How to Train Your Dragon Parents Guide

I was able to screen How to Train Your Dragon in order to write this How to Train Your Dragon Parents Guide. All opinions are my own.

First things first – How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters this weekend! (June 13). Secondly, if you don’t already have tickets to go see this movie – GET THEM NOW! Thankfully, DreamWorks brought back Dean DeBlois to spearhead the live-action remake. If you don’t know, he is the same Director/Writer for the 3 animated films. He did an incredible job with those, and when given the chance, he was able to take everything you loved about the animation and create this live-action dragon world that looks and feels so real. I usually sit at about a 60-70% rating with live-action remakes, but this one I give 95%! Keep reading for our review and How to Train Your Dragon Parents Guide!

There is a lot of controversy on the casting, and I feel like if you haven’t seen it – sit down, shut up, and watch it – then you can give me a real opinion on it. I think that a lot of this controversy stems from there not being a lot of diversity in the animated movie. But they address this during the roundtable discussion (live-action), where Stoic does an amazing job of talking about this, and I actually like it and think it adds that much more personality to the show.

Each character was cast perfectly and played perfectly. Gerard Butler plays Stoic in the animated films and reprises this role in the live-action movie. He is incredible as always and brings so much to the screen. His father-son chemistry with Hiccup (played by Mason Thames) is so good. And the warrior fits him well. Now, having seen each of these characters play their roles, I don’t think they could have found anyone better.

The CGI, special effects, cinematography, etc, are beyond anything I was expecting. Each dragon looks incredibly real, and every detail is on point. At no time during the movie did I feel like they were CGI characters. They look, sound, and act so real, you forget they aren’t. And the actors’ interactions with them are even better. This is due in large part to puppets being used during the filming so the actors had actual interactions, and not just pretending with air. They also made them rideable so they could have better flight scenes – and it paid off. The development of the friendship between Toothless and Hiccup steals your heart, and you fall in love with these characters all over again.

The costumes could have really affected the movie for me, and I have to tell you, they did an incredible job. Every single person was dressed perfectly for the time and looked like incredible Viking warriors, kids, and families. The village elder and healer – Gothi – got a nice makeover. I think she looks more like you would have expected and acted. A lot of the characters were like that, and I appreciated it. While the costumes weren’t identical to the movie, they were very similar in color and elements, and I think it worked well.

I love the subtle changes and differences added to the live-action. For me, it held all the magic of watching the animated version for the first time. I could literally talk about how much I loved this remake for hours. Don’t hesitate to get tickets to go see this movie in theaters!

The opening and closing of the movie both have a voiceover by Hiccup that is almost word-for-word as the animated movie. You will see a little over 20 minutes more of runtime during the live-action movie. This is all well used. The additions are fantastic and add so much more to the storyline. I highly recommend watching the 2010 animated version before you go watch the 2025 live-action film. This will give you the chance to really see/remember the original compared to the new one and all of the fun additions. Everything that was added made it that much better. After watching them both in less than a 24 hour period, I have to tell you that for the first time, I love the live-action as much, if not more, than the animated version. It is THAT good!

In theaters June 13 – How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon Parents Guide

How to Train Your Dragon is rated PG for sequences of intense action, and peril. It runs for 2hr 5m.

There are no end-credit scenes for How to Train Your Dragon. If you stay through the credits, you will see Hiccup showing his drawing of Toothless (similar to when he sets it on the Book of Dragons). It’s a few seconds long and not worth staying for.

Sex & Nudity & Romance – 0/5 – A kiss on a cheek. A kiss on the mouth. A mention of a breast plate that had been made into a helmet and called a breast helmet.

Violence & Gore – 1/5 – The dragon scenes are very similar to the movie, with the opening scene showing the dragons raiding the village for food. Vikings are fighting the dragons, and some get thrown around, stepped on, etc. Fire is shown everywhere. A lot is going on, and it doesn’t really show or focus the “violence” of what is happening. There is also ships that are attacked by dragons and it shows that in a little more detail. The end scene with the big dragon they are fighting has more details as well.

Profanity & Blasphemy – 1/5 – 2+ uses of oh Gods, another use of for God’s sake

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking – 0/5 – None

Frightening & Intense Scenes – 1/5 – There are a couple of parts that are intense (especially if you don’t know the original story line). But overall, nothing that is too scary or that limits age.

How to Train Your Dragon is everything and more you would want from this live-action remake. Be prepared for a fantastic adventure with Toothless and Hiccup, and sit back and enjoy the ride.

How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters on June 13

How to Train Your Dragon

About How to Train Your Dragon:

From three-time Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, comes a stunning live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise.

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker; Dumbo, The Last of Us) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost; Snow White and the Huntsman, Shaun of the Dead) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.

As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.

The film also stars Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Gabriel Howell (Bodies), Bronwyn James (Wicked), Harry Trevaldwyn (Smothered), Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club), BAFTA nominee Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Murray McArthur (Game of Thrones).

How to Train Your Dragon is written, produced and directed by DeBlois. It is also produced by three-time Oscar® nominee Marc Platt (Wicked, La La Land) and Emmy winner Adam Siegel (Drive, 2 Guns). How To Train Your Dragon is part of the Filmed For IMAX® Program, which offers filmmakers IMAX® technology to help them deliver the most immersive movie experience to audiences around the world.

Inspired by Cressida Cowell’s New York Times bestselling book series, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon franchise has captivated global audiences, earning four Academy Award® nominations and grossing more than $1.6 billion at the global box-office. Now, through cutting-edge visual effects, DeBlois transforms his beloved animated saga into a breathtaking live-action spectacle, bringing the epic adventures of Hiccup and Toothless to life with jaw-dropping realism as they discover the true meaning of friendship, courage and destiny.

Directed By: Dean DeBlois

Cast: Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, Gerard Butler as Stoick, Nick Frost as Gobber, Julian Dennison as Fishlegs, Gabriel Howell as Snotlout, Bronwyn James as Ruffnut, Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut, Ruth Codd as Phlegma.

Rated: PG