Alright, let’s tackle this fire-breathing remake—because apparently originality was optional.
Visuals & Dragon Magic
The dragons look astonishingly crisp. Toothless practically begs for a treat—every twitch, every roar is rendered with stunning CGI so real you half-expect him to knock over your popcorn. The flying scenes? Breathtaking—like when I first used VR and thought I’d actually sprained my neck (people.com, apnews.com). That said, the earthbound stuff? Looks like someone drained Instagram’s filters—murky, gritty, and soaked in sepia until all charm evaporates .
Cast & Performances
- Mason Thames as Hiccup brings earnest awkwardness—a reliable stand-in for the animated original, even if he’s less quip and more “serious teenager” (tomsguide.com).
- Nico Parker’s Astrid sucks less than she starts off; her arc actually gives her something to do beyond stare at Hiccup (tomsguide.com).
- Gerard Butler, stepping in again as Stoick, is the only grown-up allowed to act—they lean on his big-barrel voice to paper over the rest of the painfully flat adult performances (ew.com).
Tone & Pacing
Clocking in at 125 minutes—30 minutes longer than the OG—this thing drags like a Viking on a bender. More training montages, more awkward teen banter, more soggy dialogue, and oh, so much brooding . It’s like they stuck the animated film’s director into Instagram’s no-color filter and called it “artistic depth.”
What Works
- Toothless remains the emotional center—puppy-cat hybrid never looked so real (gamerbraves.com).
- John Powell’s iconic score still soars—just like in 2010, it’ll have you humming in the lobby (landofgeek.com).
- Some extras—like Astrid’s confrontation scene—add genuine pizzazz (people.com).
What Falls Flat
- It’s basically shot-for-shot nostalgia porn—less movie, more remake checklist (rogerebert.com).
- Over-reliance on CGI muddies the line of “live-action” (landofgeek.com).
- Pacing is sluggish—films should flow, not plod (landofgeek.com).
🎟️ Final Verdict (Cinephile McSnark Scale)
3 out of 5 dragon-glowing stars
- + Toothless is still an absolute star.
- + Score and aerials bring the goosebumps.
- – Watch the animated original first—this one’s a nostalgia-stuffed redux.
- – Too long, too dark, adult characters feel like Viking caricatures.
If you’re chasing nostalgia, don a Viking helmet and enjoy the ride. But if you’re craving fresh thrills, this remake is more “been there, seen that” than “fly with me.” Wait for streaming—there’s more value, less smoke—and hey, the original’s always streaming anyway.
