‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Retrospective: So Brilliant, You Can’t Rip it Off

“This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death,” narrates Hiccup (Jay Baruchel).

For the 15th anniversary of “How to Train Your Dragon,” DreamWorks Animation is releasing a live action version that nobody asked for. From the looks of the trailer, it seems to feature the same dialogue and shots as the original, as well as a bleak color palette and helmets that look like they’re made out of plastic. Without the charming idiosyncrasies of early 2010s computer-generated animation and Baruchel’s iconic Hiccup voiceover, the new “How to Train Your Dragon” is doomed to the miserable mediocrity of live actions everywhere.

All of the world’s problems would be solved if humanity collectively sat down and watched the original animated film. It’s impossible to feel mad, depressed, or prejudiced after an hour and 38 minutes of John Powell’s awe-inspiring orchestral soundtrack, cute dragons that behave like kittens, and a hilarious script that remains deeply empathetic towards its characters.

In a world full of vengeful Vikings and dangerous dragons, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III just wants to get a girlfriend. Although he is the son of Stoick the Vast, voiced by Gerard Butler, Hiccup is built like a toothpick and possesses the coordination of a rambunctious newborn puppy. Needless to say, he’s not the Viking his father wants him to be, and his crush Astrid (America Ferrera) won’t give him a second glance.

“How to Train Your Dragon” starts strong, with an opening scene like an auditory jigsaw puzzle. Hiccup’s calm voiceover describing the “pests” of his village alternates with explosions, snappy banter between the Vikings as they head into that morning’s battle, and soaring orchestral crescendos. Dragons streak across the dark sky spewing brilliant flames, while Hiccup runs haphazardly around a workshop full of strange weapons with Norse designs carved into every surface.

The animation style of “How to Train Your Dragon” is quite unique — Hiccup’s cartoonishly stick-like limbs are juxtaposed with the squarish shape of his father, whose head is smaller than his own bicep. The vibrant colors of emerald moss, purple-grey rocks, and rosy clouds during the iconic flight scenes bring the world to life.

Working in tandem with the quirky animation is the soundtrack, which masterfully connects musical themes to narrative ones. Although “Test Drive” and “Dragon Battle” feature powerful brass sections and bagpipes, even the quietest track brilliantly reinforces emotional stakes of each scene: In “Forbidden Friendship,” the xylophone, chimes, and sleigh bells parallel the sense of tentative curiosity that allows Hiccup and his dragon friend Toothless to overcome centuries of violence between dragons and Vikings.

Every bit of dialogue tells the viewers something about the characters or the world, or acts as foreshadowing for a later plot point. In contrast to Hiccup’s clumsiness, Stoick the Vast casually flicks fire off of his shoulder like a fallen leaf, illustrating the importance of physical strength to this Viking society. Hiccup describes his mentor Gobber, played by Craig Ferguson, as “the meat-head with attitude and interchangeable hands,” with a hint of affection in his voice.

One of the most hilarious gaffs in the film is when Gobber tells Hiccup he needs to “stop all this,” with an expansive gesture. When Hiccup exclaims “you just pointed to all of me!” in indignation, Gobber cheerfully replies, “That’s it! Stop being all of you!” This blunt acknowledgement of Hiccup’s differences foreshadows how the underdog protagonist will stray from the beaten path and change the course of his tribe forever.

“How to Train Your Dragon” balances a very traditional hero’s journey narrative with radical forgiveness. There is no villain — Hiccup forgives his father, dragons forgive Vikings, and vice versa. This is an entertaining story full of adventure and strife, but ultimately “How to Train Your Dragon” is a film about trust: The trust to be vulnerable with someone who has hurt you in the past, and trust that you will grow into the best version of yourself, even if that doesn’t align with others’ expectations of you.

There is a reason why the 2025 “How to Train Your Dragon” film will be the first ever live-action production of a DreamWorks animation, and the studio’s first remake in general. The story is so beloved, so perfect, it is tantalizing to revisit. But by remaking the original film line-by-line in a new medium, the studio will inevitably produce a hollow and unsatisfying imitation that fails to capture the whimsy and passion that infused the original film.

—Staff writer Laura B. Martens can be reached at laura.martens@thecrimson.com.