Review of Pete's Dragon (2016) by David B — 27 Oct 2018

Pete's Dragon is a film that lacks any form of originality. From the tired concept of a small child befriending a wild beast to the dull narrative of how modern life is bad for basically everything, there's barely an original thought in this film. I never expect to see hugely inventive ideas in a family film but it would be nice of someone involved in this films production could have come up with something a bit different. That's not to say there isn't some fun to be had with this film. There are some well shot sequences and some touching moments. But when everything you see has been done before, it's hard not to get bored.

The biggest issue though is just how sugary the film is. Whereas other Disney live action remakes such as The Jungle Book have found the balance between being fun for kids but also having plenty to keep adults entertained. This misses the mark here and just ends up being a fluffy kids film that anyone over the age of 10 will probably find a bit dull.