Just a few days ago I mentioned that I’m less inclined to get excited about an animated show than a live-action show. But what about when an animated movie is made into a live-action film?
Despite how much I like getting excited about things, this is still something that typically doesn’t pique my interest. If an animated movie worked so well that the studio deemed it work the live-action expense, it probably means that the original movie stands on its own.
It’s with this mentality that I approached a home viewing of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon. The original animated film is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. The story, the friendship between boy and dragon, the flying scenes, the soaring score, the climactic battle…it’s so, so good. I’ve seen it multiple times. Was a live-action version necessary, particularly one that is nearly a shot-for-shot remake?
Short answer: No. But…it’s still really good.
I think the key is that this is almost literally the same movie as the original. There’s a little extra here and there, but it sticks to what works. And How to Train Your Dragon works quite well. The flying scenes in particular are magnificent in the new version. I’d say it is worth watching.
As far as I know, the studio is proceeding with live-action remakes of the second and third movies. I really enjoyed both, though I think I’ve only seen each of them once, and I remember very little as a result. So I’ll probably check them out in the theater, where I can fully appreciate the flying.
How do you feel about live-action versions of animated movies?