The other evening I took Evie out for some one-on-one time, what she didn’t know til we left was that we were going to be seeing the screening of Pete’s Dragon. It was perfect timing to go because Evie has been asking to get to go see another movie with me.
Now I have to be honest, this is one of the rare movies based off an older Disney film that I have never seen. I had nothing to base this off of for what to expect. I was going into the theatre just with the basic premise of the film in mind.
A reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film, “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. “Pete’s Dragon” stars Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World”), Oakes Fegley (“This is Where I Leave You”), Wes Bentley (“The Hunger Games”), Karl Urban (“Star Trek”), Oona Laurence (“Southpaw”) and Oscar® winner Robert Redford (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”). The film, which is directed by David Lowery (“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”), is written by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein and produced by Jim Whitaker, p.g.a. (“The Finest Hours,” “Friday Night Lights”), with Barrie M. Osborne (“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Great Gatsby”) serving as executive producer.
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete’s descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragonfrom Mr. Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon. Disney’s “Pete’sDragon” opens in theatres on August 12, 2016.
I was pleasantly surprised. I was partially expecting that I would end up leaving early with Evie, but it was not the case. She was completely enthralled during the whole film. Currently, Evie is about all things fairytale… mermaids, dragons, princesses, fairies… you name it, she loves them!
Would I recommend this film for parents of younger kids, yes and no, you need to know your child and what they can handle. There are a few scenes in the film that some children might find frightening or upsetting. The opening scene involves how Pete ends up in the forest, it does involve a car crash and his parents passing away. Things like this we have talked about with Evie, and we do not sugar coat reality from her. She completely understood what happened.
Towards the end of the film, there is a moment that may cause some fear for children who are very sensitive in regards to fire, and anger. The dragon does ignite a bridge on fire. He looks a bit ferocious. This may upset some children.
Evie told me as soon as we got in the car what some of her favourite things were from Pete’s Dragon:
- The family: She loved the sense of family that was shown throughout the whole movie. The fact that she listed this off as the first thing just melted my heart.
- Elliot: She of course loved Elliot, the giant, green, fluffy dragon. How can you not? It may have been in part due to the fact that at times he seemed like a puppy, and she desperately wants a puppy.
- The tree house: Pete has what is basically a tree house in the middle of the forest, and now Evie want’s a tree house.
If you are looking for a movie to see with your family, that is surely going to become a Disney classic, go see Pete’s Dragon. Keep an eye on the details throughout the film because many things are tied together for example, the character Grace tosses a set of keys at in one scene, keep an eye out for that to come up again later. The creators of this film did a wonderful job tying many things you see together. One thing I want to know is how long it took to create Elliot, I know that animating hair/fuzzy hair at that like on this dragon can be very challenging.
Now, does anyone have the original that I may borrow?
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Sounds like a great movie for the kids with a really nice message. Sweet.
Sounds like a fantastic movie! I’ll have to check it out 😀
I have to admit, I and my 2 boys are very excited for this movie!!
Thanks for the review. My kids are excited to see it this weekend.
I haven’t even seen the original, either. =) But I like how a lot of older movies are being re-made. This is next on my list to see!
The original was one of my favorites as a kid. I can’t wait to see it, but I think mine are just a tad too young. So we’ll have to sneak away for a date night. I’m so excited that you’re little one loved it!
love the soundtrack to this movie!
I like the original. When I heard that Pete is a grandchild, I wasn’t to sure, but after reading your review I think I may go see this with my son. Thanks for details about the potential scary parts.