Dean DeBlois’ live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon undoubtedly remains true to the narrative and heart of the original, but it makes several key changes that not only justify its existence, but in some cases improve upon the story or characters. While the trailers pointed to the new movie being a sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake of the animated original, there were a number of additional or expanded scenes that gave it its own idenтιтy. Still, most of the details, including the costumes, types of dragons, and personality traits of the characters, remained intact.
Even though it wasn’t a 100% sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake of the beloved original, the new How to Train Your Dragon has been well-received by audiences, and has even broken an important Rotten Tomatoes franchise record. In the lead-up to the movie’s release, a common question was whether the live-action version was necessary to even produce, especially with the original movie’s director returning and one of its voice actors (Gerard Butler as Stoick). That question was undoubtedly answered by the subtle but important changes made in the remake.
7
Berk’s Vikings Are More Diverse
There Are Warriors From Across The World Gathered In Berk
In the animated version of How to Train Your Dragon, the entire cast was depicted as Caucasian, justified by Berk’s location, deep in Scandinavia in the heart of Viking territory. The live-action movie introduces far more diversity to the village of Berk, as a number of ethnicities are represented, highlighted in the scene in which Stoick tries to convince the entire village to go after the dragon nest one more time. On top of that, Astrid and FIshlegs are played by BIPOC actors (Nico Parker and Julian Dennison, respectively).
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How to Train Your Dragon (2025) – Key Review Scores |
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RT Tomatometer Score |
RT Popcornmeter Score |
Metacritic Score |
Metacritic User Score |
IMDB Rating |
Google Reviews |
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77% |
98% |
61/100 |
7.4/10 |
8.1/10 |
4.7/5 |
The movie smartly explains that the village of Berk is composed of warriors from nationalities across the planet, as the most stubborn and daring would-be dragon-killers from every culture that Vikings came into contact with gathered at Berk. It’s a clever way to introduce real diversity into the movie’s cast with a legitimate narrative justification.
6
Berk’s Backstory Makes A Ton More Sense
The Village’s Reason For Existence Is Given
On top of the more diverse cast, the new backstory for Berk adds a dimension of realism to the village that was missing from the animated movie. In the original movie, the reason given for Vikings remaining at Berk despite the constant threat of death and destruction is simply that they’re stubborn. The live-action remake explains Berk as a gathering place for warriors from around the world who seek to end the dragon threat to the world. It’s a much more legitimate reason for such a culture to exist, and adds another layer that grounds the story a bit.
5
Astrid’s Character Is Developed Much Better
Her Motivations Are More Fleshed Out
While Astrid is fearless and determined in the original How to Train Your Dragon, the live-action remake makes her a much stronger overall character by further defining her motivations, ambitions, and a genuine internal struggle to overcome. In the remake, Astrid isn’t simply the best dragon hunter-in-training, she’s a legitimate leader who ultimately wants a leadership role in Berk, ideally as the Chief of the village. Her frustrations with Hiccup do not stem from his effortless domination of dragon training, as they do in the animated movie.
Her disdain for Hiccup in the 2025 remake is due to two main factors: his position as the son of the Chief, and his indifference to Berk’s long and storied history and traditions. She is also given a much more well-developed arc as she struggles to reconcile that loyalty to Berk and tradition with what Hiccup shows her to be true about dragons. While she still keeps most of the animated Astrid’s most admirable qualities, Nico Parker’s version of the character is simply stronger and more well-rounded.
4
The Action Is Far More Immersive
The Camera Work And CGI Make The Flights And Battles Intense
The difference between live action and animation was at its most noticeable during the live-action dragon battles and other intense sequences, which proved to be truly immersive in a way that animation simply can’t match. The ability to work with real actors and get more creative with camera angles allows the audience to feel the intensity of blocking a blast of dragon fire, or imagine the stomach-lurching gravity of a free-fall from Toothless’ back. The action sequences feel truly blockbuster-level, which simply can’t be achieved to the same degree in animation.
3
Stoick Has A Stronger Motivation
His Hatred For Dragons Is Well-Founded
One of the more significant changes in the remake is the prevalence of Hiccup’s missing mother, specifically for Stoick. While the animated movie only really mentions her once (when Stoick gives Hiccup the helmet made from her breastplate), she is brought up multiple times in the live-action remake. Her ᴀssumed death at the claws of the dragons that raid Berk is at the heart of Stoick’s hateful obsession with not only beating dragons with his bare hands, but with his near-mad desire to find and destroy their nest, no matter how many Viking lives it takes.
2
The Visuals Are Breathtaking
Live-Action Captures Beauty In A Way Animation Can’t
In an era when even the biggest-budget blockbusters will have moments of shoddy CGI, the live-action remake stands out for how beautifully rendered its characters and landscapes are. The dragons in particular are incredibly done, as the designs from the original movie are brought to life with impeccable detail, accenting the familiar designs with incredibly fine features that align with what a reptilian dragon’s anatomy might actually look like. The filming locations for How to Train Your Dragon were perfect for capturing the beauty of the northern ocean territories dominated by Vikings in a way that animation simply can’t match.
1
Snotlout’s Background Makes His Character Better
He Isn’t An Aimless Bully In The New Movie
In the original How to Train Your Dragon, Snotlout (voiced by Jonah Hill) is the most overtly antagonistic young Viking of Hiccup’s dragon training class. He doesn’t seem to have any real reason to be mean to Hiccup aside from him being weaker and more eccentric, making him little more than a bully the entire time. The live-action remake makes him a much more sympathetic character, elaborating upon his arrogant atтιтude as a constant attempt to impress his father, who largely ignores him. In that way, he becomes a parallel to Hiccup, albeit in a different fashion.
