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The movie “How to Train Your Dragon,” a live-action adaptation, came to theaters on June 13, 2025, and has been the talk of the summer. With Mason Thames playing Hiccup and actor Nico Parker as Astrid, these two main characters dive into a world of dragons and action.
Haylie Hartman, junior, went to see this movie with her friends over the summer.
“It followed the original movie almost exactly, and I was not expecting that. Usually live-action movies don’t do that,” Hartman said.
This story begins with a 15-year-old boy, Hiccup Haddock, confused in a world where people know exactly who they are. Everyone expects him to be a true and strong Viking like the rest of the village, but he appears to be the opposite. Hiccup wants to fit into his dad’s unreal goals for him: kill a dragon with no fear or hesitation.
Hiccup meets and soon befriends a dragon, instead of killing it, and names it Toothless, not knowing that they will become the closest of companions.
Over the course of the movie, a girl named Astrid learns Hiccup’s secret and wants to help save the dragons that are being hunted by the Vikings. Unaware of the future, they fall into a movie of action, hope, and fighting the narrative everyone had set for them.
“It was entertaining, I really did enjoy watching it. Usually, I can’t sit down and just watch a movie, and I was able to sit through it,” Hartman said.
A big part of the movie was the music that got audiences on the edge of their seats. The popular soundtrack in the animation directed by Dean DeBlois was taken straight to the live action with very few changes. The music becomes a part of a movie and makes audiences want to watch more, and the instrumental, combined with amazing scenery, has made an unforgettable combination.
Going with her friends, Daisy Kim, junior, experienced this soundtrack firsthand.
“I liked the changes that they made to the popular song Test Flight. I thought it was really good,” Kim said.
Backlash follows this movie, however, as a result of Parker playing the character Astrid Hofferson. In the original animated movie, Astrid has blue eyes and blonde straight hair; however, this actress has black hair with dark eyes and features.
“We chose the actors who best embodied the spirit and personality of the characters,” director Deblois says in an interview with The Times of London.
Regardless of the inaccurate casting, Parker has expressed her detachment from the hate comments on her appearance and performed the best she could. Hartman agrees that Parker’s appearance didn’t change her experience.
“It didn’t change anything. The whole plot was still there; you don’t need a blonde girl for a good character.” Hartman says.
With the visuals, incredible music, and amazing actors, this movie is a must-watch, especially if you are a fan of action and adventure.
