Live remakes are the scourge of creativity and originality and a sign of the slow decomposition of Hollywood. Of course, there have been some good efforts over the years, led by creative people with real visions that have managed to create adaptations with something to say. For the most part, however, live remakes are the new curse to adapt video games, the vast majority being not only useless, but purely and simple despised by the public and the criticisms – even if they still draw serious money.
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It brings me to “how to train your dragon”. The original animated film is incredible, a beloved film acclaimed by criticism that has launched one of the best trilogies of the last 20 years, whatever the medium. When a live remake was announced, there was (naturally) a lot of skepticism, but also a reason to be carefully optimistic. This was mainly due to the fact that Dean Deblois, who co-produced the original film, returned to direct the live remake and Gerard Butler would resume his stoic role in the vast in all his glority.
Well, with the film just a few months old, we are finally starting to hear reactions from people who saw the final film. More specifically, the reactions come from journalists who attended the Cinemacon Movie Industry conference in Las Vegas which saw an early projection of the film. It turns out that they all agree on one thing: Dean Deblois always has it, and “how to train your dragon” remains excellent in any means.
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How did you train your dragon stopped the curse of live remakes?
First of all, it should be mentioned that “how to train your dragon” is an “extremely faithful adaptation”, as Russ Milheim directly underlines. If you saw one, you saw the two films. However, Milheim praises the appearance and scope of the remake. “All the dragons are absolutely incredible, and the film is intelligently more to expand the characters.”
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Indeed, if there is a common thread unifying the reactions, it is because the film is magnificent. It is a huge relief, because it was probably the most delicate thing to perform in live action. Not only do modern blockbusters in live action tend to be soulless (in addition to the difficult dialogue to understand), but animation as a medium is capable of breathtaking and incredibly surprising that cannot be reproduced in live action because this medium is restricted by reality. The animated films “HTTYD” have been further improved by ensuring that the legend of the cinematography Roger Deakins as a visual consultant, helping to give the animation trilogy its unique look.
Nevertheless, journalists and criticisms were surprised by the remake visuals “how to train your dragon”. The host of the film podcast Daniel Baptista rented the “breathtaking visuals” of the new film:
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“‘How to train Your Dragon’ is a magnificent reimagination of one of the most loved animated films of all time. Full of heart, it takes everything that made the original so special and mounts new peaks with breathtaking visuals and a spectacular story for a whole new generation.”
Admittedly, not all reactions are positive. Germain Lussier from io9 (And formerly of / film) wrote: “Live action” How to train Your Dragon “captures the magic of the original in almost all the senses. All the great moments are there, all the heart and excitement too. Wonderful performances all around.” However, he added this warning: “My only reproach is the new thing, although good and subtle, never raises things enough.”
The public will be able to judge by himself when “how to train your dragon” goes up in the rooms on June 13, 2025.
