Kids

How To Train Your Dragon Live-Action: A Faithful Remake And More

by Kevyn Gohu
June 17, 2025

The live-action How To Train Your Dragon movie not only remains faithful to the original but adds more for kids to enjoy

Let’s be honest, with most of us growing up on the old movies, we’re probably skeptical every time we hear the word “remake” or “reboot.” But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to share the joy of the old movies with the kids. So when we heard about How To Train Your Dragon getting a remake as a live-action film, there were a lot of mixed feelings. Would it be a faithful one-to-one, or would it change the ending like the others? Here’s what we love about the movie!

Faithful but changes a few scenes

What we love about the live-action of How To Train Your Dragon is that it kept all the important scenes. The night Hiccup shoots down Toothless, his moments in training, his bonds with Toothless, and the eventual acceptance of Stoick — the scenes are almost accurate. The changes made were quite minimal, but at the same time, they made sense. Since Dragon Nip is a fictional plant that usually calms dragons and looks like typical wheat grass, it made sense for Hiccup to use Dandelions to make the dragons sneeze instead.

However, it was a little off-putting in the live-action to see Hiccup magically know that dragons were vulnerable to fire from the inside, since the original animated film showed how he discovered it.

Dialogue-wise, it changed but added context. It showcases that the Vikings aren’t just a warmongering tribe that the fairytales and history have written them out to be. As they struggle to find the dragon’s nest, it takes a little convincing from Stoick the Vast (played by Gerard Butler), which makes a lot more sense than just them marching to their doom.

Some of the changes in the live-action also served as teasers. Unlike the original, some dragons, like the Skrill, didn’t show themselves. However, the terrifying, storm-riding dragon does make an appearance as the Vikings try to find their way to the dragon nest. And for those who know the franchise, the Skrill is only second to the Night Fury. Unfortunately, they don’t have a dogfight in the sky, but they might have one in the next movie.

Gives characters more background

While yes, Hiccup is the main character, the live-action How To Train Your Dragon fleshed out the other characters so kids (and kids at heart) could find which character they truly related with. While Snotlout does continue bullying Hiccup, the movie also shows how his father ignores him. In a way, it creates a parallel. Both Hiccup and Snotlout have a shaky relationship with their fathers, with Hiccup unable to live up to Stoick’s expectations as the next Viking chief and Snotlout not really getting his father’s attention at all until he finally starts fighting the Red Death on dragonback.

Astrid remains the same overachiever as she’s always been, but a little more aggressive and frustrated with Hiccup. Nico Parker makes Astrid’s dedication to her duty as a Viking more visible compared to the original animated movie. Her various exchanges with Hiccup in the live-action painted that frustration, and now had a more tangible source — her belief that Hiccup wasn’t taking things seriously.

As for Mason Thames, he plays into Hiccup’s witty remarks but also shows a sense of maturity and a little more social awkwardness. However, he brings to life Hiccup’s stubbornness even more than the animated version.

Ready for the live-action remake of How To Train Your Dragon 2?

Considering Dreamworks Animation already confirmed the production of the live-action How To Train Your Dragon 2, they were most likely that confident that the live-action How To Train Your Dragon would do well. While the younger kids would most likely be a little more terrified with the Monstrous Nightmare actually looking more monstrous than his animated counterpart, the older kids and the parents who grew up with How To Train Your Dragon would enjoy it. So, maybe for the younger kids, start out with the animated version — the more terrifying dragons look a little more goofy and kid-friendly.

But we’re sure the older kids would enjoy the live-action. Don’t forget to catch the live-action How To Train Your Dragon in the cinemas!