I can’t really double my time with this remake.

Before my viewing of the live action remake of Dreamworks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” a fellow critic asked me what I thought of the remake of “Lilo & Stitch,” I responded with my Stitch impression: “It’s little and broken, but still good.” We both agreed that while we prefer the animated film, we still saw some good qualities in it. And we both appreciated the ending a lot more than other fans did.

And he also asked me what I thought of the “John Wick” spin-off “Ballerina.” I told him it was good and a lot better than some of the bad movies its new lead Ana de Armas has made lately. He told me he didn’t see and wasn’t sure if he should. And when he asked me if it was worth going to the theaters to see, I told him: “It all depends on your viewpoint. Spin-offs can be debatable, especially since this takes place between Chapters 3 and 4, which is why they brought Keanu Reeves back as Wick.” He considers that a good reason.

Now, we get to the main review. Yes, I did mean to use the words “Live action remake of Dreamworks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon”,” because I’m going to have to assume that if Disney has been doing it, then this studio wants to remake their animated hits into the real worlds. Let’s not and stick to just this movie. I’m not hinting any bad ideas.

The original animated movies, which were based on Cressida Cowell’s book series and sparked a trilogy of films, were delightful, surprising, and visually stunning. They were animated family adventures that took many risks and were allowed to crossover to both kids and adults.

This new version, which was once again directed by the co-creator Dean DeBlois, has some nice qualities like some of its choice of actors and the dragon designs and visuals, which stay true to their animated counterparts. But the fact that we have seen the original movies makes us acknowledge that the story is predictable. We already know what happens, and the movie barely takes any different directions.

You know the story of the Viking island of Berk, whose inhabitants are always at war with dragons who steal their livestock and set things on fire. Mason Thames is a notch behind Jay Baruchel as the young man Hiccup, who is the awkwardly meek son of the chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, who reprises his voice role and appearance). He wants to get praised for catching and killing a dragon, and his invention earns him the opportunity to catch one, which would happen to be the impossible to catch species known as a Night Fury.

Of course, he doesn’t have it in him to kill the dragon, so he sets him free, names him Toothless, makes him a prosthetic wing, and learns to communicate with him. And the first person he’s able to convince that maybe dragons aren’t the monsters the Vikings think they are is his crush-the tough and persistent Astrid (Nico Parker).

The replacement supporting actors also includes Nick Frost as Stoick’s blacksmith friend Gobber, who has many prosthetic hands including one that gives a thumbs up and thumbs down; Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn as the bickering twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who aren’t as identical as they think they are; Julian Dennison as the nerdy Fishlegs, who is a dragon expert; and Gabriel Howell as the cocky hotshot Snotlout, who thinks his name is a high honor and tries to impress his father (Peter Serafinowicz).

As I’m watching this remake, I’m impressed by DeBlois’ abilities to make these real characters resemble their animated counterparts, and I’m talking about both the humans and dragons. I liked Thames, Parker, Dennison, Howell, and Butler for how they adapt to their characters and personalities, and Toothless still looks and acts like Toothless. But as I continue to watch, I’m not seeing much surprises. It follows too closely to the original, which loses the awe and inspiration of what the 2010s gave us.

So far, Universal Pictures announced that a remake of the 2014 sequel is in development. Something tells me Hiccup’s mother is still alive, and maybe Cate Blanchett will reprise her role, too. But if you ask me, I stick to the classics.