Disney has struggled to crack the code of successfully adapting animated classics to live-action. There have been plenty of box office hits, and while some (Maleficent) have successfully expanded those words, others are either shot-for-shot remakes or upset fans by making too many changes.
It feels like the House of Mouse can't win, but there's money to be made, and DreamWorks is now looking to get in on the action with the live-action How to Train Your Dragon.
The trailers have pointed to it being more The Lion King than Snow White in terms of faithfully recreating its animated predecessor. However, the first wave of reviews indicates that much of the magic has been lost along the way.
Variety's verdict is positive and explains, "Dean DeBlois protects his baby, showing that the leap from computer animation to 'live action' is safer than the trial-and-error update strategy that Disney has been attempting with its hand-drawn classics."
The Telegraph felt otherwise, calling How to Train Your Dragon "a real dud that does drag on." The Independent adds to that by describing the movie as a "pointless, depressing copy-and-paste remake...which simply replicates the sounds and images of the 2010 original – only making them blander and more grey in the process."
Empire notes, "It’s clearly made with real love and care, but shows far too much deference to its progenitor. Even in a remake, we need more originality and less playing the hits." As for IGN, the site concludes, "The live-action How to Train Your Dragon can feel hemmed in by its faithfulness to the animated original, but it’s re-creating that film’s sense of heart and soul as well as its entire plot and most enduring images."
While Next Best Picture feels the movie is an "unnecessary addition to the animated film," the site promises, "With some breathtaking visuals, lovable dragons, and a perfectly cast Mason Thames, this is the rare live-action remake that captures the heart and soul of the original."
AV Club states that the "remake trades animated magic for money-hungry mediocrity," but IndieWire muses, "No one needs a live-action remake, but ones this faithful and sweet are not the problem." The Hollywood Reporter's review summarises everything you've read above by saying How to Train Your Dragon "retains charm but plays it safe."
We're still waiting on a Rotten Tomatoes score, but these verdicts are mixed and could take it into "Rotten" territory. These complaints are all too familiar; while critics can appreciate how this story has been reimagined in a new medium, it seems the movie fails to break any new ground.
That hasn't stopped Lilo & Stitch from being a huge box office hit (it's already closing in on $800 million worldwide), and early estimates point to How to Train Your Dragon soaring to its own impressive heights in theaters this coming weekend.
As long as that continues happening, then there's really no reason for studios to stop bringing these animated stories back to the big screen in live-action.
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone) 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 (Nico Parker; The Last of Us) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost; 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.
How to Train Your Dragon also stars Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Gabriel Howell (Bodies), Bronwyn James (Wicked), Harry Trevaldwyn (Smothered), Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Murray McArthur (Game of Thrones).
How to Train Your Dragon is written, produced and directed by Dean DeBlois, and arrives in theaters on June 13.