Directed by David Lowery
Written by David Lowery & Toby Halbrooks (screenplay), based on a screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein, based on a story by Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field
Cast: Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oona Laurence, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Isiah Whitlock Jr., John Kassir (Elliot vocals)
Soundtrack: Daniel Hart
Apparently, I missed the memo notifying us that 2016 would be such a great year for family films shot in New Zealand.
First came ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople‘, and now we have ‘Pete’s Dragon’, although no one would accuse them of being the same movie (though there are a few similarities). Whereas ‘Wilderpeople’ is something of an oddball Kiwi comedy, ‘Pete’s Dragon’ is a classic “Disney movie” Disney movie (and, though shot in New Zealand, takes place in the Pacific Northwest).
Now, you may recall another Disney movie called ‘Pete’s Dragon‘ from 1977, a live-action/animated musical film, which, while fascinating in its own regard, is not-so-secretly creepy. While comparisons are fair because they share the same name and are based on the same story, the old doesn’t really provide much context for the new. The most striking difference is that this new version is not a musical, but also the setting is updated (though still a period piece, somewhere in the late 1980s, I assume), and pretty much everyone outside of the boy and his dragon is a brand new character, not to mention the new dragon is basically a giant dog with wings (which I’m totally fine with).
In short, it’s not a “remake” so much as a re-imagining, but enough talk about the past.
‘Pete’s Dragon’ is a labor of love from writer/director David Lowery (in his big budget/major studio debut), and is the heartwarming tale of an orphaned boy named Pete and his dragon friend named Elliot. For six years, they have lived freely in the woods, until one fateful day, Pete makes contact with the outside world, and their lives, and the lives of everyone they meet, change forever.
Flat out, I really enjoyed this movie. The set-up is perfectly done (it could have easily been distasteful), the dragon is great, the story tugs at your heartstrings, everyone in the cast is giving their all, and, perhaps most importantly, the kid actors are on point, especially Oakes Fegley as Pete. I don’t know where he came from, but I’d say he’s going places, because he did an incredible job, especially given that he plays so much against a CGI character.
Now, that’s not to say the movie doesn’t have flaws, because I do have some criticisms. For one thing, there are some relationships between characters that could be more firmly established for the audience, namely brothers Jack and Gavin (Wes Bentley and Karl Urban), and there also comes a point where Gavin decides to take certain action and his motivation doesn’t feel all that fleshed-out. Perhaps there were scenes explaining all of this that were shot that just didn’t make it into the final cut, or maybe they were never in the script to begin with, but, either way, the movie could have used them.
Also, the story, at least for grown-ups, is a bit predictable. About half-way through you can see all the strands and where they’re likely headed toward, but, the movie is charming enough that you can forgive this.
All-in-all, ‘Pete’s Dragon’ is a feel-good movie for the whole family, but I think there’s some general audience appeal as well. It’s adventurous, it’s heartwarming, and, if you let it, it might just take you back to your childhood, when your imagination was less hindered.
Rating: ★★★★☆
