British author Cressida Cowell began her series of novels about Vikings and dragons in 2006 with “How To Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock”. Over the next decade, she wrote 12 novels in the popular series.
In 2010, DreamWorks premiered the first animated film based on the series, also named How To Train Your Dragon! Audiences watched the story unfold, drawing us into the Viking world of Hiccup, complete with the amazing dragons! The success of this film spawned two2 feature length sequels, five short films, and several TV series.
Today, following the trend to make a live-action film based on an animated movie, DreamWorks has given us a new How To Train Your Dragon. In the fifteen years since the original film, the technical side of special effects has made astounding progress. The dragons are perfect. Toothless looks and reacts to Hiccup (Mason Thames) so well that it is easy to slide into the world of the Viking island of Berk without reservations!
Gerard Butler steps out of the voice booth to reprise the role of Hiccup’s father and chief of the tribe, Stoick. He brings a depth to the role of the powerful chieftain whose world is turned upside down by the son he never expected to “make it” in their world.
The live actors who filled the roles of the world’s inhabitants looked exactly right! I loved Nico Parker’s Astrid. She displayed a strength of character as powerful as her character’s ability to fight!
The film used locations in Northern Ireland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands to recreate the look of Berk from the original film. It’s amazing what drones can do as they recreated the flight of the dragons!
The original film was excellent, but this film is better! It joins my two favorite dragon films, Reign of Fire (2002), and Dragonslayer (1981). An interesting note, Gerard Butler played a role in Reign of Fire, too!
”Here Be Dragons!” Go see this movie in IMAX, you won’t be sorry!
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, Murray McArthur
MPAA Rating: PG (for sequences of intense action, and peril)
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 125 Min.
Release Date: 06/13/2025
Language: English
Genre: Epic Action-Adventure
Movie Site: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Official Site
Trailer: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.