The live-action How to Train Your Dragon hits theaters this weekend, however, it’s already not living up to its animated predecessor. According to Rotten Tomatoes, this version of the fantastical tale of the friendship between young Viking Hiccup (Mason Thames) and his Night Fury dragon Toothless scored 22% lower on the Tomatometer than the original movie. Interestingly, both versions of the film — both live-action and animated — were directed by Dean DeBlois. However, according to the critics whose reviews make up the score on the site’s Tomatometer, the story lost some of its defining magic and was oversimplified in its switch to live action.
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In fairness, it would be nearly impossible for the live-action How to Train Your Dragon to best the original version. That animated movie, released in 2010, boasts a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. Both a critical and commercial success, the original How to Train Your Dragon raked in nearly half a billion dollars at the box office and spawned two animated sequels prior to its live-action adaptation. Currently, the new How to Train Your Dragon has a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s high enough to garner the coveted “Certified Fresh” title, but also perhaps hints at fatigue from critics regarding live-action remakes of animated classics.
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Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon May Falls Short With Critics, But Soars With Fans
While the new incarnation of Hiccup and Toothless’s adventure may have fallen short with critics, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon currently scores higher than the original among audiences. The live-action film has a near-perfect 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter, its yardstick for fans and viewers to rate any given film. The animated film has an impressive 91% rating on the Popcornmeter, so it’s interesting that the version of How to Train Your Dragon that critics aren’t as hot on is performing better with fans.
Nostalgia, and whether it’s a pro or a con for the film, appears to be a deciding factor between fans and critics of How to Train Your Dragon. Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal didn’t hold back in his review of the live-action version. “Mr. DeBlois’s film harks back to the pre-Star Wars style of children’s moviemaking, when the condescension of oversimplification was a defining attribute.”
Conversely, Rotten Tomatoes user Ester G praised the moviegoing experience itself over the content of the film. “Took my Godson when he was 3 yo watch the animated one. Full circle moment he took ME, he’s now 18, the nostalgia itself earned 5 stars.”
User Atiana I similarly raved, “It was beautiful! They did the animated film justice and I loved the new scenes. The actors played their characters extremely well and it honestly went beyond my expectations. Well done!”
How to Train Your Dragon stars Mason Thomas, Nico Parker, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, Gabriel Howell as the young Vikings that inhabit the fictional isle of Berk. Gerard Butler reprises his role as Hiccup’s father Stoick the Vast from the animated film in the live-action adaptation. Just like the animated film, Universal desrcibes the plot as, “As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.”
How to Train Your Dragon is now playing in theaters everywhere.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm.
