How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) — Yep, It’s Still Got That Magic

Alright folks — buckle up, because I just caught How to Train Your Dragon (2025) last night, and I need to talk about it. No spoilers here, just raw, honest thoughts from a long-time fan who’s played the old Dragons: Rise of Berk mobile game way too much and still has a Toothless figurine on my desk.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. After all, we wrapped up the trilogy pretty neatly back in 2019. So what was left to tell? Turns out — a lot, and it’s actually worth the trip back to Berk.

The Premise

This new chapter is set a few decades after the third film. Berk has evolved into this cozy little utopia where dragons and humans live together, fly races are basically a national pastime, and life is good. But, you guessed it — peace never lasts forever.

Enter Freya, Hiccup and Astrid’s teenage daughter. She’s stubborn, sharp-tongued, and naturally obsessed with dragons. Classic. The movie kicks off when Freya stumbles onto something out past the safe zones of Berk — an island chain with a whole new breed of dragons and a threat that’s way bigger than she or the village can handle alone.

And yes — Toothless is still around. He’s older, a little grayer around the snout, but still faster than anything with wings. Every time he showed up, half the theater smiled like kids again. I definitely did.

What Worked

The Animation: Top-tier stuff. DreamWorks didn’t just mail this one in. The flying scenes? Absolutely insane. I swear there was one dive through storm clouds that made my stomach drop. It’s even better than the trilogy in places. The water effects, dragon designs, and sunsets looked so good I wanted to pause the screen and frame it.

The New Dragons: Lumen, Freya’s dragon, deserves his own game. I’m calling it now. He’s this sleek, glowing, deep-blue creature with bioluminescent patterns and a weird, almost electric power set. Super expressive face too — you can tell the animators had a blast with him.

The Score: John Powell is back and still knows exactly how to hit those emotional notes. The music gave me chills in the right spots, and those familiar themes sneak back in just enough to tug on the nostalgia strings without being cheap about it.

Fan Service Done Right: Cameos from older characters hit the perfect balance. It’s not a reunion movie, but when you do see those familiar faces, it actually matters. I won’t spoil who shows up, but I got a little choked up.

What Could’ve Been Better

Honestly? Some of the side characters fall a bit flat. There’s this whole new crew of dragon riders, but outside of one or two standouts, most of them are just there to fill space. I kept mixing up names, which isn’t a great sign.

And while the big final confrontation is visually epic, the resolution feels a tad rushed. It’s like they realized they were hitting the two-hour mark and needed to wrap it up fast.

Also, there are a couple of callbacks to earlier movies that felt a little forced. Not bad enough to ruin anything, but you’ll notice.

Highlights Worth Mentioning

• Freya’s banter with her parents is gold. Real “I’m-not-a-kid-anymore” energy, and Astrid’s deadpan reactions are perfect.

• There’s a mid-flight chase through a narrow canyon that might be one of the coolest sequences DreamWorks has ever done.

• The new island region has this ancient temple area that practically screams for a video game adaptation. I could see a Berk Explorer DLC happening.

• Without spoiling too much, there’s a final scene involving Toothless that’s honestly beautiful. Fans of the original trilogy will feel it.

Final Verdict

Look — if you loved the original How to Train Your Dragon movies, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s not a groundbreaking reinvention, but it didn’t need to be. It takes the world we adored, introduces a new hero, adds some eye-popping visuals, and leaves you with that same warm, adventurous buzz when the credits roll.

Is it perfect? Nah. But is it worth your time, especially if you’ve got any love for this universe? Absolutely.

Score: 8.5/10

Would watch again — and maybe snag the artbook too.