Pete's Dragon (2016)
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An orphaned boy finds an unlikely friendship with a dragon in the Pacific Northwest.
The story
In 1977, five-year-old Pete Healy survives a car accident and is saved by a large dragon in the forest, naming him Elliot. Six years later, in 1983, Pete is living in the woods until he is discovered by a lumberjack crew and a local girl. After being knocked unconscious by a ruthless lumberjack, Pete is taken to a hospital. Meanwhile, Elliot searches for Pete, leading to a confrontation with the lumberjack crew. When Pete eventually settles with a local family, Elliot must decide whether to stay with his friend or return to the mountains.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1977, Pete Healy survives a car crash and is rescued by a dragon named Elliot. By 1983, Pete lives in the forest until he is discovered by a lumberjack crew and a girl named Natalie. After being knocked out by Gavin Magary, Pete is hospitalized, while Elliot searches for him. Elliot eventually scares off the lumberjacks but follows them to town. Pete is taken in by Grace Meacham and her father, Conrad, who also knows of the dragon. The group eventually finds Elliot, but he is captured by Gavin's hunters and tranquilized. Pete and Natalie free him, leading to a high-speed chase on a lumber truck. During a confrontation at a bridge, Elliot breathes fire, causing the bridge to collapse. Elliot saves Grace and Jack from falling, then flees with Pete. Pete tries to keep Elliot, but the dragon explains that staying together puts Pete in danger. Pete eventually agrees to live with Grace and Jack as their adopted son. Years later, Pete sees Elliot reunited with other dragons.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Lowery
- Writers
- David Lowery · screenplay; Toby Halbrooks · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Bryce Dallas Howard · Grace Meacham; Oakes Fegley · Pete Healy; Wes Bentley · Jack Magary; Karl Urban · Gavin Magary; Oona Laurence · Natalie Magary; Robert Redford · Conrad Meacham
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- friendship; protection; adoption
- Tone and mood
- sweet; soulful; enchanting
- Premise and plot tags
- remake; fantasy; adventure; live-action; CGI
- Source material / true-story basis
- Disney's 1977 film Pete's Dragon
- Franchise connections
- Pete's Dragon
- Reception
- The film was well received by critics, with a positive consensus highlighting its soulful charm and visual overhaul.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · review count: 246; Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 42
- Production trivia
- The film is not a musical.; The old Blue Mountain Lumber mill was used as the mill in the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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