How to Train Your Dragon
2010, DreamWorks
I simply cannot say enough good about this film, as it succeeds brilliantly on every level. Dragon also stands as the finest film to emerge from DreamWorks, and gives Pixar a good run for the money. The creators clearly invested their heart and soul in the project, as evidenced by the poster art, which reflects the most emotional beat in the film, when Hiccup touches Toothless for the first time; I was choked up by the scene.
DKS 12/17/17
How to Train Your Dragon 2
2014, DreamWorks
Amazingly—and thankfully—DreamWorks' sequel to Dragon is every bit as good, delivering the same quality in every way. And so, once again, I simply cannot say enough good about it. The 500+ people involved in its production should be commended for their outstanding efforts. And, for what it's worth, the critics agree.
DKS 12/17/17
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
2019, DreamWorks
Earning over a half-billion worldwide, Hidden World defied all odds as the third in a trilogy to be a solid hit. Funny, heartwarming, exciting, and visually stunning, it succeeds in every way and proudly maintains—and even excels—the quality of its predecessors. The only other animation franchise to perform this consistently is Toy Story.
DKS 7/3/20
How to Train Your Dragon [live action adaption]
2025, DreamWorks
Wildly successful, HTTYD has remained highly popular ever since its release, fifteen years ago, with sequels maintaining the very same high quality and originality of the first. Deeply engaging and emotional, these family films are at times surprisingly powerful and moving, and stand proudly among the finest CGI entries of all time, on par with such heavy-hitters as Toy Story and The Incredibles. HTTYD ha the unique quality of inspiring thoughts of seeing it in live action form. And then, somehow, exactly that happened. Dreamworks demonstrated their confidence in the series by investing the millions necessary to bring the toon to life. If this sounds (and looks) like wish fulfilment, that's pretty much what it is.
The trailers perfectly presented the visceral strength of HTTYD as live-action, and I was instantly and deeply hooked.
The wait for hard media was not long, and I was soon settling down into my sofa in preparation for... well, for something that, sadly, never fully materialized. Sometimes it was shot-for-shot, sometimes veering off into its own variation (understandable and perfectly fine), but overall it... just... didn't... quite... hit the mark. Enjoyable, yes; professional, absolutely. But... its greatest weaknesses emerged in an uneven, often unsatisfying representation of the dragons as a mix of CGI, puppets, and other tricks. I would have expected them to have used the animated version as a template for next-gen, hyper-realistic CGI characters. It left me feeling short-changed, and sadly I spent my time studying the dragons critically, rather than enjoying the story. It really pulled my closet filmmaker out to troubleshoot what should have been an easy-peasy homerun, but instead it was a study in what was staring the filmmakers right in the face, like Toothless' lifeless wooden head.
Bottom line: ironically, it was a film many of us dreamed about but that no one really wanted.
DKS 9/16/25
