You know that saying, “comparison is the thief of joy”? Yeah… that’s pretty much the vibe going into the new live-action How to Train Your Dragon. It’s nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the beloved 2010 animated movie, so if you’ve got that version burned into your heart (and let’s be honest, most of us do), it might take a minute to adjust.

But once you stop mentally checking off what’s different or the same, something kind of magical happens: the emotions sneak up on you all over again.

Mason Thames might not look exactly like animated Hiccup (he’s less “scrawny Viking-in-progress” and more “okay, maybe you could fight a dragon”), but emotionally? He nails it. That mix of awkwardness, courage, and heart is still right there. Nico Parker’s Astrid is more ambitious and serious, and the actress nailed her action scenes; she was smooth and totally selling her stunts. Nick Frost as Gobber is good yet I’m still kind of missing Craig Ferguson in the role. I wonder how he would have looked in this version. Having Butler back as Stoick immediately makes me look for Ferguson next to him. And let’s talk about the dragons, wow. They’re beautifully done. Toothless, in particular, looks so real, it’s honestly a little breathtaking when he takes flight. The flying scenes are still pure joy, and that score still hits.

The movie runs a bit longer than the animated version, and while it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what was added, the pacing isn’t quite as seamless. Some of that animated spark gets a little lost in translation. But what it lacks in flow, it makes up for in heart. I cried. Again. No shame.

If you loved the original or the books, this one’s still worth the ride. If you’ve never met Hiccup and Toothless before? What an intro.

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