Not that any film needs to be remade, but some are more palatable for one. Case in point, “Pete’s Dragon,” a Disney film that underperformed in its initial release in 1977 only to gain a small cult following years later. Even those in the cult following only seem to remember key moments, all of which involving the animated dragon, and dismiss the cheesier elements of the film. Everybody else seems to know of the film’s existence, but can’t remember much about it. And there’s those, such as Jeremy of Cinema Sins, who’ve seen the film recently and despised it. I myself don’t like it, finding it to be annoyingly cutesy with random musical numbers, buffoonish and somewhat disturbing antagonists, and a severe lack of wonderment.
It was with that opinion that I went into the remake with an open mind. The trailers presented it not as a musical or lowbrow comedy, but a heartwarming tale Disney is most known for. Those trailers are accurate, as that’s exactly what the film is. A rudimentary and sometimes plodding story, but nevertheless pleasant and uplifting.
The film is reminiscent of a children’s book we all grew up on: a short and sweet fantastical tale of mystical creatures that doesn’t get caught up in reasoning, but in sincerity. The kind Pete (Oakes Fegley) carries around with him, titled “Elliot Gets Lost.” This explains the rather generic name he gives the dragon (which should please Jeremy from Cinema Sins), as it reminds him of the story his parents read to him. He and his parents were involved in a car accident that sent them careening into the forest. Pete survived, but the parents perished because this is a Disney film and parents must die in order to develop drama. Pete escapes into the woods and is immediately taken into custody of sorts by Elliot, a furry and friendly dragon that legends are made of.
Six years pass and Pete has been surviving in the forest with Elliot, avoiding the public eye. David Lowery, who directed and co-wrote the screenplay alongside Toby Halbrooks, doesn’t attempt to explain how the young boy survived. You’re just meant to accept the fact that he did, just as you would in a children’s book. He does explain how Elliot avoids contact, using his invisibility cloak to hide when necessary. This was a trait the dragon had in the original, but was used sporadically for no reason then. Here, it serves a purpose, though there is one case in which Elliot didn’t use it when he should’ve, but I digress. While the script may have its shortcomings, there is some attention to detail throughout to keep the proceedings stitched together.
Pete is eventually found by Natalie (Oona Laurence), the young daughter of Jack (Wes Bentley), who runs off into the woods to entertain herself while he argues with his brother, Gavin (Karl Urban), and fiancé, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard). Grace is a park ranger whose father, Meacham (Robert Redford), tells the tale of the Millhaven dragon that he swears he saw decades ago. She mocks this by stating it’s impossible for a dragon to evade her sight, but she also didn’t see Pete for nearly six years, which her father rightfully cracks wise at her for.
It’s not long until Elliot arrives into town in search of Pete, shaking the sleepy lumber town to its core. This is a welcome change of pace, as up to this point the film had been slightly enervating. Elliot’s arrival also helps in grounding the adults, all of whom acted very goofily. Not as strange or annoying as the adults in the original film, but all of their performances were a little off. Redford almost seems to be phoning it in and/or lost, Howard is too stoic, Bentley almost nonexistent, and Urban strangely antagonistic.
The two child actors, on the other hand, are excellent from the word go! Fegley is brave yet sorrowful, with his reaction to losing Elliot quite heartbreaking. Laurence, who was phenomenal as Jake Gyllenhaal’s daughter in “Southpaw,” is charming as Pete’s smart new friend. I began to wonder why the children were handled with such care and not the adults, then I realized it’s because Lowery had a clear intention for them from the outset. The adults needed the arrival of Elliot to give them purpose, as to where the children’s purpose was to be innocent. After all, this film, much like a children’s book, is all about the innocence of life. Children see unknown creatures as potentially friendly and lost, while adults automatically see them as a threat.
The second half of the film is exponentially stronger than the first. The first served its purpose in building the story, but was starting to lose the magic. Lowery reinstalls that as the townsfolk scramble to deal with Elliot. Gavin wants to capture and contain it, while Grace sees the harmless and caring side of the dragon and wants to protect it. Caught in the middle is Pete, confused as to why the world sees his best friend as a threat. Much is made on the notion of an imaginary friend to cope with loneliness and loss, and Lowery thankfully doesn’t pour on the saccharine too much. The film is filled with just the right amount of sentimentality to endear one to it.
The dragon itself is a beautiful CGI creation! Disney has been upping their game as of late, with this and “The Jungle Book” proving that, when done right, CGI can be just as enchanting as practical effects. The attention to detail on Elliot’s fur and mannerisms give the creature character, not relegating him to a mere prop. The actors interact well with the dragon, and there are moments where I got lost in the magic of it all and let myself believe Elliot was sharing the same space with the humans.
With a film like this, you need to allow yourself to get lost in the fantasy of it all to enjoy it, just as a child would. Are there some nagging inconsistencies? Occasionally. Does the film meander at all? Only intermittently. Do the adults act strange? Only in the first half, easing into familiar and more acceptable tropes in the second half. Was there a sense of wonderment? Most definitely! Wonder is what the original film lacked, and Lowery made sure to infuse his vision with a lot of it.
Final Rating: B