Disney’s Pete’s Dragon: Summer’s Sweetest Family Film {For Older Kids}

I attended a sneak preview of this movie. All opinions expressed belong to me.

I can’t quite peg the first time I saw Pete’s Dragon as a kid, but I was certainly young. In fact, I think it was a pirated copy straight from our VCR. Anyway, I remember enjoying it seeing that little red-haired dragon throughout my childhood.

While I don’t recall much from the original movie, I have really enjoyed all the Disney remakes in the past few years, and was curious to see how Pete’s Dragon would play out in “real life.”

The sweeping scenery, which will make you want to board a plane to New Zealand where it was filmed, combined with the beautiful folksy music used throughout, brought me back to my magical childhood filled with outdoor play and a lack of seatbelts.

ABOUT THE FILM

Pete’s Dragon is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Robert Redford.

It follows the tale of a “fierce dragon” that supposedly resides in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. Grace {Dallas Howard}, works as a forest ranger and isn’t a believer of dragons until she meets Pete who came to live in the woods after his parents die in a car accident. Pete then confides to the world about his only friend — Elliott, gaining new insight and a new family along the way.

My THOUGHTS

It’s no secret — the best part of this film is Elliot. I mean, he’s a CGI dragon that can turn invisible, and his personality is identical to a dog: sweet, spunky and fiercely loyal. I see a lot of Elliot stuffed animal sales in Disney’s future. He’s furry and adorable and you can’t help but say “awww” when you look at him.

Overall, when I reflect on this movie, I have sweet spot in my heart for it. I found it to be a nice change of pace compared to some of the other summer kid movies that seem to lack heart. It’s quintessential Disney with so many feels {I definitely shed a few tears} and yet has many artsy and quiet scenes, which I appreciated. Coupled with the early 1980’s backdrop, I had some mad nostalgia going on.

There were some great lessons surrounding loyalty, family, and above all, friendship.

But what did the kids think?

AGE RECOMMENDATIONS

I took my daughter {just shy of 6} and our neighbor girl {age 7}. My daughter really liked it and didn’t find it scary at all {but she loves all things super natural}. Our neighbor girl was completely overwhelmed with the movie — it was too intense for her and she was quite upset after.

I think the parents getting into a car accident right at the beginning of the film set the tone in a negative way for her, and honestly made me curse Disney for killing off parents yet again. Elliott’s magical entrance helped heal her heart a bit, but heads up for those parenting sensitive souls. That scene may cause heartache despite its very brief screen time.

You know your child best, but I am recommending ages 8+ for this one. The film is rated PG for a few reasons: It’s a bit intense at times with a few “bad guys,” and not all young children will be able to handle that. I do think if your younger child is really great at sitting through movies, and likes films with magical beings like E.T., they will be OK.

It’s also worth noting it’s definitely slow-moving at parts, so parents of fidgety kids, beware, or make sure to have plenty of popcorn on hand.

Overall, it may be best suited for families with older kids.

SPLURGE ON 3D?

I say no to splurging on 3D. It wasn’t as cool as I had hoped it to be and seemed under-utilized quite honestly. Spare yourself the extra cost.

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Is Pete’s Dragon something I would buy or watch again? Eh, probably not. I’d give it 3/5 stars. But if magic and dragons are your kids’ thing, and you’re looking for a sweet family night out, give this film a whirl.

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