“How to Train Your Dragon”, the live action movie version of the 2010 animation film of the same name, is fairly enjoyable but also quite unnecessary in my humble opinion. Although this is a competent product which will probably satisfy most of its target audiences, it sadly does not bring anything particularly new or fresh to the story and characters, while only reminding us again of how live action film cannot usually surpass animation films in terms of mood, style, and detail.

Above all, my mind remembers too much of how much I was entertained and electrified when I watched the 2010 animation film for the first time. Shortly after returning from my little trip to Chicago and the 2010 Ebertfest in April, I was quite exhausted and depressed after the inevitable end of all those fun and excitement during that glorious time (I met and talked a lot with Roger Ebert and my fellow Far-flung foreign correspondents, for example), but then there came two special films which rejuvenated me to a considerable degree. First, I watched the restored version of Fritz Lang’s great silent film “Metropolis” (1927) at the 2010 Jeonju International Film Festival, and then I watched the 2010 animation film, which was incidentally released in South Korean theaters not long after that.

I must confess that I gave the 2010 animation film only three stars out of four as regarding it as another usual Hollywood blockbuster animation film, but, what do you know, it has grown on me along with its two subsequent sequels which are equally entertaining. Besides its colorful characters to remember, it is also packed with a lot of style and personality to be savored, and its dragon flying sequences are as spirited and exciting as the ones in James Cameron’s ambitious SF blockbuster film “Avatar” (2009). Not so surprisingly, I watched it no less than three times during its first several weeks in South Korean theaters, and I always enjoyed every minute of it without getting bored at all.

However, the live action film version does not engage or amaze me that much even though having all the same elements to be mixed in the pretty much same way. While there are some additions and variations here and there in the film, its overall result still does not distinguish itself a lot from its animation film version, and that made me want to revisit the 2010 animation film version more than before.        

In addition, there are a number of main elements in the live action film version which are unfortunately deficient in comparison. For instant, its meek but resourceful young hero Hiccup (Mason Thames) feels plainer and more colorless, and this will probably make you appreciate more of how Jay Baruchel’s nerdy but likable voice performance imbues a considerable amount of spirit and personality to Hiccup in the 2010 animation film version.

And look at all those broad supporting characters surrounding Hiccup in the live action film version, who often just look like a group of performers doing their job in front of the camera instead of feeling like real characters to observe. Yes, their counterparts in the 2010 animation film look quite cartoonish at times, they are much more memorable as bringing some extra humor and personality to the story.

As a matter of fact, only Gerard Butler, who reprises his role from the 2010 animation film, seems to understand the task given to him and his fellow cast members in the live action film version. As Hiccup’s macho father who is also the chieftain of their Viking clan living in one remote island, he gleefully chews every scene of his in the film with Scottish accent (Don’t ask me whether this is ethnically or culturally accurate or not), and he also brings some inner sensitivity to his character as he did wonderfully in the 2010 animation film.

In case of all those dragon characters in the film, they certainly look as realistic as possible thanks to good special effects, but, not so surprisingly, they do not have enough sense of awe and wonder compared to their animation counterparts. Director/writer Dean DeBlois, who co-directed and co-wrote the 2010 animation film, and his crew members including cinematographer Bill Pope try their best here, but I must point out that Hiccup’s accidental pet dragon Toothless and many other dragon figures look a lot more colorful and interesting in the 2010 animation film. In the live action film version, they are just a bunch of well-made CGI figures, and Toothless somehow looks a bit less charming here to my little disappointment.

The live action film version will not probably let you down in case of its several dragon flying sequences, but they are almost exactly identical to what we already experienced from the 2010 animation film version, and the score by John Powell, who was deservedly Oscar-nominated for the 2010 animation film (His score should have won instead of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ tacky hipster electronic linoleum score for David Fincher’s “The Social Network” (2010), by the way), is pretty much same except some necessary orchestral modification. Even though he is simply demanded to repeat one of his greatest career achievements here, Powell admirably sticks to what made his 2010 score so special, and his another solid effort ironically drew me back more to the 2010 animation film.    

In conclusion, “How to Train Your Dragon” may entertain you as much as you pay for your ticket, but I am still asking myself whether this is really necessary from the start. At this point, it is quite possible that those two sequels of the 2010 animation film will also be adapted into live action film, and, folks, that prospect makes me depressed more instead of being actually excited or interested.