'How to Train Your Dragon' review: Live-action redo soars just like original
On all counts, the new 'How to Train Your Dragon' (★★★½ out of four; rated PG; in theaters now) manages to be a rousing success. For the past 15 years, the first spectacular adaptation of the Cressida Cowell book has thrilled audiences as the most emotionally stirring cartoon not made by Pixar. Original writer/director Dean DeBlois returns for a revamped 'Dragon' that feels like a different experience but is just as good as the original, with moments of wonder and awe featuring characters fleshed out in new ways – literally and figuratively.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and smartly, the new take sticks mostly to the first film's script. On the island of Berk, Hiccup (Mason Thames) is an awkward but likable kid who's not the most rough-and-tough Viking of all time, much to the chagrin of his gruff dad Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role). Stoick and the adults fight and slay dragons, and pass on this generational aggression to their youngsters.
During a dragon raid, Hiccup winds up wounding a Night Fury, an ultra-rare and little-known species, and tracks him down. But instead of killing the creature, who's got big eyes and is adorable even when somewhat dangerous, the inventive Hiccup befriends and names him Toothless, fixes his injured tail so he can fly, and they bond airborne-style as ride-or-die besties.
The animated Hiccup and Toothless were cool enough swooping through the air. But now, watching Thames soar atop a computer-generated dragon is like the exhilaration of a theme-park flight simulator matched with the adrenaline rush of 'Top Gun,' all while landing squarely in the feels. The various dragons really pop as digital creations given new dimension, including the ginormous monster that acts as a final boss requiring an epic human/beast team-up to defeat.
The live-action interactions between characters also hit differently, especially for teens and tweens, though 'Dragon' is still very much an all-ages family movie. With human actors, there's more of a high-school movie vibe as Hiccup becomes more accepted among the young Vikings, and the relationship between Thames' Hiccup and his frenemy/crush Astrid (Nico Parker) is built out a little more here. The two actors have a natural chemistry that animated characters just can't replicate.
Astrid doesn't think much of Hiccup in the beginning, yet he grows on her – and the audience – the more he gains needed confidence and even a smidge of swagger. (Or as much as one can boast wearing their mom's breastplate as a helmet.)
Rather than repeat Jay Baruchel's enjoyably nerdy Hiccup from the 2010 'Dragon,' Thames plays our hero as a teen still figuring a lot of things out but inherently knowing he needs to be true to himself. It leads to some enjoyable and a few really heated exchanges between empathetic Hiccup and his stubborn dad. Butler has done a lot of action movies since his early 'Dragon' days, but he brings the needed gravitas to make this not just a boy-and-his-dragon tale but a strong father-and-son journey as well.
'How to Train Your Dragon' is a lesson for anybody tackling a remake. It doesn't try to half do something old and something new, like 'Snow White,' and makes the case for being actually necessary, unlike 'Lilo & Stitch.' As it was back in the day, Toothless is a joy to watch and the movie's best special effect but he's also a symbol of growth: as watchable and lovable as ever, yet with a slightly more mature sheen.
Fortunately, the new 'How to Train Your Dragon' does no harm. Instead, it lets loose a heartwarming, meaty adventure perfect for a new generation of young film fan but doesn't forget to entertain the older movie kids, either.
"How to Train Your Dragon," the live-action remake of the 2010 animated adventure, is in theaters June 13. The movie is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association "for sequences of intense action, and peril."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'How to Train Your Dragon' review: Live action remake is worthy
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