How to Train Your Dragon 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

How to Train Your Dragon 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Director/Writer Dean DeBlois returns to the world he first visited in the DreamWorks animated feature of the same name in 2010 as his live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon (2025)' arrives on 4K UHD in this new Limited Edition SteelBook with Collectable Magnetic Medallion courtesy of Universal. Following an identical storyline to its predecessor, this new film sees Gerard Butler ('300', 'Olympus has Fallen') reprise his role of Viking leader Stoick, and he's joined by Nick Frost ('Shaun of the Dead') as village blacksmith and Hiccup's de facto father Gobber, with Mason Thames ('The Black Phone') and Nico Parker ('Bridget Jones; Mad About the Boy') in the roles of Hiccup and Astrid. The film features fantastic dragon effects and an immersive set showcased by an excellent transfer and brought to life by a dynamic Dolby Atmos track. Numerous on-disc supplemental segments are included, as is a director's commentary. A Blu-ray disc, a Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere, and clear protective box are also included. Please scroll down to the 'Special Features and Extras' section below for a discussion of the newest SteelBook.

How to Train Your Dragon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For an assessment of the new live-action feature film's 2160p presentation, please follow this link.

How to Train Your Dragon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

To read about the new live-action feature film's Dolby Atmos track, please follow this link.

How to Train Your Dragon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Considering how busy and complex the film and its numerous dragons are, the new How o Train Your Dragon 4K Limited Edition SteelBook with Collectable Magnetic Medallion goes for much simpler look. The SteelBook is designed to look similar in style to the film's all-important Book of Dragons, except here, the cover, spine, and back are a mottled teal. A stylized gold border surrounds the front. In each corner is small circle in which is found a different stylized drawing. A wave is found in the top-left, a lyre in the top-right, fire is in the lower right, and the Viking tree of life, or Yggdrasil, is found in the lower left corner. The film's title is near the top in gold and silver letters. The middle of the cover is dominated by the magnetic medallion which features an embossed stylized dragon in gold and orange which is encircled by the same design that surrounds the cover. Removing the medallion reveals the identical graphic below. The spine features the film's title in the same font as is found on the cover with Universal's logo at the bottom. The back of the SteelBook looks like the back cover of a book. It's free from any design or border. Universal and DreamWorks' logos are centered at the bottom and a product number is found in the lower right. Opening the SteelBook, the Digital Code resides under the two tabs on the left side. On the right side, the 4K UHD disc and the Blu-ray disc are stagger-stacked, each on its own hub, with the 4K UHD disc on top. Removing the discs and the Digital Code reveals a two-panel image Hiccup reaching out to touch Toothless' muzzle as the pair stand atop a rocky peak. They are rendered in silhouette, and the rocks are highlighted in an orange glow that could either be from the first rays sunrise, the last rays of sunset, or more thematically, the result of dragon fire. The SteelBook features a matte finish which should resist fingerprints associated with normal handling. While the overall design may simple, it's absolutely fitting and appropriate for the film.

How to Train Your Dragon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Young actors Nico Parker and star Mason Thames quite capably inject heart and heroism into their characters, and they are consistently surround by a an engaging cast highlighted by Gerard Butler and Nick Frost - and an amazing number dragons both humorous and terrifying. Not trying to veer off in new directions, this adaptation understands that its strength is its source, wisely crafting a veritable shot-for-shot remake that manages to take the film's core a step or two beyond the original adaptation. This new How to train Your Dragon 4K Limited Edition SteelBook with Collectable Magnetic Medallion quite simply and elegantly captures the world of the film, and the clear box and insert will keep everything together and protected. Devout fans of the franchise and SteelBook collectors alike will want to add this unique edition to their collections, and it comes highly recommended.