A decade and a half after he co-directed the animated film of the same name, Dean DeBlois helms the 2025 live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon (B), and it often soars. The cuteness and spunk of the titular dragon Toothless doesn’t fully translate into the real-life fantasy realm, but the flights of fancy, rugged adventure and central character conflict make for solid family entertainment. Action and adventure fans should not be disappointed; in fact, the dread and doom are heightened in this production. As the film’s protagonist, Mason Thames is a dynamic lead as he weighs whether to be a warrior or whisperer in dealing with the beasts plaguing his Viking island. Gerard Butler is a bit more basic as his boorish warrior dad, and few others in the ensemble were standouts. The effects are quite strong throughout, and the rousing score by John Powell enlivens even some overextended sequences. For those who savor repeat viewings of this favorite scale tale, the remake is nearly interchangeable with its modern classic predecessor. It traces the same arch but doesn’t bring all that much new firepower.