Movie Review: Pete's Dragon (2016)


I had the pleasure of screening Pete's Dragon when in LA for BlogHer last weekend, and I was very glad I did - its special effects and great cast makes it a movie worth watching.

Pete (Oakes Fegley) is on an adventure with his parents, when their car crashes; he's the only one who makes it. He wanders off into the forest, where he finds a large green dragon, whom he later ends up befriending. Six years later, Pete is spotted in the forest by a little girl, Natalie (Oona Laurence, Southpaw), and her dad and the forest ranger (Bryce Dallas Howard) try to get Pete reacclimatized to "normal living." However, Pete knows that Elliot (the dragon) is in danger now that their secret is out, and he tries to prevent the townspeople from harming Elliot.

Oakes Fegley, a relative newcomer, was great here in the role of Pete, as was Bryce Dallas Howard as the forest ranger; also good were Robert Redford as her father, who swore he once saw a dragon in the forest, and Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games) and Karl Urban as loggers. I saw the movie in 2D, but I could imagine it being great in 3D, as the film features sweeping views of the forest; it's definitely worth trying out.

Yes, see this film. I was considering giving it 4.5/5 stars, but the ending does drag a bit. The soundtrack is really good throughout, too - Lindsey Stirling recorded a song which can be found at the end of the movie, and the music in the movie fits with the rustic theme of the film. I'd recommend this movie for all ages, though bring the Kleenex, as parts of it will definitely make you tear up.

Pete's Dragon is in theaters today, August 12th, and is rated PG with a runtime of 102 minutes. 4 stars out of 5.

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