AUGUST 27, 2016
Who’da thunk it?
This is how you do a remake. Why, for example, would anyone bother to remake “Ben-Hur”? Not that the 1925 Ramon Novarro silent film or the 1959 William Wyler spectacle were absolute masterpieces, but they didn’t cry out for correction. “Pete’s Dragon,” on the other hand, was a terrible 1977 musical starring Helen Reddy (of all people), a film I’ve been told is best seen under the influence of hallucinogens (I wouldn’t know), so why not give it another try? Writer/director David Lowery gives it his best, and his best is pretty good, giving us by far the best major film of the summer.
Lowery is an independent filmmaker, best known in the indie world for his 2013 film “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (a criminals-on-the-run movie that had an Altman-y “Thieves Like Us” vibe), highly acclaimed but unlikely to lead to such a family-friendly film as this. But Lowery, however, is smart, and he brings those smarts to this material.
Parents be warned: the first ten minutes may be rough for little ones, as young Pete is on a trip with his parents when they are killed in an auto accident. Pete finds himself alone in the forest when he discovers a dragon, who befriends him and whom he names Elliott. Six years later, Pete (Oakes Fegley) has become a feral boy, much like the hero of Francois Truffaut’s “The Wild Child,” making it on his own with the help of his big furry friend. (My animation colleagues tell me that furry is much easier to replicate than scaly, and it helps to add to the cuddle factor as well.)
Pete and Elliott soon come to the attention of park ranger Grace Meacham (Dallas Bryce Howard) whose father (Robert Redford) is the only person ever to have previously seen the dragon. Grace’s boyfriend Jack (Wes Bentley) wants to help Grace find the dragon, but Jack’s not-so-good brother Gavin (Karl Urban) wants to bag the beast for himself.
The best thing about Lowery’s “Pete’s Dragon” is that no character in it is stupid. Even Gavin has his reasons why he wants to capture the dragon, and they’re perfectly understandable. While watching the film, time after time I muttered to myself “What a great choice,” as Lowery makes the best (and most subtle) selection in telling his story.
Howard is just fine as the center of reason in the film; it’s nice to see Bentley in a hero rather than psycho role; and it’s fun to see Urban, after his contentious Bones in “Star Trek: Beyond,” get to exercise his bad-guy side. But the best performance in the film goes to Redford, who delivers his most effectively understated performance since 2013’s “All is Lost,” and he has a dialogue-heavy scene with Howard that is jaw-dropping in its skill.
Believe me, I had pretty much given up on this summer movie season, but suddenly “Pete’s Dragon” comes along, and I have hope again. Still, junk like “Suicide Squad” is making a fortune, and really good films like “Pete’s Dragon” are struggling. Please, if it’s playing near you, give “Pete’s Dragon” a try.
GRADE: A-
