How to Train Your Dragon Live-Action Remake Review

By Elena Limauro

On June 13, 2025, 15 years after the original animated movie was released, DreamWorks Animation released its first live-action film: “How to Train Your Dragon.” The franchise, now with four films and multiple TV series, follows Hiccup, the son of Chief Stoick the Vast, and a boy who is everything a Viking is not. 

For generations, the Vikings on the isle of Berk have been at war with dragons, whose home they have never been able to find. When Hiccup befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury, he defies centuries of tradition. Their unlikely bond reveals the true kind nature of dragons, and along with the help of other teenage Vikings, Hiccup navigates the path towards peace between Vikings and dragons.

While the original movies came with high praise, there were concerns about how the new live-action remake would be perceived. However, the audience’s reviews of the remake just barely surpassed the original. On Rotten Tomatoes, the Popcornmeter, which is the audience review, was at 97%, whereas the Tomatoemeter, which is the critics’ review, was at 77%. Although the original films earned over $1.6 billion to date, the live-action version has already become the highest-grossing film in the franchise, earning $623 million in just 6 months.

Jocelyn Kay, a senior at Einstein and a long-time fan of the animated films, had much to say about the new version. While she made it clear that she did enjoy the movie, she said, “I thought the original was better, and I wasn’t really sure what the point of this one was.” 

Further, Kay said,  “It was not needed. I think it would have been better if they made an original story in the same realm, but remaking the exact same movie as a live-action film did not add much to the story.” Later, she added that the remake did, in some ways, bring back the nostalgic feelings of the original movie, though the charm of the original did not come through. 

Ultimately, on the topic of which version was better, Kay said: “Nothing can surpass the original.”