How to Train Your Dragon Movie Review: A rip-roaring adventure that recaptures the charm of the original

Cinema exploring the friendship between a boy and his beast pet has an enchanting and ethereal quality to it, making it timeless. Films such as Pete’s Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon evoke a sense of wonder that taps into our childhood fantasies and innocence. It is ‘comfort food cinema,’ where the comfort stems from the familiar. This explains why a viewing of How to Train Your Dragon, a live-action remake of the animation film of the same name, does not become an exercise in franchise fatigue. Despite following 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon very closely, the film does not feel like a mere rehash of the original. The central cast is different except for Gerard Butler, who reprises his role as Stoick, the chief of the Viking village, Berk, who harbours strong resentment for the dragons that pay a visit to his place. However, you realise the difference in cast only in retrospect, for this is how well the film recaptures the original’s magic.

Mason Thames replaces Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, the empathetic son of Stoick who believes that the fire-breathing beasts attacking his fellow villagers are harmless. Hiccup tries to talk sense into his Viking father and his friends in the village, but their hatred for the dragons far outweighs his empathy. The film is as much a coming-of-age story of a boy, who is looked down upon in his village for his perceived lack of bravery, as it is one of friendship. Hiccup's father Stoick tells him that he can become a true Viking only if he defeats and kills a dragon. The film explores how this boy, aptly named Hiccup, who stumbles in his pursuit of justice becomes a force of change in his village.

Director: Dean DeBlois

Cast: Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost

The cast plays their respective roles with a vivacious energy that brings a sense of freshness to the familiar story. Thames never lets you feel the absence of Baruchel; while his expressions are rather limited, his voice itself channels Hiccup’s angst, inner enigma, and wonderment just like his predecessor. Butler imbues Stoick with a quirkiness characteristic of such Viking characters, as well as a sense of authority that typifies his standing in the village. He breathes life into the character, never letting it become a cartoon. The live-action version delves into the rocky relationship between Hiccup and Stoick a little more deeply than the 2010 film. The longer runtime allows the makers to explore Stoick’s grudge for the dragons and its impact on his equation with Hiccup in a way that resonates. Similarly, the top-notch animation work ensures that Toothless, the dragon whom Hiccup befriends, has human-like qualities that lend an emotional resonance to their relationship.

How to Train Your Dragon also has deeper themes of land encroachment and inheritance. Hiccup knows that the dragons attack the Viking clan partly because the latter invaded their land. The Vikings expect Hiccup to inherit their way of life, including the dragon-slaying. However, much like the original film, the latest iteration also skims through these elements and plays to its strengths, the chief among which is the beautiful bond between the boy and the dragon. The flying sequences are just as wow-inducing as in the original. Additionally, John Powell’s theme music fills you with excitement as you settle into your seats and leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling as you exit the cinemas.

Ultimately, How to Train Your Dragon soars. While the visual effects occasionally falter and the 3D adds little, these are minor quibbles that you quickly forget as Hiccup and Toothless take flight. The film swiftly captures your heart, delivering a heartwarming and enduring tale that proves to be a winner from start to finish.