DreamWorks just released a live-action reboot of one of their best animated films, How to Train Your Dragon.
Here at Watch With Us, we’re happy to see that the remake has done justice to the source material — because the original How to Train Your Dragon is a spectacular animated movie. Luckily, it’s available to watch on Peacock.
If you’ve never seen the original film — or if you saw it in 2010 and haven’t rewatched it — here are all the reasons you should check it out in June.
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Inhabits a Unique World
In the world of How to Train Your Dragon, Vikings roam the seas just as they did in our world hundreds of years ago. There’s one major difference, however — the Viking villages are often beset by enormous, fire-breathing dragons.
Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is the son of village chieftain Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), who leads the village of Berk in their never-ending war against the dragons. But Hiccup is neither stoic nor vast — he’s scrawny, awkward and cerebral. Knowing he can’t become a dragon-killer with brute strength, he designs a machine to trap the beasts — but when he comes face-to-face with a downed, defenseless dragon whom he names Toothless, he realizes that everything he knows about dragons might very well be wrong.
The world created by this movie is enchantingly specific. The visuals that decorate Berk are clearly inspired by Norse aesthetics, while the dragon imagery is wholly original. The cast of characters is well-rounded and lovable, featuring actors like Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig and America Ferrera.
It’s an immersive experience that will transport you to another world, and isn’t that what we all want — and expect — from animated movies?
The Visuals Are Spectacular
Every dragon in this movie has a specific skill set and creative features, from the two-headed Zippleback to the self-immolating Monstrous Nightmare. The animators let the dragons be genuinely scary and monstrous-looking, rather than worrying too much about making them “cute” or marketable as toys. (Except for the very cute Toothless, but we’ll get to him later.)
One thing that HTTYD does really well is capturing the feeling of flight — soaring on dragonback alongside Hiccup is truly exhilarating.
In general, the look of this movie is both beautiful and quirky in that classic DreamWorks fashion.
Toothless Is Irresistible
In the history of animal sidekicks from animated movies, Toothless flies high above the rest. Beautifully designed, he’s part lizard, part cat and even a little bit human — Hiccup’s dragon has a layered personality from the moment he first appears on screen.
The friendship that develops between Hiccup and Toothless is the emotional core of this film, and it’s built on such deep trust and love that by the end of the movie, you’ll be dying to train your own dragon.
How to Train Your Dragon is a moving, fun and visually dynamic film you don’t want to miss. Watch the movie on Peacock now.