TEHRAN – Canadian filmmaker Dean DeBroy’s 2025 film How to the Dragon was shown during a session at Tehran’s Arasbaran Cultural Centre on Wednesday.
Iranian film critic Amir Kadeli attended a review session following the film’s screening.
“How to Train Your Dragon” is a live-action remake of a 2010 animated film of the same name. The film brings fascinating stories to life with its stunning visual effects and a talented cast, providing both nostalgia and new excitement to viewers around the world.
The film features Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gabriel Howell, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwin, Peter Seraffinowich and Nick Frost. Gerard Butler retaliates for his role as the proud Viking Chief Stoic the Wasic. This marks DreamWorks’ first foray into live-action filmmaking, mixing the signature’s storytelling style with realistic visual effects.
The remake premiered at Cinemacon in April and attracted critics and fans acclaim. Critics praised the film’s breathtaking visuals, heartfelt performances, and faithful adaptations of the original story. Commercially, it earned over $563 million worldwide, making it one of 2025’s greatest growth films and was a huge success. Its popularity led to the announcement of a sequel scheduled to be released in 2027, and promised to continue his teethless adventure with Hiccup.
Set in the Viking Village in Burke, the story follows the terrifying Haddock III of Hiccup, a young, physically weak Viking, the son of a fierce chief stoic. Unlike the other Vikings, Hiccup struggles to meet his expectations as a warrior, but dreams of proving himself. He spends his time inventing mechanical devices to overcome his limitations.
During the attack, during the hiccup, shoot down an unusual dragon called a nighttime Fury along with the Bolas Launcher. The villagers dismiss his success, but Hiccup’s curiosity leads him to search for the fallen dragon. When he finds a wounded creature, he chooses compassion and releases it. This marks the beginning of a special bond between them.
Meanwhile, Stoic is planning to destroy the Dragons’ nest, and Hiccup is sent to the Dragon Fighting class along with other young Vikings such as Fishbeast and Snot. Hiccup struggles at first and gets ecstatic with his companions, but he finds comfort in the forest, where he is trapped and injured by a toothless, trapped tail fin. Using his ingenuity, hiccups create prosthetic fins and saddles, allowing the teethless to fly again. Their friendship deepens when Hiccup learns about the dragon’s behavior and helps him tame and train other dragons, which helps impress the villagers.
The climax includes Red Death, a conflict with the giant destructive dragon that threatens Burke and its inhabitants. Hiccup’s leadership and courage unite the Vikings and Dragons to face threats. Despite the retreat, they manage to defeat the Red Death and save the house. Hiccup loses his leg in the fight, but gains the respect of his people and the love of his fellow Vikings and friend Astrid.
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