The good people at Dreamworks/Universal invited an assortment of “content creators” and/or “influencers” to help celebrate the home video release of the live-action How To Train Your Dragon motion picture. But this was no ordinary press junket, this was a hands-on Viking experience in the beautiful country of Norway. You can watch my adventures in the video above, but participating in all the wild/culturally enriching activities allow us to connect with our inner Viking and train our own metaphorical dragons; while also interviewing the director and stars! As I hopped aboard a historically accurate Viking ship, I could feel as if my silly cartoon of a life was about to experience something real… in live-action! A real appreciation for how the filmmakers captured the spirit of this culture in both the animated and live-action films.
The Norwegians are proud of their history, and the studio seems proud of their film. The tomatoes are pretty dang fresh (like Norway’s food), and the box office has been kind (like Norway’s people) to this cinematic underdog tale of friendship and family. Deservedly so! And boy howdy, let me tell ya… I am no fan of Hollywood’s latest obsession with adapting beloved animated classics and turning them into modern monstrosities that completely misunderstand the original, but 2025’s How To Train Your Dragon is different. Director DeBlois keeps the soul intact while bringing something new that never comes close to disrespecting what we love about the story of Toothless and Hiccup.
Legend has it, Viking blood runs through the veins of your trusted “content creator” and I was able to use some of that Viking blood, Viking sweat, and Viking tears to conquer and train this luxurious press junket adventure, armed only with a camera and an official JoBlo bobblehead. After many wonderful days spent under the midnight sun in Norway, I was happy to return to my homeland… so I could just sit back, think about the lessons I learned on this journey and watch the best live-action adaption ever in the comfort of my home surrounded by my loved ones… some of whom are cats that totally remind me of Toothless. Now that’s what I call Valhalla.
Source:
JoBlo.com