In a group, I’m always the one who strongly opposes remakes, especially when the original film has stood the test of time and should remain unbothered.
The idea
of a live-action adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon”, considering the
Dreamworks animated film it was based on only came out 15 years ago, doesn’t
particularly gel with me because the fantasy elements of dragons and Vikings
worked perfectly in the filmmaking format it used.
Fortunately,
to director Dean DeBlois and the team’s credit, the live-action redo was a
nice surprise. There’s a difference between remaking a film to be another
iteration versus compiling the heart and the different puzzle pieces that made
it work before.
There had been ample time since I last saw the animated original of this film, so I was caught
off guard by how charming the story was. It worked as a story of Hiccup, a
young boy who is fond of creating harmonious relationships with the dragons
instead of slaying them. It also worked well as a father-and-son movie
involving Hiccup and his Viking leader father, who wants nothing but to see his
son take over his reign soon.
The big
difference in a “How to Train Your Dragon” live-action movie is that its
portrayal of violence felt more striking. While this is a family film, some
chunks of it may be off-putting for younger audiences. But this is a fable
where the moral is to be in unity with the creatures, and it was able to
translate that message well, too.
I can say
that while this is made to repurpose this franchise, “How to Train Your Dragon”
is an easy recommendation. DreamWorks has a lot of potential for the future of
this remaining. I just hope they don’t see any successes from it as a sign to
re-do other beloved titles.
“How to
Train Your Dragon” is now showing in cinemas.
Featured images from Universal Pictures.
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