Movie Review: How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

Fresh from my slight disappointment with this year’s lineup of live-action adaptations (Snow White, Lilo & Stitch — I’m looking at you), I went into How To Train Your Dragon with my expectations parked somewhere in the middle. But then again, this isn’t Disney’s territory. This is DreamWorks. And unlike their competitors, this is their first serious attempt at bringing one of their beloved animated properties to life. So I held on to a flicker of hope.

And I’m glad I did — because this is how you do a live-action remake.

One major difference that makes this adaptation work so well is the source material itself. How To Train Your Dragon is built on action, grit, and raw emotion — elements that translate very well into live-action. The story of Berks versus dragons, the battles, the aerial stunts, and the intense human-dragon dynamics… it all feels real in this version. And let’s talk about the dragons — the design is faithful, slightly more grounded, but still magical enough to keep the fantasy alive. Toothless, of course, steals the show again (as expected).

I won’t go into the plot because, honestly, it sticks very close to the original animated movie — which I think was the right move. No unnecessary additions or reinventions. Just a respectful retelling with some updated visuals and a slightly deeper emotional tone. And boy, those visuals! Watching this on IMAX was such a treat. The flying sequences, the battles, the Viking village setting — it all looked incredibly rich and immersive. I found myself smiling throughout, especially during the climactic third act.

This might be the first time in a while where I walked out of a live-action remake feeling satisfied instead of underwhelmed. DreamWorks really took their time with this one, and it shows. It felt like a love letter to the fans, both old and new.

I’m giving How To Train Your Dragon (2025) a solid 9/10. It’s visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and proof that with the right material and respect for the source, a live-action remake can actually work.