What’s it about?

On a rugged and isolated isle, Vikings and Dragons are locked in an unending battle. Amid the deadlock the chief’s son – an outsider who doesn’t fit in – struggles with he who is. When he unexpectedly brings down a dragon but can’t bring himself to kill it, he instead befriends it. But will the friendship change the dynamic? O bring it to the boil?

What did we think?

Anthony Sherratt says: While making live action versions of classic animated films is a questionable practice imo, I am delighted to report that this remake of a movie I truly love manages to faithfully recreate the story without ruining memories. In fact some aspects are even stronger in the live action versions with the nuances of human emotion far more noticeable.

Very little has changed in the way of the storyline, with the writers and director wisely choosing to embrace a working formula. Most importantly, Toothless the lovable night fury dragon hasn’t lost any of the heart-melting expressions that both remind audiences of a devoted puppy and leave them longing for their own fire-breathing pet.

Throw in some great performances from Gerard Butler (the Viking chief) and Mason Thames (Hiccup) and Nick Frost (who is almost unrecognizable as the entertaining blacksmith Gobber) and everything is there for a fun romp for the entire family.

You may be able to debate whether a remake was necessary but you can’t argue that the 2025 version is anything but entertaining.