Disney may own Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and a host of
other franchises bigger than the Mouse House ever expected, but it's their
live-action remakes of animated classics that have been the real winners. And
at this point after a string of hits, including this year's mammoth The Jungle
Book, that we have to accept that it doesn't matter which movie gets redone
because they've figured out how to main the heart and soul that made them great
to begin with. Pete's Dragon,
the 1977 live-action/animated hybrid about a boy and his invisible dragon,
isn't as well-known as others in the Disney library, and that's okay. This
modern version, directed with Spielbergian charm and mystery by indie filmmaker
David Lowery, can cast a spell on anyone whether they're familiar with the
original or not.
It all begins with the titular dragon,
Elliot, a mesmerizing emerald creature of fur, wings, and a canine's loyalty
(Why are dragons always made to behave like dogs?), he lumbers across the
screen with an endearing clumsiness. Aren't dragons supposed to be menacing and
calculated? Not Elliot, who tumbles haphazardly while flying, only to crash
land with a sheepish "I meant to do that" smile on his face. He's
completely lovable and irresistible, but also looks like he could be scary when
needed to be. Elliot is the kind of sidekick every kid would want, and we kind
of want to be Pete (Oakes Fegley) so we can have a friend like him.
But Pete's story isn't a happy one at
first. Surviving a car wreck that killed his parents, the orphaned Pete endures
the harsh forests for six years with the help of Elliot, the dragon having
rescued him after the accident. Their wilderness bro-time gets shuttered when
Pete is discovered by Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), a park ranger who knows
those forests like "the back of her hand" (evidence would later prove
the contrary) and works to protect them. It's an awkward task given that her
boyfriend Jack (Wes Bentley) runs a logging company alongside his brother Gavin
(Karl Urban), the latter not exactly what anyone would call a conservationist.
Small-town concerns about a failing lumber industry are teased, but really only
serve to inform Gavin's aggressively selfish demeanor. He's basically the polar
opposite of Grace's father (Robert Redford, used sparingly), who used to tell
them stories of the green dragon he encountered years earlier. Alongside Jack's
daughter (Oona Laurence, currently seen in Bad Moms as well) they offer Pete the human contact and emotional
connection he didn't have running free among the trees.
So the story is an easily recognizable
one. It's a little bit E.T. or The
BFG, with a kid finding and befriending an unbelievable creature adults
will never believe in. But Lowery, a surprising choice for director, never lets
anything get overly sentimental or cutesy. The story has real substance to it, focusing
on Pete's pull between an adventurous life off the grid with Elliot and a more
conventional home life with actual people. While dealing with that he's
also forced to come to grips with past tragedies, with certain revelations
regarding Elliot enough to pull at the heartstrings. After helming the somber
neo-western Ain't Them Bodies
Saints, Lowery seemed like the least likely option for a movie geared
towards kids. His take on the material is vastly different, both in terms of
tone and structure as the musical component is entirely jettisoned. That said,
the subtle soundtrack by Peggy Lee, The Lumineers, and more makes perfect
accompaniment, emphasizing the differences from the original without going
overboard. Lowery continues his knack for pulling strong performances from his
cast, with the most difficult turn reserved for Fegley who brings considerable
emotion while working opposite a green screen for the majority of the film.
The fantasy of Pete and Elliot's
rollicking forest friendship is such that it's tough to take when greedy humans
start interfering and pointing guns. In the screening I attended it elicited
screams of anger from the children present, especially as some of the later
encounters turn violent. Seen another way, it's just evidence of how quickly we
come to love Elliot, the sneezy dragon, and his semi-feral human companion. If
the ending wraps up a little too neatly while obviously signaling the desire
for a sequel, that's a fair trade-off for being reminded that big studio remakes
like Pete's Dragon can still send our imaginations
soaring.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
