Dragons and Vikings Return: A Fresh Take on "How to Train Your Dragon"

How many years should a studio wait before revamping a blockbuster animation? For DreamWorks and its iconic film, "How to Train Your Dragon," fifteen years seems right on the money. Yes, you heard that right – one and a half decades, which coincidentally is also the age of our favorite boy Viking, Hiccup Haddock, who courageously befriended a menacing dragon, turning the tables on his tribe’s epic war against the fire-breathers.

Coincidence or not, with the passage of these years, the original tween audience is now in the prime of nostalgia, the right prime time for DreamWorks to strike gold again with this unforgettable tale.

Dean DeBlois, one half of the dynamic duo that directed the film’s first edition, was entrusted with the task of reinventing yet maintaining the charm of the original, much like a playwright keeping the essence of a play alive while presenting it to different audiences in different eras. And he doesn't disappoint. The screenplay remains admirably faithful to its predecessor, drawing inspiration from classics like "E.T", themes of illicit friendships between humans and threatening creatures, and the delicate father-son relationship within a Viking tribe.

Teen sensation Mason Thames dons the role of Hiccup, and boy, his physical appeal alone does half the job. It’s hard to imagine Astrid, the ultra-competitive dragon tamer played by Nico Parker, falling for any of the other goofy, hairy and limb-missing adults of Berk. Hiccup is a refreshing, Bieber-haired contrast to this cliched Viking look, and his success against the elusive Night Fury dragon only adds to his charm.

Right from the heart-stopping moment where Hiccup feeds a fish to the wounded Night Fury to their intimate, gradually blossoming friendship, the audience is spellbound by the raw emotional reality of the sequence. The ingenious mix of nuanced character animation and the score subtly creates a sense of realism between the human actor and the artificial, dangerous yet majestic dragon.

Compared to the once comically-designed dragons, Toothless is now a sleek, more alert feline and canine hybrid that the audiences can fear and admire simultaneously. The virtual handling of Morlet's character animation becomes increasingly convincing as the story unfolds, with the actors in stunningly realistic locations alongside a reimagined Toothless.

The film's key players perfectly mirror their cartoon counterparts - from Nick Frost as the dragon trainer Gobber to adorable twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, played by Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn, extracting fresh laughs from a decade and half old script. Nico Parker's Astrid evolves as the film's empowered figure, with her romance with Hiccup feeling straight out of a Superman-Lois Lane storyline.

Director Dean DeBlois' vision breathes new life into the timeless narrative, reinforcing the foundations for promising sequels, while preserving the essence of the original blockbuster that captured our hearts. Perhaps this remake serves as a reminder that even fantastical stories benefit from a touch of reality.