PETE'S DRAGON
US, 2016, 104 minutes, Colour.
Oakes Fedgley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oona Lawrence, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Directed by David Lowery.
Back in 1977, Disney produced a family film, with some special effects and starring Helen Reddy, Pete’s Dragon. Almost 40 years on, Disney have reworked the story and produced a film that will have strong appeal to family audiences – although there is a disturbing sequence at the beginning involving a car accident which may be a bit much for younger audiences, the little boy involved, Pete, being only five.
The setting is the forests of Northwest America, some rather remote territory (filmed in New Zealand) although the film shows the timber industry making incursions and cutting down a lot of trees. But, in the trees, six years after the accident, Pete is living in a tree hut, which may remind audiences who know The Jungle Book, of young Mowgli out in the jungle. But, instead of friendly bears and threatening tigers, Pete’s main friend, who rescued him after the accident, is a rather genial Dragon called Elliot.
Children will enjoy Elliot, a very friendly Dragon, not one of those menacingly flying around and breathing smoke and fire monsters. Pete and Elliott have been companions over the years, enjoying each other’s company, flying through and over the trees, with Elliot having a great talent of camouflage, seeming to disappear into the forests.
Then we see the adults. Meacham, Robert Redford, is a very friendly man, who tells the local children stories about having seen a dragon in the forest which they take with something of a grain of salt. So does his daughter, Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, who works as a ranger in the forest and whose fiance, Jack, Wes Bentley, has a bright young daughter, Natalie, Oona Lawrence,
For a while, Pete watches the humans and puzzles over what they are doing, since Jack owns a lumber mill and his brother, Gavin, Karl Urban, is cutting down more trees than he should. Eventually, Pete lets himself be found, Grace is all attention, Natalie has climbed a tree with Pete – and fallen down quite a long way – with Pete in hospital but escaping back to the forest.
Of course, there is the question of Elliot. Gavin becomes the baddy and goes to great lengths to capture Elliot and bring him back to the town.
After this, with a lot of effects, Pete and Meacham, who really has seen a dragon in the past, drive to the forest to free Elliot with Gavin, other workers, and the sheriff all in pursuit. It all looks a bit dangerous as Gavin blocks a bridge, Grace and Jack are in danger, and Elliott has to do his Dragon thing.
While Pete’s Dragon is an average kind of film for most audiences, families will probably be glad that it is one that most of them can watch with enjoyment, the children able to identify with both Pete and Natalie – and perhaps wishing they had a dragon friend like Elliot.
1. An entertaining Disney film for the family audience? Remake of the 1977 film? Differences?
2. The settings in the forest, filmed in New Zealand, homes, towns, the timber industry, clearing the forest? The musical score?
3. The animation, the creation of the Dragon, look, emotions, eyes, activities, flying? And some final fire and smoke?
4. Pete and his family, going on the adventure, in the forest, five years old, the book, his parents’ reassurance – and the crash? His wandering alone, with the book, going into the forest, his fears, encountering Elliott, Elliot leading him to safety, flying away?
5. Meacham telling the story about dragons to the children, their eagerness, the later revelation that he had seen the Dragon? His work, place in the community, Grace as his daughter, his love for her, his concern about her work? Her reaction to the Dragon stories?
6. Grace, her work in the forest, Jack and his timber company, and his ambitions? Natalie as Jack’s daughter? The engagement, the prospective family?
7. Pete, six years later, like a young Mowgli, his life with Elliot? Elliott, genial, games, camouflage? Pete and his seeing Grace, the timber vehicles? Grace seeing him? The chase? His finding her compass?
8. Grace, her concern about the boy, going to find him? Gavin in the search, Jack and the search? Not Natalie and her involvement? Finding Pete, the pursuit? Natalie chasing him, climbing the tree, her fall, Pete and the hospital? His escaping back to the forest? Reunited with Elliot?
9. The difficulties with the firm, Gavin felling too many trees, Jack and his reaction? Gavin and his desire to get the Dragon, pursuing him, capturing him, transporting him back to the shed, Elliot and camouflage? Meacham driving the truck, the other cars in pursuit? Gavin and his eagerness, overtaking, blocking the bridge? Elliott, escaping, flying, breathing fire? Jack and Grace trapped, the truck going over the bridge, Elliot rescuing them?
10. The sheriff, disbelief, belief, the pursuit?
11. Pete and his story, Grace finding out about the accident? Pete going back into the forest, the farewell to Elliott, Elliot pushing the book towards him?
12. Pete finding a family, the marriage, the extended family, the trips to the forest – and finding the whole colony of dragons?
