In the live-action remake of How To Train Your Dragon, Viking Hiccup (Mason Thames) unexpectedly befriends dragons, the enemies of his island. He tries to convince his environment of their good side. Reviewers especially praise the impressive visual effects of the film.
Trouw – 4 stars
“What a fantastic live-action this new version of How To Train Your Dragon has become. It takes a while for the film to get to that point, but the makers have understood that the power (and the fun) of a film like this is not so much in storylines, but in the First Law of Film: movement! In the flying! Diving! Rising! Falling! Getting up! And keep going.”
“It is true that there is a great need in Hollywood for new, original stories. Or more precisely: for the willingness of studios to film them. Because the big cinema chains probably won’t make it with remakes and sequels alone. But it must also be said that sometimes it goes completely well: that one delivers a film in which (almost) everything is of the highest level. The story of How To Train Your Dragon could have had a few more surprises, but the visual spectacle is amazing.”
Het Parool – gives no stars
“At the beginning there are some obligatory scenes to set up the plot and the humor feels a bit forced, but it doesn’t matter much. Where many live-action remakes try to be more weighty than their animation predecessors, How to Train Your Dragon is cartoony at times, and especially dynamic and swirling, as if you are tumbling through the air on the back of a dragon for the first time yourself.”
De Telegraaf – gives no stars
“Differences with the original film from 2010 are hardly any. Viking village Berk is this time populated by warriors from all over the world to increase diversity, meanwhile the dragons sound and look a bit more imposing. And not unimportant: there are twenty minutes more on the clock because many scenes have been stretched a bit. How To Train Your Dragon loses some of its smooth energy.”
“But fortunately, much is not lost in the hands of Dean DeBlois, one of the rare examples of a director who remakes his own film. Iceland is a beautiful natural setting, the humor and action still work fine, and the actors are all in their place: especially the recasting of Gerard Butler as a brute village chief works well, plus the choice for up-and-coming talent Julian Dennison as an eager study ace. But is that enough as an addition to the hit from 2010? This remake is probably mainly fun for the generation that does not know the original.”