Relax, dear readers, your eyes don’t deceive you with that headline. Just as Universal/DreamWorks have remade the 2010 fan favorite How to Train Your Dragon, the studio has given its well regarded franchise another premium format finish. Which means it’s time to ask an old question that gets new answers each time: To 3D or Not To 3D?
This time, the difference is even more marked with the addition of the 4DX format! So if you’re curious how we felt about the picture as a cinematic experience, then feel free to check out our How to Train Your Dragon review! But if you’re ready to see if this premium hybrid soars or sinks, you’ve come to the right place. Oh, and don’t worry, Toothless is still adorable in live-action.
Overall Fit Score: 3.5/5
It should be a no-brainer to bring this franchise to the realms of 3D and 4DX. Both formats have been present in this franchise’s history since How to Train Your Dragon 2’s 3D release in 2014. But director/writer Dean DeBlois’ 2025 live-action remake has been riding the 4DX hype train for some time, as the most recent pre-trailer bumper we’ve been experiencing is the “Test Drive” sequence, in format. That’s not to say it’s a perfect fit, but this movie has a solid foundation to build off of here.
Overall Planning & Effort: 3.5/5
It breaks my heart to say this, but both sides of the Planning and Effort for How to Train Your Dragon’s new revamp have been caught falling down on the job. Sadly, the damage isn’t limited to the typical setbacks, like Brightness and Scent effects. Boasting a 3D conversion from DNeg, and having been “filmed for IMAX,” there is a degree of care presented in the finished product. That fact makes the full breakdown of where this Dragon flight fails to launch all the more heartbreaking.
3D Before The Window: 2/5
There are some moments in How to Train Your Dragon’s 2025 remake where the 3D thrills act as they should. In the case of our Before the Window presentation, the opening scene where dragons lay siege to Berk is actually an early standout. Even in the moments where the projection of debris and other elements of the third dimensional picture are played well enough, there’s never a flinch-worthy moment that highlights an exemplary 3D performance. Though there is a slight silver lining of the facial features of stars like Mason Thames being drawn with noteworthy depth - similar to Daniel Craig’s face in No Time to Die’s 3D presentation.
3D Beyond The Window: 4/5
Knowing how to balance the limitless depth of wide open scenes with the establishment of more personal moments is something that any good 3D movie does well. How to Train Your Dragon doesn’t suffer in this department, as you can get your fill of both sides of that coin throughout the picture in question.
Though in the screening I observed for this write-up, I noticed how well the up-close scenes worked over larger canvassed moments. Considering the 3D effect actually remains for the closing credits, this particular effect gets to show off for longer than most pictures.
3D Brightness Score: 3/5
Where did the color go in the How to Train Your Dragon remake? Seriously, just because you make a “grounded” live-action movie doesn’t mean you need to strip away the flashier bits of the canvas. Admittedly, your mileage may vary in this department, as theaters will vary in how they maintain their 3D projection equipment.
Also, since this was an “Early Access” screening, I’m wondering if there’s a chance the first proper screenings will be a potential improvement. While you’ll still be able to watch this adventure without much eye strain, you’ll probably notice that the color drain seen in the How to Train Your Dragon trailer is still present in the film proper.
3D Glasses Off: 5/5
Taking your glasses off during a 3D presentation, you’ll notice a blur to the image that shows the level of manipulation employed to create the illusion of a three-dimensional picture. Though the final effect may not land as beautifully as one would have hoped, there is a solid level of blur presented. The usual balancing act between blurred backgrounds and 2D anchorpoints being presented front and center is present, which has me further questioning why the overall effects weren't more exciting when put together.
4DX Water Effects: 1/5
Those 4DX previews of How to Train Your Dragon sure did spoil us audience members when compared to what we got out of the finished product. For a movie that takes place on an island that’s surrounded by mist and waves, there is very little splashing about on the isle of Berk. “Light sprinkles” are the most I can report from my experience with this particular movie, and that’s a real disappointment when there’s scenes involving close proximity to the ocean, literal buckets of water being tossed, and, of course, dragon spit.
4DX Scent Effects: 1/5
If you’re surprised by the lack of 4DX scent effects, then welcome, newcomer! This seems to be the habitual problem child on this side of the house, and I couldn’t even smell the usual entry level grass and dirt scents I feel were much more prevalent in earlier movies. Can someone become scent blind to 4DX?
4DX Light/Air/Smoke Effects: 2/5
How to Train Your Dragon is one of the rare movies that actually uses the strobe light effect; courtesy of Toothless’ supercharged dragon blasts. But as you can tell with that caveat, there’s not a lot of strobe lighting effects used in the full film. Smoke effects are equally sparse, and the disappointment in how mild the air effects feel during any sort of dragon flight action is very real.
4DX Motion Effects: 5/5
I would have been the most disappointed in How to Train Your Dragon’s live-action remake if the motion effects in 4DX didn’t live up to the hype. This is usually where 4DX excels anyway, as movement is quite possibly the easiest piece of this puzzle to portray. There’s a nuance to the motion too, as everything from Hiccup clumsily running through Berk to dragons running, flying and lunging is truly felt.
So unless you’ve got tickets to Epic Universe this weekend, this is the closest you’re going to get to flying on Toothless. But just like any major roller coaster, you're going to have to keep in mind 4DX's safety regulations before bringing younger audience members along for the ride.
Overall Audience Health: 5/5
No nausea here, folks. You might feel a bit frustrated that you’re seeing almost exactly the same How to Train Your Dragon you probably rented or streamed to prepare for this live-action remake; but that’s not on the 3D/4DX thrills on display.
Final Verdict: 34/55
Let's be honest, the major draw of How to Train Your Dragon in 3D/4DX is to feel like you're riding Toothless. If that's all you want, then this is 100% the ticket you should be buying. While this picture knows how to splash out on big set-pieces, it fails to immerse the audience in a way similar to the impressive Sinners' 4DX-perience we got earlier in the year.
But perhaps next week's premium offering will fare better; as the long-awaited sequel 28 Years Later will be presented in 4DX glory. The results of that non-3D experience should be when we meet up next, so don't forget to come back and see if this dynamic premium format can turn a scary movie into something truly frightening!
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