“How to Train Your Dragon” is already a success. Since 2010, the popular animated franchise based on the book series by Cressida Cowell has scored at the box office and raked in several Oscar nominations, so naturally Universal has returned to the property, this time in live-action form — like Disney has done with their own remakes of popular animated films. With original writer/director Dean DeBlois behind the camera, this remake hews closely to the animated version, and lovingly maintains the elements that made audiences fall in love with the films in the first place.

In fact, it is a good thing that most viewers will already be somewhat familiar with the material, as the opening sequence, in which our young hero Hiccup (Mason Thames) explains the culture of his Viking village Berk — while under attack from dragons — is a bit cumbersome. Saddled with a lot of exposition introducing friends and family and Berk’s ongoing warfare with dragons, it all gets a bit muddled and clumsy under the cover of night and dragon fire.

Thankfully, it’s easy to identify one familiar figure right away. Gerard Butler reprises his voice role from the animated films playing village chieftain and Hiccup’s father, Stoick. Somehow, his Scottish brogue is even more mellifluous, his beard bigger, his horned helmet wider than his animated character. DeBlois maintains a fealty to the cartoonish look and style of the previous films, which offers both an aesthetic connection and lends itself to the high-fantasy genre.

Nick Frost punches in as blacksmith and battle trainer Gobber, while Hiccup’s crush, the skilled fighter Astrid, is now played by Nico Parker. Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn round out the group of fellow would-be dragon slayers with whom Hiccup finds himself training under Gobber’s tutelage.

But the film really takes flight with the introduction of a Night Fury dragon, whom Hiccup eventually names Toothless. Hiccup wants to prove himself to his village by capturing and killing the dragon, but he can’t bring himself to do it, instead befriending and learning to ride the sleek black reptile with feline yellow eyes.

DeBlois also co-wrote and directed the original “Lilo & Stitch” (with Chris Sanders, who also collaborated with him on the original animated "Dragon"), so it’s somewhat apt that the two live-action remakes of these films are coming out within weeks of each other, demonstrating the staying star power of both Stitch and Toothless. Both are initially intimidating creatures with large eyes and wide grins, who develop a special friendship with a lonely kid. The relationship between Toothless and Hiccup is and always has been at the heart of these films, taking precedence over Hiccup’s challenging reconciliation with his father.

Thames ably carries the film as Hiccup, and Butler manages to transcend his outlandish costuming to deliver a genuinely moving performance of a father learning to accept his son and change his own mind. The supporting characters are given short shrift, and are not well-sketched, either there to support Hiccup’s journey (Astrid) or offer comic relief (everyone else).

Though DeBlois’ nods to the original film are fun (some sequences are shot-for-shot recreations), it’s nice to see the filmmaker play with a new set of tools as well. The aerial flight scenes are breathtaking, particularly among the craggy, vertiginous seaside landscape, ripped from a Viking fable, recreating views from the Scottish islands where Cowell started writing as a child.

DeBlois’ script is familiar, a coming-of-age story about a kid who encounters a grand adventure, and learns to define himself as an individual within his community. Hiccup’s inherent empathy and critical thinking are tantamount to his character — particularly in the way he puts those to work in developing his relationship with Toothless — which is an important representation for younger kids.

Coming from a warlike people who are constantly at odds with their enemies — the dragons — Hiccup’s bravery in his willingness to discover dragons for himself, and his rebellion against his own violent culture make him a hero worth writing about, and worth watching. This live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” is more than just “House of the Dragon” for tweens — there are important messages imparted about peaceful coexistence and acceptance, and learning to work together, not against each other. “How to Train Your Dragon,” in any form, remains one of our most heartening tales.

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'HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON'

3 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG (for sequences of intense action, and peril)

Running time: 2:05

How to watch: In theaters June 13

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