How much should a (real film) remake based on the original? This repeated question is currently being discussed again, after the real film remake of “Lilo & Stitch”, which has just started, was noticeably defused in terms of violence and conflicts compared to the animated template-and some of which was also justified by the fact that the new edition (supposedly) moved away from 1937. The real film remake of “Taming dragon made easy“Nobody will (can) accuse that.
Finally, Dean Deullois, one of the two directors of the original, tells the plot from 2010 with only minimal changes, just figure for figure, dialogue for dialogue and scene by scene – just with actors made of flesh and blood. One could almost speak of a graphically polished remaster. But what kind of one! After all, the animated “dragon tamer made easy” is a damn good film, which Dudlois is now polished up with a lot of love, the most modern means of technology and a well -placed acting ensemble.
The friendship between Hicks (Mason Thames) and without tooth is also right in the remake.
Welcome to Berk! For generations, a warlike tribe has been living against the dragons who have their nest somewhere nearby and regularly attack the Viking village. No wonder that the residents of Berk are as tough as Rau – with one exception: Hicks (Mason Thames), the son of the chief of the Stoische (Gerard Butler), does not fit into the community: after all, he not only prefers to tinker with all sorts of devices in the smithy of Grobian (Nick Frost), he also completely lacks the talent.
Nevertheless, it is hicks that gets a nightshade with a self -made ballist – a legendary and supposedly fire -threatening kite – from the sky. However, nobody believes that in Berk – and when Hicks starts looking for the crashed nightshade, he quickly notes: dragons are not fatal beasts at all, but highly intelligent animals. A deep friendship will soon be created between him and the nightshade baptized in the name without tooth. But how will Hick's father and the other Vikings react to this in Berk?
No 1: 1 remake, but damn close
The original “dragon tame made easy” has received a strong 4 out of 5 stars in the film start criticism, but it can hardly hide the fact that he has been in a proud 15 years now. For a computer-animated 3D film, this is a damn long time, especially since the technical possibilities have now developed rapidly-even if the participation of camera deacons (Oscars for “Blade Runner 2049” and “1917”) as a visual consultant still provides some really breathtaking pictures. So the time is ripe for an update-and that is exactly what Dean Deullois delivers with his real film remake.
Not absolutely every scene attitude for attitude was re-turned (as with Gus van Sant's “Psycho” remake from 1998). But if you know the original well, you know exactly what will happen in every single sequence – even if a small scene can be painted here and there or a figure, such as the village oldest Gothi (Naomi host), gets a little more space in the real film. So you should be aware of this before “taming dragon”. But the timelessly beautiful and cleverly constructed story of the friendship between boy and dragon also works in the real film-with only very a few deductions in the B-note.
Astrid (Nico Parker) and Hicks give up an excellent couple.
This is largely thanks to the line-up: Mason Thames (“The Black Phone”) gives a lovable, trample hicks that, in conjunction with Nico Parker (“The Last of Us”), wonderfully harmonizes as astrid. Their figure was made sensibly and rounded off compared to the original, as the small additions also ensure that the real film feels a bit round and mature overall. Therefore, it is quite fitting that the new film was occupied by voluntary self -control with an FSK from the age of 12, while the original is released from 6 years. In addition to the two young stars, two other actors are in the foreground:
Gerard Butler (“300”) obviously enjoys playing Haudrauf in real life after he had already borrowed his striking voice in the original version. And comedy-ace Nick Frost (“Shaun of the Dead”) is always good for successful gags as a blacksmith and dragon fight trainer Grobian. The figures (and dragons) in the new “dragon tame made easy” act significantly less cartoon-like than in the animated film. However, this also ensures that the jokes that are adopted in the live action version have a somewhat inappropriate effect. For example, when Haudrauf his son presents a helmet made from half the chest plate of his late mother – the deliberately exaggerated proportions simply do not fit in the real film.
Pure goose bumps!
Even if-or possibly rather: precisely because-Dean Deullois adheres to the original so closely, with the strong support of John Powell's fantastic film music, he repeatedly conjures up absolutely magical moments on the screen-such as getting to know the amusing-playful of hicks and without tooth or the flight with Astrid that is dipped in glowing sunset. The first joint flight attempts by Hicks and without tooth, which ultimately result in the “test drive” scene, which is already absolutely iconic and again truly exhilarating, and the known finale provide goosebumps despite the known output.
The first flight from Hicks and without tooth was already considered one of the best choreographed action sequence in an animated film in general.
In many such moments, the effect of the new “dragon tame made easy” even exceeds that of the original because the scenes with real actors simply seem even more spectacular. It is not officially known how much budget was available for the real film new edition, but there is a lot to talk about that Dean Deblois really got the maximum out of every single dollar. Not only were Berk and the surrounding area in Northern Ireland brought to life with many handmade sets, costumes and weapons. The scenes in which visual effects are used are almost flawless – and this also applies in particular to the dragons.
Above all, the scenes in which people and dragons meet, look amazingly real – not least because life -sized dragons (head) dolls were used on the set of the set with which the stars could interact. At the “most unrealistic”, there is almost no tooth because its appearance is very closely based on the animated original, while the other fire -spitting flights would not have been out of place in “Game of Thrones”.
Conclusion: “Taming the kite easy” simply tells the same story again, but is therefore in no way inferior to the animated film from 2010. Director Dean Deullois not only delivers a visual upgrade for the now somewhat dusty film from 2010, but also conjures up a constant smile on his audience, while the outstanding action choreography repeatedly ensures goosebumps moments.