'How to Train Your Dragon' review—Visually stunning, but still underwhelming
What's the story
How to Train Your Dragon, a live-action remake of the 2010 animated film of the same name, is directed and written by Dean DeBlois, who also co-directed the original.
Visually stunning and excellently performed, How to Train Your Dragon boasts spectacular set pieces, score, and cinematography, but mostly feels emotionally hollow, ultimately ending as a laborious, sluggish watch.
Plot
Meet Hiccup and his friend, Toothless
The live-action version stays resolutely faithful to the original.
It traces the journey of Hiccup (The Black Phone fame Mason Thames), the underconfident son of the Viking tribe chief Stoick (Gerard Butler).
Hiccup must slay a dragon to prove his worth, but instead of killing one, he befriends one and names him Toothless, altering his tribe's relationship with the beasts forever.
#1
Positives: The visual effects pop out in 3D
Starting with what works, How to Train Your Dragon makes optimum use of CGI, and you won't have many complaints when it comes to the visual effects.
In the second half, in particular, when we meet multiple dragons together, the film finds its footing both in terms of the craft and the narrative.
The score, by John Powell, also uplifts several aerial sequences.
#2
Watch out for scenes between Hiccup and his close ones
How to Train...works much better as a human drama than an action-adventure flick.
For instance, Hiccup's scenes with his love interest, Astrid (Nico Parker), form some of the warmest parts of the movie.
Similarly heartwarming are the scenes between Stoick and Hiccup; though they don't always see eye-to-eye and Stoick is distant from his son, they both are right in their own way.
#3
Negatives: You never connect with the film or the characters
Despite these merits, it is incredibly tough to stay with the film consistently.
The dialogues are extremely contrived and mechanical, and more than once, the transition between scenes is so jarring that it feels like there are gaps in the narrative.
Apart from Hiccup and his father, nobody is developed properly, and everyone is reduced to a forgettable, cardboard character.
#4
The humor also fails terribly
The film tries really hard to make you laugh, but the humor turns out to be an epic misfire.
At 125 minutes, the film is not too long, and yet, it feels like it overstays its welcome, presenting us with characters we struggle to care about.
This is a coming-of-age journey for Hiccup, but we don't really know him enough to root for him.
#5
It could have been a lot sharper
Each time a scene gains momentum, another scene is awkwardly crammed in, undercutting the film's gravity.
There are several sequences when the film feels too chaotic for its own good, and most of the beginning, which goes into world-building, is a slog to sit through.
With an enervating, uninteresting series of events, How to Train...mostly tests your patience.
Verdict
Can skip this action-adventure film; 2/5 stars
How to Train...surely soars post-intermission, but before that, it sinks over and over again.
Whether you like the film or not largely depends on what you think of the original animated version.
On the other hand, if you are new to the franchise, you can safely skip this project, which tragically remains distant from us and feels stripped of any energy.
2/5 stars.