Review by John DeliaÂ
Nicely made the film Pete’s Dragon has reached home video. Now in Blu-ray/DVD and combo the film has a modern twist that should mesmerize the youngest of tykes that like exciting and family oriented films. Since it does have a quite unsettling beginning my advice to parents, run it ahead a bit for 5 and under until you are okay with what you are watching. It settles into a very adventurous fantasy with Elliot the Dragon and the orphaned Pete.
For the adults who may still want to keep the original in their hearts, this may be rough going. But the new generation of children who have not been introduced to the older version, will probably accept the film as a spirited adventure with a charming ending.
Following a one car auto accident on a deserted road in the mountains, 4-year-old Pete walks away from the wreckage unharmed. He finds his way into the woods where he meets Elliot a friendly dragon. Flash Forward six years later and in that same forest a logging crew has come to cut down trees. Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), a Forest Ranger, oversees the project so the crew lead by Gavin (Karl Urban) will only take those trees as marked by her.
While checking out the people from afar, Pete (Oakes Fegley) catches the eye of Grace’s teen daughter Natalie (Oona Laurence) and they both are captivated. Natalie runs after Pete and finds the mysterious boy among the trees. Reporting what she saw to her mother and father, Natalie and Grace convince the curious boy to leave the forest. Taking him to her home in nearby Millhaven, Pete gets to experience family life lost when the accident took his parents. So begins a story of love, family and a concerned dragon who feels it must protect the child by any means.
Director and writer David Lowery breathes new life into the long forgotten tale using some nice camera tricks to show how Pete lives with Elliot the vanishing dragon. The cinematography becomes one of the key elements of the story as Lowery puts his young actor through his paces enjoying life in the forest. When he brings Pete to town, his camera captures the amazement and sometimes scary moments of dealing with his new environment.
It’s nice to see new talent at work on the screen developing fresh characters that are memorable. In this case it’s Oakes Fegley in his first lead role as the boy who finds himself torn between a new family and his dragon rescuer. Oakes has had some previous acting gigs in small roles playing young Judd in This is Where I Leave You and young Bryan in Prism, but nothing like his fine performance in Pete’s Dragon. He nails his role as Pete and makes it exciting, touching and dynamic.
As a concerned parent Bryce Dallas Howard takes on the role of Grace a protector of nature who finds a gem among the trees in Pete. When Grace discovers that he’s the missing child from a deadly accident 6 years earlier, she has to take assertive action so the boy does not get lost in the child foster care system. Showing Grace’s determination to include Elliot in her wildlife preservation beliefs, she connects with the dragon for permission to take Pete out of the forest in a touching moment on the big screen.
BONUS FEATURES:
“Notes To Self: A Director’s Diary†Director David Lowery reveals the personal diary that he used while make Pete’s Dragon. It’s a cool way to show his attachment to the film.
“Making Magic†this features deals with designing Elliot the dragon.
“Disappearing” Moments†Director Lowery goes over some deleted
“Audio Commentary†David Lowery, co-writer Toby Halbrooks along with actors Oakes Fegley and Oona Laurence are featured in the commentary that can be turned on while watching the film
“Two Music Videos†This extra features two songs from the film ‘Nobody Knows’ and ‘Something Wild’
“Bloopers†turn this feature on and have some laughs.
Pete’s Dragon has been rated PG by the MPAA for action, peril and brief language. Parents make sure you are close to the younger immature children when watching the film as the peril involves a bridge on fire with the main characters trapped in their car. In addition to the auto accident described in the first scene, the action includes a shocking scene where the lumberjacks try to bring down Elliot with rifles blasting out tranquilizer darts.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A family film mainly for mature pre-teens. Kids (4 stars of 5) Adults (3 stars of 5)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence, Robert Redford.
Directed and written By: David Lowery
Genre: Kids, Family, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: PG for action, peril and brief language
Running Time: 1 hr. 42 min.
Original Theatrical Release Date: August 12, 2016
Video Release Date: November 29, 2016
Language: English (other language tracks included: Descriptive Audio, Spanish or French)
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray (also available in DVD and Blu-ray/DVD + Digital HD)
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Video: 1080p HD Aspect Ratio 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Number of Discs:Â Combo 2 Discs + Digital HD
Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment