This is a SOLID remake of an animated movie - not just any animated movie, but HTTYD. I knew what was gonna happen, so I just wanted to enjoy the visuals and the score, but Mason's performance had me drawn in and I forgot about focusing on the score and visuals and just enjoyed the movie for being a movie. It was really good man.
I liked the more realisitic takes on some scenes, like certain interactions between the Riders of Berk and Hiccup and the village and Hiccup (Stoick didn't make the joke about those staying behind would watch Hiccup; He made it realistic and bragged on how important it is to go out and find the nest).
My one bug was Nico's portayal of Astrid in some scenes; She just had a blank face for the majority of the scenes' durations - moreso when she meets Toothless and some other scenes. But overall, she felt like Astrid. The twins didn't look like THE twins and Astrid didn't look like Astrid, but I still liked them and in the world of live action remakes - or remakes in general- these past years, you can't have everything, lol.
Solid - that's all I have 🗿. I loved Mason as Hiccup, Gerard Butler IS Stoick, Nico was good when she needed to be and the VISUALS (I ain't even talking about how the dragons looked, but the scenery and environment when Test Drive (GOOD) took place. The only part that looked off and didn't srike me as, "they are in this world for real," was when Astrid jumped from the Red Death's mouth as it ignited the gas) and the score were amazing. The Red Death was MASSIVE and the other dragons looked good. The look of the Gronkle's gotta grow on me. I think Dean DeBlois knew stills with how Toothless looks and how the other dragons looks would be off, that's why there's no stills. It blended well tho, no biggie. Everytime Toothless smashed into a rock or the Red Death slammed into mountains and stuff, I cringed and I didn't do so when I saw the animated movie; Everything just felt weighty (maybe being in a theater is like that 🤷🏽♂️).
Overall, LET'S GO HTTYD 2 IN 2027; I hope Cate Blanchett returns as Valka (Cloudjumper the Stormcutter's finna look sick in live action).Gonna be my favorite one as Part 2 is my favorite in the animated franchise. Let's go Nico, improve and you got this.
Solid 4/5 and a 8.5/10 for that extra ranking, lol.