Review of Pete's Dragon (2016) by Jonas G — 13 Aug 2016

Delightful remake of the original camp classic that takes the concept in a new direction. The cast is excellent across the board, with Bryce Howard radiant as the motherly forest ranger while Robert Redford brings gravitas as her nature loving father.

The kids are natural, especially Oakes Fegley as Pete, who makes a remarkable debut. However, the real star is the dragon, Elliot, a brilliant visual effects creation who acts more like a dog (complete with chasing his own tale) than a monster.

His design is a fine homage to the original dragon while also being believable to a dragon that would live in a forest. Plus, while charming for the most part, the filmmakers aren't afraid to show how dangerous & scary Elliot can be, thus explaining why so many are afraid of him.

It's this gentle spirit throughout the entire film that makes it so appealing, as there are no real bad guys (even Karl Urban's Gavin is a loving brother & uncle whose ambition just gets the better of him) and while there is an environmental theme, even the loggers are not depicted as bad guys (the most criticism is a debate on how best to do it).

While under two hours, one wishes the filmmakers were given more time develop the characters & kept Elliot a mystery longer (he is revealed almost immediately), this is still a charming film that is another excellent addition in Disney's live-action remakes.