This summer, Universal Pictures is stealing a page from Disney’s profitable “remake a beloved animated movie in live action” playbook with How to Train Your Dragon, which looks like a shot-for-shot redux of the 2010 film. Word out of CinemaCon 2025, where the film screened early, is that director Dean DeBlois (who also directed the original animated feature) pretty much nailed it. Which almost guarantees that in a few weeks, How to Train fever will be back in the zeigeist, John Powell’s legendary score will skyrocket up the streaming music charts, older fans will discover that Universal already made an entire sequel TV series set in modern times, and Target aisles will be filled with fire-breathing tie-in toys.
While Disney’s own Lilo & Stitch stands to give How to Train Your Dragon competition in the feel-good carbon-copy summer entertainment department, the amount of merch being lined up for a blockbuster is a good indication of how many blocks the movie will ultimately bust. And the #brands are all over How to Train Your Dragon. This has resulted in one of the most mundane-yet-horrifying-yet-maybe-perfect creations I’ve seen in a bit. I want this mask for every kid in the world. I also fear seeing one in person.
Spin Master’s Blast & Roar Toothless Mask sports a number of features to take imaginary dragon play to the next level. To mimic Toothless’ signature moves, the mask has a number of AAA-enabled lights and sounds. But as you can clearly see from the images above, it also has a “mist-blasting” feature to recreate Toothless’ plasma-bolt attack, which activates when the user roars. The product description says the mask comes with “one bottle” (it does not say one bottle of what) and that families will be able to “refill the internal reservoir for endless amounts of movie inspired dress up adventures.”
There’s no reason to be skeptical of the fun in store for owners of the How to Train Your Dragon Blast & Roar Toothless Mask. Kids will obviously delight in shooting “plasma” on anyone in their proximity. Yet I can’t help revel in Toothless’ mask form, uncanny and frozen, reduced to spewing a spurt of plasma water instead of a full blast of fiery power. Also, if a li’l Night Fury ran up to me and sprayed me, I would be pissed. This is nothing like the majesty of watching Toothless swoop through the sky in How to Train Your Dragon.
Can you see yourself or a loved one wearing this for an extended period of time? It can be yours for $34.99. But maybe don’t bring it to see How to Train Your Dragon and squirt any theatergoer with plasma when the movie is out on June 13, lest we have another Chicken Jockey situation on our hands.
