I’ve lost track of how many Disney live action remakes there have been—and do we count something like Maleficent, which isn’t so much a remake as a reimagining, but still brings an animated world to live action?—and we still have more coming, with Mufasa due this December. But we also have a first look teaser at a non-Disney live action remake, which is Dreamworks/Universal’s How To Train Your Dragon. The live action version comes from director and screenwriter Dean DeBlois, who wrote and directed the animated trilogy of Dragon films, and yes, the live action version IS a shot for shot remake of the animated film, and you know what? I DON’T CARE.

 

How To Train Your Dragon is wonderful. It’s never really been celebrated as it should be, but it’s every bit as warm-hearted and magical as Paddington, it’s as exciting as the best kid-adventure films, and it has DRAGONS. The animation is beautiful, the flight sequences have always been outstanding, and you know what? They’re going to look f-cking SPECTACULAR in IMAX.

 

Of course, I harbored similar hopes for Disney’s Little Mermaid remake, that technology had advanced enough to make mermaids and an underwater sea kingdom look incredible, and then Disney sh-t the bed. But the teaser for the live action Dragon looks gorgeous, from the coastline shots of Northern Ireland to the super green forests to Hiccup’s fateful meeting with Toothless. Yes, Toothless is still animated, but this is an animated world that should translate beautifully to live action, and they shot the film in Northern Ireland, using as many practical sets as they could. It sounds like the intention was to focus the effects on the dragons themselves, which is obvious, duh, but SO many of these live action remakes use such extensive green screen that it forces us to ask what we’re even doing with these films when they end up 90% animated anyway.

 

But in this case, it’s pretty obvious that the selling point is the dragons, and most especially the flight sequences. Think Top Gun but with dragons, that’s where my mind is going. Because they can combine real aerial footage with the animated dragons to make the cinematic experience of a dragon flying even more visceral and thrilling. Game of Thrones did it for dragons on the small screen, don’t tell me you don’t want to see that sh-t on the big screen. I’m in just for that.

As for the live action cast, Gerard Butler returns as Hiccup’s father, Stoick, and Hiccup is played by Mason Thames, who previously starred in The Black Phone. Jay Baruchel’s vocal performance as Hiccup is so good, Thames has big shoes to fill, and honestly, the trailer isn’t selling me on him as much as it is real live Toothless (sort of), real live Toothless (sort of) looks incredible. Nick Frost takes over as Gobber the Belch, and Julian Dennison steps in as Fishlegs Ingerman. Astrid Hofferson is now played by British actress Nico Parker (Thandiwe Newton’s daughter), and Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn are playing the Tuffnut twins. 

 

That’s a solid cast of young, emerging talent, but none of us are here for the people. We’re all here for Toothless. And by “we” I mean “me”, I love Toothless. Which is why the live action, shot for shot remake of How To Train Your Dragon is getting a huge pass from me. As long as they deliver on the dragons, I will excuse this tiresome, unimaginative trend.