

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon’s first reviews are out, and it appears that Dean DeBlois’ live-action adaptation is already soaring through critics’ hearts.
With 47 reviews and counting, How to Train Your Dragon scores an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, which is a great feat but doesn’t compare to the 99% score that the 2010 original animated feature received. While most reviews praised the new adaptation for sticking to the plot points of the original and not making too many changes, some took issue with it for that very reason.
MovieWeb’s Julian Roman praised the dedication to the original in their review, stating, “How to Train Your Dragon‘s live-action adaptation soars to fire-breathing success by never straying too far from the superb source material. Director Dean DeBlois recreates beloved characters, settings, and themes while adding an inclusive sensibility.” Screen Rant’s Sarah Moran believed that the live-action didn’t just emulate the original but also elevated it, “ all the while also delivering a blockbuster poised to thrill.”
For the opposing side of the reviews, Time Out’s Hanna Flint explained her criticism, stating, “The old saying goes: ‘Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.’ How to Train Your Dragon delivers the bare minimum to warrant its recreation.” The review was similar to Slant Magazine’s Justin Clark’s own, who wrote, “As heartwarming as this story remains at its core, it’s hard to shake that you already know how it will play out.”
Even if these aren’t the picture-perfect first reviews, How to Train Your Dragon is expected to dominate the box office this weekend when it hits theaters this Friday, June 13th. Mason Thames leads the cast as Hiccup, with supporting performances from Gerard Butler and Nico Parker.