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    Pete's Dragon

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I didn’t grow up with “Pete’s Dragon”. In fact, I had only seen it once time prior to this review. I’ve got many mixed feelings about it but recommend the film to families and young children. If you’re an adult like me and you view what has been labeled as a classic, I think you’ll be disappointed by how cutesy and simplistic this musical fantasy adventure is.

    A young orphan named Pete (Sean Marshall) has run away from his abusive foster family with his only friend, a dragon named Elliott (an animated creation voiced by Charlie Callas) Arriving at the fishing town of Passamaquoddy, the two befriend a kind lighthouse keeper named Nora (Helen Reddy) and her drunkard of a father (Mickey Rooney)

    This is a sweet, gentle film. The villains are a little scary but not really any more threatening than Team Rocket. Elliott gets into trouble a few times but is undoubtedly kind hearted and friendly. Pete is a benevolent soul that’s simply looking for a home. Everyone smiles a lot. Peppered throughout the running time are songs throughout that talk about love and friendship. They’re jovial tunes that will bring a smile to your face. The film is frequently quite funny and features decent special effects, integrating Elliott with live-action actors convincingly most of the time. There’s an almost Roald Dahl-esque atmosphere. In brief, the film is perfect for small children who will be charmed by Elliott’s funny voice, the kind lighthouse keeper and will be delighted to see stuffy adults get their comeuppances. If you remember enjoying this film way back on VHS tape and you want to give your children something wholesome, I say go for it. This is a safe bet.

    All of the praises I give to the film are also its biggest weakness. I know Don Bluth didn’t write the film, he merely contributed to the animation, but when I sat and watched “Pete’s Dragon”, I was reminded of pictures like “A Troll in Central Park” or “The Pebble in the Penguin”. We’re talking about stories that seem afraid to take chances, to draw any form of strong emotion in its viewers. It’s so safe, so cutesy that by the time the film was over, I felt like I needed to wash it down with something stronger, like “Heavy Metal” or “Mary Poppins”. That’s not a typographical error. The Julie Andrews musical is another reason why this film only gets a mild recommendation from me. It’s not as funny, tightly paced, inventive or as fun. The musical numbers are not as memorable or as well written and although Mickey Rooney and Helen Reddy do well in their roles you’d trade them in an instant for Dick Van Dyke and his co-stars. As an adult, it’s also apparent that Sean Marshall is not a very good actor. He’s always wide-eyed and grinning from ear-to-ear. Kids will relate, I found him cloying. It’s like a barrage of videos from a schoolmate that you haven’t seen in 10 years and now has 3 kids. They show you all of these cute moments, creating the illusion that children are nothing but a collection of smiles, funny YouTube moments and macaroni picture frames made with love. You’ve lived in the real world. You know better.

    “Pete’s Dragon” is the perfect example of a film that does warrant a remake. There’s plenty that works for its intended audience, proving that this story has potential. But it’s not a masterpiece. I liked it but I found that a little of Pete and Elliott went a long way. I don’t know what’s going on with the running time either. Over the years, the running time has varied between 134, 104 and 129 minutes. The packaging on my Blu-ray says 88. I looked again and the actual running time on my disc, the 35th Anniversary Edition and it’s exactly 2 hours, 8 minutes, 46 seconds. Way too long. For it’s intended audience of little children “Pete’s Dragon” will be very enjoyable. For the rest of us, this 1977 picture is too sugary, not a classic, no matter what the latest Blu-ray release packaging may lead you to believe. (On Blu-ray, August 11, 2016)

    5
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    adamwatchesmovies@  14.8.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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