Pete’s Dragon
The classic Disney musical about an animated dragon comes back to DVD
Tags: Misc DVD 2009 Categories: DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Aug 26th, 2009
I thoroughly enjoy Pete’s Dragon. Yes, it is a relic of a simpler time, one where people didn’t need to have artificial “jacked in” high adrenaline stimulus in a constant barrage. Granted, storytelling also reflects this, but storylines are not necessarily “dumbed down” either.
Pete’s Dragon is a live action film, though the titular creature is animated. This type of thing had been done before, such as with Anchors Aweigh, as well as rather famously with animated sequences and backgrounds in Mary Poppins and Bednobs & Broomsticks. This was, however, the first time I remember a primary character in a live action film was animated.
Pete is a young orphan in Maine in the early 20th century who is running away from a bad situation. He has a friend, a large dragon that only he can see (at least initially) which winds up complicating matters as well as helping. After finding his way into Helen Reddy’s life (portraying a woman who’s fiancé is lost at sea) things get even more complicated as a couple of traveling snake oil salesmen enter the town.
Antics, adventures, comedy, it’s all here and while older viewers who aren’t familiar with the film may not understand the appeal, those with kids will. I saw the film in theaters back in 1977, and over the years I’d catch it a couple of time on VHS and DVD. My younger kids had recently discovered the film a few years ago, and it became one of the few films that landed in heavy rotation at the rental queue. This is no small accomplishment, considering the number of films available for the younger crowd.
What is it that makes Pete’s Dragon so enjoyable 30 years after its initial release? Musicals don’t always hold up, especially those geared towards younger viewers. Children’s movies don’t even hold up well. Part of it has to do with the classic Disney storytelling that simply appeals to a wide range of people. There is simply something to about children in danger with a sense of abandonment that taps into a wide range of emotions in a wide audience. It’s a basic scenario that keeps coming up in a number of Disney films (such as The Rescuers).
Another major factor in how well Pete’s Dragon holds up is with Elliot, the dragon. This character is full of life, animated by Don Bluth, who would go on to create some great films on his own in the 80s. Here, he helped create something that is magical, even by today’s standards. When you consider that creating an animated character that would appear in a live action film for more than just a scene was not done very much at the time. Technologically, it’s well done and helps to immerse the viewer even further into the story.
I suppose I should mention the cast, who all bring an air of credibility to their roles, even in this light family fare. Mickey Rooney, Helen Reddy, Jim Dale, Red Buttons, and Shelly Winters are all great. They all know this isn’t serious stuff, but they aren’t reating the material like a joke, either.
So the film itself is enjoyable, but is this the DVD that need to be picked up? If you already own the film on DVD then the answer most likely is “no” but there are some good special features, but I’m not sure how many of them are new. The grown up Pete, actor Sean Marshall, narrates a documentary that traces the history of Disney’s animated/live action combination films. It’s interesting, and there is some good footage of Pete’s Dragon, but it’s too far reaching to be specific to this film. We also get the requisite promotional galleries which are always fun to look at.
There’s a DVD game, which is alright if you’re into that sort of thing, which I’m not. Instead I found the deleted stuff much more interesting. There is a scene displayed via storyboard as well as several songs in various stages. I would have liked to have the MP3s available as a data file, but having these available in some form is nice. We also get a couple of archival clips looking at dragons and animating Elliot. Lastly we get Lighthouse Keeping, a Donald Duck cartoon that features a lighthouse, which isn’t the strongest of connections, but it’s something.
Pete’s Dragon is a fun film that may be a little long for some viewers, at a little over 2 hours. It also just won’t sit well with some as a musical because – well, the songs don’t necessarily fit the period, as well as some people just don’t like musicals. If, however, you have kids that are able to enjoy a healthy suspension of disbelief or if you have any sort of fond memory of the film, then the DVD is worth owning. If you already own a previous DVD, you might not want to purchase this new edition as it isn’t so much of an upgrade.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ Fun to watch + Good cast + Plenty of special features |
7.8 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- New special features aren't as retrospective on the film as one might hope - Film is dated |
|
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Pete's Dragon may not be the best Disney film, but it's fun. This isn't as "definitive" of a package as one might hope for, but it's not bad. | |
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Tags: Misc DVD 2009
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Aug 26th, 2009 and is filed under DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
