Pete's Dragon reminds me of spending a day at Lake Michigan. You'll go and you'll probably have a great time while you're there...but it's not quite South Beach. Maybe it just suffers from bad timing as there have been some really good kids movies released in 2016 in the way of Zootopia, Kung Fu Panda 3, and Finding Dory. Despite it not ending up in my top ten this year, I did enjoy it and I do think it's worth a theater viewing.
Little Pete (Oakes Fegley) is on a road trip with his parents when Pete's dad swerves the car off the road to avoid a deer. The parents are killed leaving poor Pete all alone in the woods. This is where he meets a big friendly dragon by the name of Elliott. Elliott helps Pete survive in the woods for years until one fateful day when Pete is spotted by humans.
I really enjoyed the way the movie doesn't linger as I will try not to do in this review. A ninety-minute movie feels like only an hour due to great pacing and a solid balance between action scenes and dialogue-heavy scenes. The film also does a great job of capturing some of the funny spirit from the original. Pete and Elliott banter like old friends (just like in the older version) which can be really hilarious at times. Fans of the 1977 version will also notice that Elliott has held on to certain mannerisms including the signature booming chuckle.
There were a handful of corny moments, like the times Pete would break off into a weird howl, that derailed the film during certain scenes. My biggest gripe, however, was easily the antagonist Gavin played by Karl Urban. Oh, Gavin, Gavin, Gavin...One of my largest pet peeves in film is when a villain is a villain for no apparent reason at all. I'm talking no motivation whatsoever. Gavin wanted Elliott and was willing to do whatever was necessary to capture him. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. He was even asked at one point, "When you get the dragon, then what?" He literally had no answer. Gavin was merely there to advance the story. Nothing more.
The heartwarming story of Pete's Dragon supersedes all of its shortcomings. It's touching to watch Pete and Elliott's relationship through the highs and lows as well as the bond that develops between Pete and motherly figure Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard). While it's not the best family movie I've seen this year, it's good in its own way. I give it an 83.
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