live action remakes 'artistically I don't really get it, but box office wise, they pretty much print money for the studios' and heading into my screening for How To Train Your Dragon, I honestly thought it would feel like more of the same. I was particularly intrigued because I felt that it was a bold choice of remake due to the fact it wasn't just remaking a popular one off animation like Disney had done with the likes of The Lion King or more recently Lilo and Stitch, but it was remaking the first of a hugely successful franchise which contains 3 feature films (which have grossed over 1 billion worldwide), 5 short films, and multiple tv series (something I learnt as a result of this piece). I also thought it was interesting that Dean DeBlois, the Writer and Director of the original, was behind the film as the original is so beloved that logically I'd assumed he must have had something creative in mind in order to want to be involved and as a fan of the films and cinema in general, these elements caught my attention.

Having now seen it, I'm really pleased to say that this film actually works really well, and is comfortably the best live action remake so far. I was definitely skeptical going in but the weird sense of deja vu you often get from watching the remakes disappears quite early into the first half of the film and in the end, the live action only adds to the magic of the story. The viewing experience actually feels different to previous live action remakes and if anything, the film arguably works better in live action. I'd almost go as far as saying that most of the negativity towards the film (it's got 80% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to 99% with the original) feels like it comes from the fact it's a remake of a beloved animation (which people are unhappy about) rather than a fair criticism of the film itself.

For those that don't know, How To Train Your Dragon tells the story of Hiccup (Mason Thomas), an awkward young viking who goes against years of tradition by befriending Toothless, the often feared Night Fury dragon. When the film starts, the vikings and dragons had been feuding for generations and ,as a result, Hiccup has been widely overlooked by the rest of his clan due to his lack of desire to fight. This particularly impacts his relationship with his Dad, and the Chieftain, Stoick The Vast (played by Gerard Butler, who voices the character in the original) and the evolution of the relationship with his Dad is one of the central themes of the film alongside the personal growth of Hiccup himself.

The strongest benefit of this film being live action is simply how good it looks. Through a big commitment to in person practical sets, the film recreates the beauty and authenticity of the Isle of Berk from the original whilst adding more layers to the visuals with on set shooting from the coasts of Northern Ireland. In recent years, a lot of films have moved towards shooting on green screens/the volume (a big LED screen) but How To Train Your Dragon is a great example of how much in person practical sets can really add to the immersion of the actors within the universe and that is something that just isn't as easy to recreate with computer generated environments. I was also really surprised by how good the dragons looked within the film, in particular during the epic final battle scene. I think it's really easy for films to not quite nail the visuals with live action and animated things (whether that's characters or effects) sharing the screen but How To Train Your Dragon definitely ends up in the Sonic The Hedgehog category of getting it right compared to some of the recent superhero movies that don't quite land dynamically (although I still love you The Flash - kind of).

I think it's also worth highlighting how strong and successful the casting has been for this film. With it being a remake of a successful franchise, people are going to naturally compare the two and especially between the beloved voice performances for the animation and the cast picked for the live action. A lot of people really enjoyed Jay Baruchel's voice performance as Hiccup in the original and I was pleased to see that Mason Thomas matches that high standard with his version of the same character. It's a really big responsibility to lead a franchise like this, especially one that already has such a large fanbase, but I think fans of the animation are going to be really happy with his performance as he brings the cartoon elements of the animation to the live action with his mannerisms and delivery whilst also making the role his own. I also thought Gerard Butler gave a strong performance as Stoick the Vast which just shows how good the original film was cast given he was capable of delivering new levels to a voice role he had played years prior. In fact, there was no real weak links with the cast as Nick Frost (Gobber The Belch), Nico Parker (Astrid), Julian Dennison (Fishlegs), Gabriel Howell (Snoutlout), Bronwyn James (Ruffnut) and Harry Trevaldwyn (Tuffnut) all gave great character performances.

Overall, I had a lot of fun watching this and I think it really respects the original franchise whilst also breathing new life into the Isle of Berk. There's a lot to really enjoy with this film and I am intrigued to see if it's going to change any perceptions of live action remakes especially with a sequel already confirmed.

4 STARS

'How to Train Your Dragon' Courtesy of Universal Pictures