What I am Watching — Pete’s Dragon (2016)
“What I am Watching” is a column we will be writing from time to time. With this column we will be sharing about movies and TV shows that are new releases, currently running, or sometimes on reexamining classics from a fresh point of view.
What I am Watching — The 2016 film Pete’s Dragon
What is it? — Pete’s Dragon is an updated remake of the 1977 Disney film of the same name. The movie was directed by David Lowery and stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, and Karl Urban. The story focuses on a young boy who is orphaned and lost in the woods (following a car accident that kills his parents). The boy stumbles upon a dragon that he names Elliot, and the dragon becomes his guardian and best friend. Fast forward a few years as loggers move into Pete and Elliot’s secluded section of the forest, they are forced to encounter the outside world.
Why is it worth your time? — I can only think of a select few examples of remakes that managed to surpass the original. Well, we can add the 2016 version of Pete’s Dragon to my list. As a child I was fan of the original 1977 film, so a few years ago I got the DVD in the mail from Netflix deciding to give it another look for nostalgia sake. As I watched the movie I was shocked. Somehow, I had completely forgotten that it was a musical (and the music here was not all that good) and I was left feeling pretty disappointed. My expectations for revisiting a childhood favorite had not been reached. So when the remake was announced I had hope. I didn’t have the feeling of worry about someone ruining a beloved movie from my youth. Instead, recognizing that there was room for improvement with this story and maybe the new film makers could create something fresh and magical (and, thankfully, they delivered).
With Pete’s Dragon (2016), Disney continues a pretty good hot streak for churning out family entertainment that succeeds for both children and adults (Zootopia, Big Hero 6, Up, & Inside Out to name a few). Pete’s Dragon is not watered down and is not afraid to deal with some heavier topics. It is a movie that has some moments that will likely leave you feeling a bit emotional, and not in a cheap forced way, but in moments that feel genuine and earned. Just be aware that it does deal with some issues such as death and abandonment, that may be a bit intense for younger children. Throughout the film, I found myself shocked at how much I cared about what was happening to these characters, including a large CGI dragon.
I am doing my best to hopefully make you want to see this movie, without me ruining any of it for you. It is simply a great movie that is well worth your time. The acting was excellent by both the adult cast, and the children. The writing, directing, special effects, and the films score are all top notch and very well done. Do yourself a favor and check this movie out.
Possible Viewing Tangents — One of the movies I found myself thinking about after watching Pete’s Dragon was Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), because of how well both of these movies made me care about their CGI characters.
Another possible cinematic tangent that I thought of after watching Pete’s Dragon is the 2007 Disney film Bridge to Terabithia (based on the 1977 children’s book of the same name). This was another family friendly Disney fantasy movie that was not afraid to deal with some heavier themes.
Where to Find It? — Pete’s Dragon is available to own on DVD, Blu Ray, and is available for purchase digitally on iTunes, Amazon, and Ultraviolet services (VUDU, Flixster, etc). It can also be rented at Redbox kiosks and is currently streaming on Netflix.
