‘How to Train Your Dragon’ review: Dir. Dean DeBlois (2025)

For a number of years now Disney has been hard at work adapting some of their most successful animations into live-action versions. Not wanting to be left out, rival animation studio Dreamworks have followed suit, and have brought to life the beloved How to Train Your Dragon. Unlike Disney, Dreamworks has recruited the original trilogy’s director, Dean DeBlois, the only man with the right credentials to bring the harsh island of Berk and its inhabitants to life. Just as in both the original animation, and the Cressida Cowell books upon which it is based, How to Train Your Dragon tells the story of Viking teenager Hiccup (Mason Thames) whose friendship with dragon Toothless, causes all kinds of issues with the rest of his clan. 

Those familiar with the original film will find lots of continuity in this real world rendering, most notably with Gerard Butler as Hiccup’s father, Stoick. His return helps bridge the two mediums, and it is a shame that more of the original voice cast couldn’t return, however, with most of the teens being voiced by actors far older, sadly it was not meant to be. Nonetheless, the new live-action cast do great work at bringing these familiar characters to life, and whilst it might take a few moments to get the voice actors and animations out of your head, once shaken the new cast feel like worthy successors. Mason Thames is less comedic than Jay Baruchel, but his Hiccup still has an awkward, outsider element with which the audience can connect to. 

Importantly, Toothless has remained very close in design to his animated counterpart. Much like Stitch (whose original animation was also helmed by DeBois) since the launch of the original movies, Toothless has become an icon. Children and adults alike fell in love with the cute dragon, primarily due to his demeanour reminding them of their pets, and the new, more lifelike iteration isn’t going to change anything. This Toothless remains just as cute, cuddly and loyal as his predecessor and that is vital for the story, which is primarily focused on the bond between himself and Hiccup. Toothless is slightly more cartoonish than some of the other dragons on-screen, but this is likely due to his different design. 

Filmed for IMAX, How to Train Your Dragon is worthy of being seen on the biggest screen possible, mainly for the flight sequences. The audience is whisked along with Toothless and Hiccup, soaring over misty mountains, high above the sea. The scenery across the board is lush and inviting, and being able to appreciate it in all its splendour is an important facet in bringing Berk to life. Dean DeBlois has clearly put a lot of time and effort into making this world real, and it is evident in every frame that this is a universe that he cares about deeply. Were someone else to have taken the reins, the result would not have been anywhere near as soulful as this version is. The animation was known for its ability to render the hardest of adults to a blubbering wreck, and this new version has lost none of that potency, cue tears aplenty. 

A painstaking labour of passion and love, Dean DeBlois has crafted yet another How to Train Your Dragon marvel. A film created, not to replace the animations before it, but to compliment them, and help this story reach a wider audience, scooping up those that perceive animation as ‘just for kids’. How to Train Your Dragon is proof that live-action adaptations of pre-existing animation can work, you just need the right mind at the controls, and in Dean DeBlois, Dreamworks have found the perfect candidate. 

How to Train Your Dragon is in cinemas now.