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To be honest, the original “Pete’s Dragon” is no classic, but the 1977 Walt
Disney production isn’t without charm. In an effort to replicate the
live-action/animation formula that turned “Mary Poppins” into a smash, the 1977
movie goes broad with musical numbers and character design, trying to make every
frame lovable. While remake cinema is rarely a positive creative direction, the
feature is ripe for a do-over, bringing a tale of a magic and friendship to a
new audience. The 2016 “Pete’s Dragon” does away with songs and mugging,
focusing on more dramatic pursuits while still celebrating the protective
instincts of a green dragon. It’s a wonderful film, an unexpectedly triumphant
reworking of the earlier picture, assembled by a talented and patient production
team committed to launching a new “Pete’s Dragon” that’s all heart. It’s wholly
separate from the original, a complete reimagining.
Pete (Oakes Fegley of 2014's “This is Where I leave You”) was orphaned five
years ago in the deep northwestern woods, greeted by Elliot, an enormous green
dragon who offers to protect the boy, making a home for them away from
civilization. With the woods now threatened by a logging company overseen by
Gavin (Karl Urban of 2016's “Star
Trek Beyond”), Pete is exposed to Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard of
2013's “Jurassic World”) , a forest ranger who can’t
believe a little child has managed to remain alive for this long. Pete shares
stories and drawings of Elliot, but Grace has trouble putting the clues
together, looking for help from her dad, Meacham (Robert Redford 2014's "Captain
America: The Winter Soldier"), who always talked of a brief run-in
with a green dragon, but nobody believed him. While Pete begins to bond with
Grace, her fiancé Jack (Wes Bentley of 2014's “Interstellar”)
and his daughter Natalie (Oona Lawrence also in this years “BadMoms”), Gavin is
determined to capture Elliot, bringing armed men with him to secure the magical
creature, urging the boy to return to the forest to help his friend.
Instead of hiring the latest visual effects wizard to conjure a new take on
“Pete’s Dragon,” preserving plasticized entertainment, Disney takes a chance on
co-writer/director David
Lowery, whose previous credits include the little-seen indie effort, “Ain’t Them
Bodies Saints.” It’s an inspired creative choice, approaching the remake with a
special vision that’s determined to protect the dramatic appeal of the premise,
shedding broad theatrics to focus on Pete’s experiences as a lost boy and his
unusual connection to a kindly green dragon. The new “Pete’s Dragon” is nothing
like the old extravaganza, offering a more meditative take on the lost and found
aspects of the story, even addressing Pete’s situation with a heart-wrenching
prologue that details a car accident that strands the boy in the woods (it’s
tastefully done, protecting the PG rating), revealing Elliot right away.
Lowery’s take isn’t about mystery, but familial connection, with Pete building a
bond with his enormous protector, but finding a home with Claire (Howard was
born to play warm maternal care), who’s wrestled with parental loss herself,
drawn to the child’s unique situation of need.
Of course, mischief isn’t lost, showcasing play time between the boy and his
dragon, who’ve created a routine of flight and chases throughout their woodsy
domain. The production actually manages to make fantasy feel real, with
excellent visual effects pulling off trips into the sky, while Elliot maintains
personality without coming off cartoony, retaining a mythical look that also
pays tribute to the 1977 movie, keeping the dragon’s pronounced lower jaw and
greenness. “Pete’s Dragon” isn’t heavy, but Lowery keeps comedy to a bare
minimum, focusing more on Pete’s entrance into society, overwhelmed but curious
with the ways of the modern world, aided by kindness from Claire and Natalie. As
the adults try to figure out who Elliot is (Pete only has a children’s book in
his possessions to provide clues), the boy grows worried about his green
guardian, inspiring his adoptive family to figure out exactly what’s residing in
the forest. Discoveries are made, but charismatic performances generally lead
the way, including Redford, who’s alert as Meacham, taking care of expositional
and grandfatherly details with old-salt ease.
Lowery indulges the obvious, with Gavin’s hunt for Elliot adding expected
suspense and antagonism, but there’s no outright villainy, making the excited
logger more misguided than
malicious, strengthening the screenplay’s humanistic approach. Conflicts may be
familiar, but “Pete’s Dragon” still has a few surprises to share, while
cinematography by Bojan Bazelli is gorgeous (working with idyllic New Zealand
locations), and scoring by Daniel Hart adds wind to Elliot’s cinematic wings.
Perhaps there’s unavoidable repetition for fans of the original feature, but
Lowery’s take on the material finds outstanding freshness and soul, adding new
dimensions to this tale of a boy and his pet dragon. Magic is real here, found
in lovely filmmaking and a startling commitment to screen artistry and dramatic
heft.
Released any time of the year, Disney’s in-name-only remake of “Pete’s Dragon”
would be a delicate and refreshing treat. But it’s especially welcome as it
comes near the end of a loudly disappointing summer, a soothing balm after so
many seething bombs. Above all, this “Pete’s Dragon” is humble and unassuming,
as if unaware of its quiet power. Free of the flamboyance that marks so many
kids’ movies, and of the winking references to the past that plague so many
remakes, Lowery’s vision is wonderful and big-hearted, beautiful inside and out.
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