How to Train Your Dragon (2025) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

With live-action remakes of classic animated films all the rage, it shouldn’t be surprising that other studios would follow the House of Mouse for some of that familiar IP exploitation box office gold. What is surprising is that a live-action remake could not only be good, but actually be almost as good as the original without hardly changing a thing. Original animated film co-director Dean DeBlois returns to the mythical land of Berk for a retelling of How to Train Your Dragon with real sets, real locations, a live human cast, and photorealistic CGI dragons (because, sadly, dragons aren’t real). 

Did you see 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon? Then, in an interesting way, you’ve already seen this 2025 update. One of the key complaints about a number of the live-action remakes of animated classics that have come down the blockbuster pipeline has been the ill-advised changes. Whether completely changing a character or adding nonsensical plot beats, additional stupid songs to sell a new soundtrack, or just plain being flat, boring and uninspired. These films may have made huge bucks at the box office, but they just don’t hold a candle to their original animated counterparts. 

Along comes 2025's How to Train Your Dragon, which, weirdly enough, works because very little was changed. So little was changed that the film often comes across as a shot-for-shot remake of the 2010 film in a different medium. Some of the casting obviously changed; our hero Hiccup is now played very well by Mason Thames, and Nico Parker steps in for Astrid, with Nick Frost turning in a funny run as Gobber. Gerard Butler gets another shot as the grizzled Stoick. Toothless is still CGI, but now comes in the photorealistic variety. There’s a little shakeup with the societal makings of Berk and its clan of warriors, but that’s it. Everything plays out almost exactly the same. So why does this work so well?

I honestly think it’s precisely because they didn’t make radical changes to the story, characters, or the plot beats that this live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon worked so well. The original film already hit so many wonderful emotional highs; the only thing they had to do was let a real live cast sell that experience. And it worked beautifully. There was something grand about a live Gerard Butler saying similar (if not exactly the same) lines as his animated counterpart. Hiccup’s first big flight with Toothless is just as arresting in live-action as it was animated. The big finale dragon battle is just as exhilarating and dramatic. The changes made are so slim that they don't become irritating or distracting. I feel that so many of the issues with Disney's changes for their live-action editions stem from those changes and updates that distract more than pull you into the story. 

I took my visiting nieces to this film at IMAX 3D, and I expected to be entertained but also cynically irritated at seeing yet another remake of an animated favorite. Worse, I feared an utterly lifeless, boring experience like Psycho. Even as the story unfolded nearly exactly as I expected, with little deviation, I was sucked back into this magical world of warriors and dragons. The original animated film is one of my favorites, but there’s something about real-life actors and real-life sets that made the experience feel exciting and new, if familiar. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
How to Train Your Dragon reigns straight 4K fire down upon our collections with a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital release from Universal. The 4K is pressed on a BD100 with a BD50 serving up the 1080p edition. The discs are housed in a standard two-disc case with identical slipcover art.

In 2160p Dolby Vision, How to Train Your Dragon makes a big splash with an often striking 2.39:1/1.90:1 shifting aspect ratio transfer. I got to see this in IMAX 3D, and it was a true splendor when the world of Berk opened up for those big action sequences and glory shots in 1.90:1, and it’s nice to see this home video release do the same. Now, I would have rather seen this film at home in 3D, but all props to the 4K release because it’s beautiful. Every intricate detail in the numerous beards, the armored fur-adorned costumes of the villagers, the homes, boats, and dragons is crystal clear. Even Toothless moves away from being the glossy dragon in the animated features with full details in the scales and lighting variations in textures, while still looking like a big black cat with leathery wings. Colors are generally vibrant, primaries see plenty of attention, but it’s the green rolling hills of Berk and the assorted appearances of the dragons that get the most color pop. Skin tones are natural and human. Black levels are deep and inky with excellent shadow separation, giving those bigger moments a true sense of depth and dimension. I still hope to see a 3D Blu-ray of this someday, but until then, this 4K Dolby Vision experience is excellent.

Matching the video point for point is the Dolby Atmos track. From swooping fire-breathing dragons to Toothless’ screech to the screams of the men and women of Berk. Similar to the 2010 original, it opens up to all the chaos of living on an island that is routinely ravaged by dragons, treating us to everything that’s to come. The Powell score is just as rich as ever, even though it’s a slight reorchestration of his original motifs. The distribution of the village offers strong, heavy impact on the LFE rumble. The dragons flying overhead and the fireballs raining down deliver a fully active height channel experience. Dialog via Hiccup’s narration and the ensuing chaos is clear without issue. Side, surround, and rear channels remain fully active for the big events. And the rest of the film carries on like that. Even in the quieter moments, the film finds smart uses to keep the various channels working for a fully immersive soundscape.

Completing the home video package is a rather healthy assortment of interesting bonus features. Director Dean DeBlois provides a terrific audio commentary, diving deep into how they brought the animated feature to life, casting, location scouting, building the real-life sets, and offering tidbits about how they adapted the story all over again. After that, the next meaty bit is a 45-minute making-of that is a nicely dedicated look at the making of the film. Following that are some nicely focused featurettes looking at the set design, costumes, and the making of a few key sequences. All around, a great set of extras we don’t often see for modern releases. 

• Audio Commentary featuring Dean DeBlois
• Deleted Scenes (HD 5:11)
• Gag Reel (HD 2:47)
• Love & Legacy: Making How To Train Your Dragon (HD 45:44)
• Building Berk (HD 8:06)
• Fit for a Viking (HD 5:04)
• Forbidden Friendship (HD 6:38)
• Test Drive (HD 3:32)

In 2010, we were gifted with a rip-roaring dragon-riding adventure that spawned two sequels and TV series spin-offs. In 2025, we’re again gifted a rip-roaring dragon-riding adventure - and we’ve yet to see if there will be any sequels or TV series spin-offs. Granted, the world probably didn’t need a near shot-for-shot live-action take on How to Train Your Dragon, but we got one, and it’s, amazingly enough, actually good! It’s a sign that a good story told well can transcend medium. Animated or Live-Action, the story of a boy and his dragon hits those emotional notes. I may still prefer the 2010 original over this one, but unlike other recent remakes from a rival studio, I can actually see myself pulling this 2025 remake of How to Train Your Dragon off the shelf many more times. It's well made and great fun! With an excellent A/V presentation and some genuinely interesting, well-produced extra features. Highly Recommended