Pete’s Dragon review: “Put simply, the best family movie of the summer”

Petes Dragon review: Disney brings a classic story to screen with a distinct indie vibe with this instant classic.

Petes Dragon review by Paul Heath, July 2016.

This year, and particularly this summer, has been awash with disappointment after disappointment. I suppose it all kicked off with Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice back in March, the first big blockbuster of the year which pretty much set the tone for what followed. Despite peaks (Captain America: Civil War) and deep, deep troughs (Warcraft), this season proceedings have been distinctly average. The same could be said for the family movies that have been presented to us this year. For every Zootropolis there’s been an Ice Age: Collision Course, and even Spielberg couldn’t capture audiences Stateside with his version of The BFG (despite us loving it over in Cannes, and the UK cinema-going public embracing it).

Pete’s Dragon is the latest in a long line of Disney movies to be catapulted from animation (or in this case part-animation) to live-action, and with The Jungle Book, which is possibly the best example of a decent family blockbuster this year, it has a lot to live up to as it slides into multiplexes at the end of that very tired season. The good news is that it’s a near-perfect movie, and despite being a late arrival, may just be the best family movie of the summer.

Based on the 1977 Disney movie of the same name, Pete’s Dragon revolves around the orphaned boy Pete (Oakes Fegley) whose parents die in a terrible car crash in the film’s opening scene. Left to fend for himself in the sprawling woods of the Pacific Northwest, Pete befriends another dweller, a huge green dragon who he instantly names Eliott, based on a character from one of his books. In one of the area’s small neighbouring towns, Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) tells tall tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods. His daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard in another wonderful performance), works as a forest ranger, dismissing her father’s strange stories as nothing more than myth, until she meets the young Pete many years after the demise of his family. Pet claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon, one that mysteriously matches the one Mr. Meacham’s tall 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.

Some of that was taken from the film’s official synopsis, so I haven’t really given too much away in terms of story, but the good news is that fans of the original movie from nearly 40 years ago, will notice many similarities with this fantastic new version. The story is virtually identical with some wonderful CGI thrown in for a 21st century audience, all of which is flawless and amongst some of the best we’ve seen in the last few years. Eliott is very much a character in this and the filmmakers have carefully brought him to life with utmost care and great attention to detail. It’s quite something, particularly as Elliott does not speak in this new version.

Disney have been really quite clever in how they’ve approached this. It looks like they’ve gone the Marvel way and employed masterful indie-directors to a big project but allowed them the space and free-reign to bring their own voice to proceedings. That is evident here with David Lowery, the gifted filmmaker behind the indie hit Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, which starred Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. His style matches the required tone for a film like Pete’s Dragon and his delicate, well-thought out approach to some of the more harrowing scenes, especially the opening scene, is perfect and handled wonderful still making things suitable for the younger audience members. It’s hard to believe that this is also only his third feature.

His cast is also top notch. As mentioned, Bryce Dallas Howard continues on her quest to become the most exciting actress in Hollywood, and on her journey acting opposite 50-foot beasts following her turn in last year’s box-office behemoth that was Jurassic World. Robert Redford is also a joy to watch, a near-perfect performance from the acting veteran. His humbled Mr. Meacham (below), so essential in this story, is one of the best written and executed characters we’ve seen in any film this year and an absolute joy to watch.

We aren’t exaggerating when we say that this is one of the best films of the year. If not the best it’s certainly one which provoked the most emotion and we’ll admit to being a bit misty eyed as the lights finally came up – overcome with both triumphant joy and marvel as we realised we’d just witnessed Disney once again at its absolute best.

A stunning film for all the family. Write a date in your diary to go see this now.

Petes Dragon review by Paul Heath, July 2016

Pete’s Dragon will open in cinemas on August 12th, 2016.