The live-action version of “How to Train Your Dragon,” featuring Mason Thames, is a solid book remake with fantastic graphics. (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

The latest in a long line of live-action remakes doesn’t provide a strong reason why such films exist. But “How to Train Your Dragon” is what the trend looks like when the original director and original composer recycle the screenplay of the animated source.

For anyone who missed the best animated feature of 2010 (yes, “Toy Story 3” premiered that year … I said what I said), the 2025 remake doesn’t stray at all from that story. Vikings fend off dragons with great efficiency, save for one exception. The chief’s son, Hiccup (“The Black Phone’s” Mason Thames), always seems to mess things up. Rather than hone weaponry skills, he invents things that often spell trouble for the other villagers.

Then the unthinkable happens. He downs a Night Fury, the most elusive, dangerous of dragons. But when he can’t bring himself to dispatch the creature, instead, an unexpected bond forms. Hope his father Stoik the Vast (Gerard Butler reprising his voice role) doesn’t learn about this affront to local norms.

All the old players are there. Blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost) teaches future dragon slayers, though this version of the character is distracting at times, thanks to some picture-perfect costuming that looks too outlandish in live action. The twin slayers-to-be (Bronwyn James as Ruffnut Thorston and Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut) now look nothing alike, which is often played for jokes.

Julian Dennison (“Deadpool 2,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”) plays Fishlegs in a role that’s almost entirely ripped from the animated version. And Gabriel Howell makes Snotlout feel quite similar to Peter Parker’s bully in the Tom Holland “Spidey” flicks.

Finally, there’s Hiccup’s primary competitor and eventual love interest, Astrid, played by Nico Parker (“The Last of Us”). The initial online reaction to this casting was mixed. How dare a Viking story include non-white performers. Oh, the humanity. How woke can Universal get with this one? Blah blah blah. Dragons are the only acceptable addition to a Viking tale. (Always remember that John Wayne played Genghis Khan.)

Not that director Dean DeBlois (who directed the original animated film) needs to, but he does provide an in-film explanation for how this can be. Maybe that will shut folks up, but likely not.

As for the film’s quality. It’s a solid remake of a book adaptation. The graphics are fantastic. Thames, Parker and Butler are fantastic in the film. And DeBlois’ additions to the story (expanding some sequences, adding more dialogue that made others feel more human) work well for a live-action story. This is the best case scenario for such films.

More than others, however, “Dragon” directly invites comparisons with many exact replicas. It’s often a shot-for-shot adaptation. Even John Powell’s score hits the same marks – so much so that it likely will not be eligible for awards. This is particularly heartbreaking since it was robbed by “The Social Network,” you know, that film whose iconic tunes are still hummed today.

Frankly, it all still feels like a cash grab. At best, live-action remakes are a social experiment in how folks consume animated versus filmed content. That doesn’t mean “How to Train Your Dragon” is a bad film. The original is great, so a live-action copy should mostly work too.

The same emotional moments still land. The same action sequences still thrill. The same dialogue still maintains its emotional heft. Families will certainly enjoy it.

None of that changes a very simple problem. Why does this exist? It doesn’t do anything new, nor does it surpass the original. The answer is only money. Universal just opened a new theme park in Florida with an entire section dedicated to “How to Train Your Dragon,” so the motivating factor is money more than art, nostalgia more than originality.

Again, it works because the film is fun and maybe sets up other films that might do something new (the sequels aren’t as universally beloved), but for now, It’s family-fun fodder at best.

Mason Thames and Nico Parker star in Universal Pictures’ “How to Train Your Dragon.” (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)