In 2010 Dreamworks released an animated film that charmed the hearts of both children and adults alike. It followed the story of a young misfit Viking who befriended an enemy dragon before finding a way to end a war that had cost many lives on both sides of the fight. The film did so well. So much so that it built a strong fan base and was followed by two sequels.  Now, following in the footsteps of some of Disney’s greatest hits, How To Train Your Dragon gets the live action remake as well.

Hiccup (Mason Thames) lives on the Isle of Berk, among a Viking tribe who are constantly at war with an seemingly insurmountable amount of dragon raiders. He is the son of the Viking King Stoick (Gerard Butler), but unlike his father he’s looked down upon because he appears weak and fragile, and not at all equipped to fight. That all changes however when he shoots down a powerful Night Fury dragon during a raid.

Unfortunately no one sees his heroics, and he’s forced to search for the beast on his own. After finding it hidden in a mountain valley due to its injuries, Hiccup befriends the dragon he names Toothless and learns how to ride it. He also learns that the dragons are not really their enemies and have a good reason for their raids,. But trying to open the eyes of the rest of the clan to the truth is difficult and if he fails to do so it may cost them their lives.

The live action How To Train Your Dragon is not a shot for shot remake of the animated film, but it follows the same basic beats. In other words, if you’ve seen one, you know exactly what will happen in the other. This doesn’t detract from the film however, and it still manages to stand on its own. While it does take a little time to get going, the cinematography and special effects help keep it moving along. The acting is pretty decent too, although no one really stands out above anyone else.

As good as the film is, there is one gripe about it however. Toothless, and some of the other dragons, look too cartoony. If you are going to make a live action film based on an animated film, the least they could do is  make everything look realistic. That alone could help the films avoid being compared with one another. It could have made the live action film be at least a little different. While Toothless’s look is iconic, it doesn’t really suit live action at all. This doesn’t really take away from the film, but it does prevent it from soaring.

How To Train Your Dragon is a fun film, and one both adults and children will enjoy. Even if you’ve seen the original, you will still enjoy this version as well. And if you know what comes next in the original trilogy and want to see it get the same treatment, don’t fret, the live action sequel is already in production.