POPZ-CULTURE Movie Reviews – How to train your dragon (2025)

Genre: Fantasy, adventure, action, drama

Rated: 12

Directed by: Dean BeBlois

Written by: Dean DeBlois, Cressida Cowell, William Davies

Starring: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler

We are living in the age of live-action adaptations. Today, almost all well-known cartoons have been recreated with famous actors and using modern animation techniques. As the adventures of Hiccup and Toothless have become classics in a relatively short period of time, the creators of the original work felt it was time to bring their work back to the public in a similar way. For our part, we do not consider such productions to be entirely unimaginative if they can add extra content and value to the source material by using new techniques. Fortunately, the remake of How to Train Your Dragon is a good example.

For those who don’t know the story, here’s a brief summary. For the Viking tribe of the Isle of Berk, dragons are a constant threat. They have been fighting the mythical creatures for generations. Hiccup (Mason Thames) realises that he is unwilling to slay dragons when he becomes a man. His resolve is strengthened by an encounter with the legendary Night Fury, Toothless, with whom he forms a lifelong friendship.

The new adaptation has enriched the well-known tale, especially on the visual side. For those who want to make up for the absence of House of the Dragon, the cinema is the perfect place to satisfy their cravings. Every journey through the Night Fury is beautifully scenic and an extremely intense experience. If there had been reins near us, we would have instinctively grabbed them. Of course there are plenty of other beasts in the film that also have an impressive look. And its Toothless appearance retains the traits that made it a cute, lovable, yet still respectable ancient creature. In some scenes we even liked it better than the cartoon version. If you’re specifically interested in this aspect, there are plenty of comparison videos online.

The live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon is best recommended for those who already loved the original or are looking for a fun, sophisticated family experience in the summer holidays. The difficulties of the father-child relationship and the theme of adolescence’s search for identity are also skilfully portrayed, adding emotional depth to the entertainment. To be fair, the story itself doesn’t have any huge twists and turns, and the actors don’t promise the moon, but anyone who goes to see it will not be disappointed.

What is your opinion of the original cartoon? Will you watch the new version? What do you think about remakes of this kind? We’re looking for your thoughts in the comments. Next time, we’ll be back with an overview of a much-anticipated series coming to streaming. Until then, watch lots of films and series. Remember, the ultimate home cinema experience is provided by POPZ popcorn.