Movie Review: Pete's Dragon

Movie: Pete's Dragon
Genre: Fantasy
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Robert Redford
Rating: PG
My Rating: two thumbs up


A few weeks ago we found ourselves with an empty Tuesday night, so we ended up at the movies. We settled on Pete's Dragon, which turned out to be a perfect choice for our exchange student and her still limited English. Most of the movie was told through emotional scenes and little dialogue. Perfect!

I can't remember the original Pete's Dragon very well so I can't say if this was a faithful re-telling. But either way, it's a simple story about a boy who is lost in the forest after a car accident and is saved by a dragon. He lives with this dragon for like six years or something and then is discovered by the environmental lady.. a lady whose father in the past had also had encounters with a dragon and yet no one believed him.

It's the sort of ET story that when the dragon is discovered by the people, they attack him and tie him up and kidnap him. I hate those kinds of stories. But you always know it will end up okay. But never without a goodbye scene that will kill you every time. This movie is no exception.

But I think the scene that killed me more than the good bye scene is the dragon realizing that this boy needed a human family and deciding to let him go. Sob.

The boy was a great little actor. The dragon was okay.... but furry. It was fun to see Robert Redford as the grandpa. And whatsherface...Bryce Dallas Howard,  is always a little weird for me, but she was okay.

Overall, it's a great feel good movie with some pretty awesome flying scenes.

Here's the trailer: