Review of Pete's Dragon (2016) by Tiberio S — 22 Apr 2017

A beautifully made film that makes for a heart-wrenching, tear-jerking experience. The film trades an integral plot for a behavioral exercise, both from the director's point of view of people amongst nature, and the relationship between a boy and a motif for the friend he chooses that all others fail to understand.

Elliot inhabits the behaviors of our beloved house pets, most particularly the household dog. This makes for sensitive, heart-tugging scenes that may be difficult for some smaller children, even adults. But the fateful cruelty is handled delicately, never resorting to a torture film, and moving along swiftly to the next plot point without cheating us the opportunity of processing the necessary emotions.