How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action) 3D Movie Review

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How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action) 3D Movie Review

Movie Review by Jacob Scarberry

3D

How can I describe the 3D in How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action) with any word other than “breathtaking”? I simply can’t. Even with the film’s dark and saturated cinematography, the 3D still stands above everything that has been released this year so far (as of Friday the 13th, June 2025).

From the opening scenes, the depth is constant and immersive — especially in how deep the sets go. You’ll often see set dressing in the foreground poking right toward the viewer, and the flying scenes are nothing short of amazing. Several moments feature fire and embers blasting directly out of the screen, creating a thrilling and tangible sense of danger. Window breaks with particles, weapons, boats, and more keep the action popping forward.

That said, it’s not perfect 3D — but it’s damn close. There were a few moments where the editing moved a bit too quickly, which made it hard to fully appreciate the 3D craftsmanship. A slower pace in some shots would’ve really let those details shine.

Still, with its natural spatial layering, dimensional details, and constant visual engagement, How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action) a fantastic 3D experience.

Final 3D Score:

9/10 and Editor’s Choice Award

Movie

There are several reasons why I might be the absolute worst person to review How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action):

  • A) I generally dislike and disregard live-action remakes of classic animated films.

  • B) I’m not exactly the target demographic (a man in his late 30s without kids).

  • C) I’ve always thought the original (animated) How to Train Your Dragon was an overrated 6/10 film that somehow got vaulted to immediate 10/10 status by nearly everyone who saw it.

So yeah — I’ve probably lost the trust of everyone reading this. Despite all this How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action) actually worked for me. It also worked for my best friend Corey, and this shocked us both, considering we’re probably two of the most cynical people this side of Statler and Waldorf.

The movie is, quite literally, the original (animated) film, beat for beat. Hiccup (Mason Thames) is the awkward laughingstock of the island of Berk — which is especially rough since he’s the son of the village leader, Stoick (Gerard Butler, reprising his role), a beloved and battle-hardened Viking. During the opening, Hiccup tries to help repel the dragon attacks, hoping to catch and kill the ever-elusive Night Fury, a dragon no one’s ever seen. Miraculously, he succeeds — but only he knows. When it comes time to slay the dragon, he can’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he sets it free. Toothless escapes, injured and unable to fly.

Meanwhile, Stoick prepares to lead a raid to find the Dragon’s Nest, determined to end the attacks once and for all. Gobber (Nick Frost), Hiccup’s blacksmith teacher, convinces Stoick to enroll his son in dragon-fighting training to help him find his place. Enter the supporting teen cast: Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), siblings Ruffnut and Tuffnut (Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn), the obnoxious Snotlout (Gabriel Howell), and Astrid (Nico Parker), Hiccup’s future love interest — all of whom are very unimpressed with him.

As Hiccup secretly begins bonding with Toothless and starts doing better in training (thanks to what he learns from the dragon), he begins to find his confidence and purpose. But danger looms, and it’ll take the unlikeliest Viking to step up and save the day.

So yeah — this is a near copy-paste remake, down to the same co-writer and co-director Dean DeBlois from the original trilogy. Ironically, Chris Sanders (co-director of the original and Lilo & Stitch) also has a remake in theaters right now. While you can’t expect massive surprises, there’s enough freshness here to keep it engaging — especially if you haven’t seen the original animated film in full since 2010 (like me).

What Worked in this movie :

  • The casting is pretty solid. Mason Thames does a good job as Hiccup, even if he lacks the nebbish charm Jay Baruchel brought to the role.

  • Gerard Butler steals the show — he absolutely nails Stoick, making him both likable and flawed. Honestly, I half expected him to yell “THIS… IS… BERK!!” every other scene, and I wouldn’t have minded.

  • The sets are fantastic. A lot of physical environments were used, and Northern Ireland serves as a beautiful stand-in for Berk.

  • The CGI is strong, even if it lacks the expressive, stylized charm of the animated dragons.

  • The cinematography is nice, but the color palette leans too heavily into earthy tones. It needed more visual pop and magic.

  • John Powell’s score returns, and it’s still gorgeous — full of Celtic tones that easily outshine the usual Disney remake fare.

This is a remake that didn’t need to happen — but surprisingly, it works. It’s fun, well-made, and even managed to win over two jaded cynics. How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is fun, well-made, and honors the original while finding just enough of its own voice. It may not soar to new heights, but strong visuals, solid performances, and top-tier 3D make it a great time at the movies. Buy some snacks, throw on your 3D glasses, and enjoy the ride — you won’t regret it.

Final Movie Score: 8/10


Learn more about how we rate 3D content via the link below:

https://www.3dor2d.com/3d-or-2d-ratingssystem/

Lilo and Stitch 2025 3D Movie Review

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Lilo and Stitch 2025

3D Movie Review

By: Jake Jarvis

3D

Let’s talk about the 3D—briefly, because there’s not much to say. It’s the kind of afterthought conversion that makes you wonder why they even bothered. The film’s bathed in sunlight and island color, but that doesn’t save it from the dreaded “cardboard cutout” effect. The film lacks memorable 3D pop-outs and genuine 3D depth, presenting a mere succession of shallow layers reminiscent of a sad peanut butter and banana sandwich. You’ll forget you’re even watching it in 3D until you take the glasses off. To put it simply, the 3D aspect of the Lilo and Stitch(2025) movie is mid. Save your money, buy a Stitch plushie for the kids instead.

Final 3D Score: 5/10

Movie

Disney’s latest live-action experimental remake, Lilo and Stitch(2025), continues their tradition of remaking animated classics with all the characters and half of the soul. If you’ve seen the 2002 original, you’ve seen this—only this time, it’s in live-action and somehow feels flatter. The plot? It’s still the charming story of a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts what she thinks is a “dog”, only to discover he’s an alien fugitive with a taste for violent chaos. The 2002 original had heart, humor, and eye-popping watercolor animation. This version of Lilo and Stitch has… a huge budget and the vague scent of corporate obligation.

Stitch is still a cute, bad-boy alien koala-like creature - That’s it. Let’s be real: Stitch (huge merch moneymaker) is the reason this movie exists. With Mickey Mouse heading for the public domain, it’s not shocking Disney is pushing Stitch like he’s the new company mascot. He’s basically Oswald the Lucky Rabbit if Oswald dropped acid and watched Despicable Me on repeat. Many fans find Stitch’s humor and chaotic nature to be sufficient justification for the existence of this film. The movie isn’t awful by any means, but I will probably forget this movie released in a week or two.

Once the novelty of seeing him(Stitch) in live action fades away, the film becomes a high-budget fan project that plays similarly. The performances, stripped of the expressive animation and watercolor backdrops, are flatter than a ukulele with no strings. It faithfully captures the essence of the original’s plot (with a few minor alterations), but this only underscores how significantly weaker it becomes without the original’s artistic brilliance.

Bottom line: Lilo and Stitch(2025) brings the laughs, but the movie forgets to bring everything else, including depth and any legitimate reason for its existence besides that of corporate greed.

Final Movie Score: 6/10


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https://www.3dor2d.com/3d-or-2d-ratingssystem/

https://movies.disney.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025

© 2025 Disney and its related entities

Thunderbolts 3D Movie Review

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Thunderbolts*

3D Movie Review

by Jacob Scarberry

3D

This is easily one of the MCU’s best examples of what they can do with converted 3D. Right from the jump, there’s a great sense of depth and dimension—starting with Yelena skydiving off a skyscraper, which gives you that stomach-dropping sense of vertigo. There are a ton of pop-out moments too. Yelena, Bucky, and US Agent all aim their weapons straight at the audience more than once, and it ranges from subtle to straight-up in-your-face—and it’s awesome. One standout moment has OxCorp sentries pointing laser sights directly at you, and it really lands.

Now, I did notice a fair bit of ghosting in the backgrounds of some scenes. I’m not sure if that’s on the theater’s projector, the screen, or maybe the cinematography itself—but it’s worth noting. Still, Thunderbolts* is a first-rate 3D presentation and absolutely worth the upgrade if your local theater offers it.

Final 3D Score: 8/10

Movie

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend. This is definitely a change of pace from your typical MCU fare and I am here for it. Thunderbolts* is a far better movie than I expected.

Thunderbolts* opens with Yelena (Florence Pugh), still struggling with the loss of her sister from Avengers Endgame. She’s working for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus going full evil “Veep” here), drowning in depression and vodka, feeling completely lost. To make things worse, the closest thing she’s ever had to a father, Alexei (David Harbour), has kept his distance since the events of the Black Widow movie, which only deepens the emotional weight she’s carrying. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is now a congressman—yeah, seriously—and he’s investigating Val and OxCorp, who are caught up in a mess of shady dealings. Val’s on the verge of impeachment from her CIA position, and to cover her tracks, she starts erasing the evidence—by sending Yelena, US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) to kill each other and destroy everything, bodies included. In the chaos, they accidentally find Project Sentry: a guy named Bob (Lewis Pullman). These characters band together to survive, get revenge, and—despite themselves—start to become an actual team, all while facing their own demons.

This isn’t your average Marvel flick. No endless quips, no shaky-cam fight scenes, no SkyBeam™ finales. This movie goes deeper, to more unexpected places. Sure, there’s action to keep the casual fans hooked, but what really pulls you in is the psychological edge (think that junkyard fight in Superman III—yeah, that kind of cerebral). Thunderbolts* is one smart movie (far smarter than it looks). And somehow, director Jake Schrier (Paper Towns, Beef) pulls it off. The film balances brains and spectacle, and the script gives us solid storytelling, real character work, and actual laughs that don’t feel forced.

The acting is strong across the board, with Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman standing out in particular. Their performances work not just individually, but because of the chemistry they share. Despite being a hodgepodge team, the group works surprisingly well together—and they’re genuinely fun to watch on screen.

If I have one complaint, it’s that the first half of the movie drags just a bit. There’s a whole stretch (in the gorgeous Utah landscape) that goes on for too long. A tighter edit could’ve trimmed 10 minutes and sharpened the pace.

Still, everything else fires on all cylinders. Thunderbolts* isn’t just one of the best post-Endgame films—it might be top-tier MCU, period. Don’t expect Marvel’s version of The Suicide Squad. Expect a smart, thoughtful comic book movie that kicks off summer 2025 in the best way possible—and man, do we need that right now.

Final Movie Score: 9/10


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https://www.3dor2d.com/3d-or-2d-ratingssystem/

Official Website :

https://www.marvel.com/movies/thunderbolts

© 2025 MARVEL