it was pretty simple and average, I wouldnt put it into the "sucked" category.
Pete's Dragon reviews coming in - 90% so far
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GustyGardens
Banned
I made plans to see it already, so I'm glad it's good.
DeathoftheEndless
Crashing this plane... with no survivors!
Jungle Book was awesome. One of the best movies of the year.
Cabbagehead
Member
yeah sadly, has the scores but none of the air wave.
Blueboys1306
Banned
Didn't think much of Super 8. Too much of a try hard Spielberg/Dante rip off not done very well. Stranger Things I love. This looks amazing as well.
Not sure how this became a Super 8 hate thread but hear hear! That movie was incredibly disappointing. It's a pale imitation of Spielberg and everything it tried to do, Stranger Things accomplishes a million times more deftly. I guess Pete's Dragon has a bit of a Spielberg-like flavor to it but I hadn't even considered that up to now.
honestly this is gonna become a safer bet than superhero movies
I thought The Jungle Book, for example, was fine, but kinda wholly unnecessary and really overrated
they seem to have cracked the code. I fully expect all of their cartoon films becoming live action movies in the next fuckin 5 years 10 tops
I thought The Jungle Book, for example, was fine, but kinda wholly unnecessary and really overrated
they seem to have cracked the code. I fully expect all of their cartoon films becoming live action movies in the next fuckin 5 years 10 tops
everyday math
Banned
Movie looks very cute
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
SaganIsGOAT
Junior Member
First trailer looked great and that music 👌
LegendofJoe
Member
My 2 year old son's response to seeing the trailer was "Wow, dragon is cool."
Yep, we're going to see this movie. His first movie was Zootopia so this will be number two.
Yep, we're going to see this movie. His first movie was Zootopia so this will be number two.
I just got back from seeing it. I'd never heard of the original before this was announced, so I have no attachment, nostalgic or otherwise, to it. Anyway, 2016 Pete's Dragon may be the best film I've seen so far this year. It's everything a live action family film should be.
I'm sure that somewhere, Adam Sandler is watching this and yelling at the screen that the movie forgot to have Elliott piss all over the villain.
I'm sure that somewhere, Adam Sandler is watching this and yelling at the screen that the movie forgot to have Elliott piss all over the villain.
Wrong
Saw it. Enjoyed it a lot. Most people won't think it's as good as The Jungle Book, and it's a very apt comparison not only thematically and structurally, but because they both came out this year from Disney... lol.
This movie does very much have its own voice and vibe though. So if you liked one I think you should like the other, without them feeling overly samey. Very different setting and music choices, and focusing on only one CGI creature that can't speak (he's a very intelligent dog with wings, basically), as opposed to an entire cast of CGI animals that do speak. It's trying to hit different marks and I hope people realize that before they judge it too harshly against Jungle Book.
Pete's Dragon tries a lot harder to hit the emotional beats at the climax than JB. Guess it's up to you to decide rather it succeeds. There was a lot of sniffling in my audience though!
Since the JB comparison is inevitable regardless, what are some things PD does better? For me, Elliot was a much more enjoyable character than any of the CGI characters in JB. While I think the main child actor in JB does have an edge over the one in PD, both do quite well (their characters have very different personalities though; Pete is far more introverted so it's hard to do a 1:1.) But PD has a great cast and their performances are really good. I particularly liked Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford.
Sequel potential? We already know Jungle Book 2 is in the works. If the box office is kind, I can see some possible angles they could work with.
This movie does very much have its own voice and vibe though. So if you liked one I think you should like the other, without them feeling overly samey. Very different setting and music choices, and focusing on only one CGI creature that can't speak (he's a very intelligent dog with wings, basically), as opposed to an entire cast of CGI animals that do speak. It's trying to hit different marks and I hope people realize that before they judge it too harshly against Jungle Book.
Pete's Dragon tries a lot harder to hit the emotional beats at the climax than JB. Guess it's up to you to decide rather it succeeds. There was a lot of sniffling in my audience though!
Since the JB comparison is inevitable regardless, what are some things PD does better? For me, Elliot was a much more enjoyable character than any of the CGI characters in JB. While I think the main child actor in JB does have an edge over the one in PD, both do quite well (their characters have very different personalities though; Pete is far more introverted so it's hard to do a 1:1.) But PD has a great cast and their performances are really good. I particularly liked Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford.
Sequel potential? We already know Jungle Book 2 is in the works. If the box office is kind, I can see some possible angles they could work with.
Today's my (now 8) year old's birthday & he was super-stoked to see it today. Huge hit with him, I'm sure I saw some tears at a couple of key moments. For me, I loved it, far more than Jungle Book - I saw that a couple of times & it just didn't work anywhere near as well as this for me - more brash, more typically modern Disney.
Pete's Dragon is tender-hearted, generous in spirit, ridiculously heart tugging in all the right ways without being cloying, and a joy to watch from beginning to end. It deserves to go down as a Disney kids' classic.
There's no over the top villains. There's no ridiculous talking animals. Every actor nails their part, including the kids, without any over the top theatrics. The script's willing to give some space & time to its actors, not crowding it with endless peppy dialogue. The film's willing to have scenes with little background music, just the quiet sounds of the forest, the birds, the wind. Instead of the cartoon caricature of a dragon we're used to these days, we get a smart, attentive, over-sized, loyal shaggy dog, that's got a proper physical presence in the forest.
What could easily have been an over the cartoony revamp is instead a big heart film focused on the relationship between a stranded boy & his protective pet. Loved it.
Go take yer kids.
Pete's Dragon is tender-hearted, generous in spirit, ridiculously heart tugging in all the right ways without being cloying, and a joy to watch from beginning to end. It deserves to go down as a Disney kids' classic.
There's no over the top villains. There's no ridiculous talking animals. Every actor nails their part, including the kids, without any over the top theatrics. The script's willing to give some space & time to its actors, not crowding it with endless peppy dialogue. The film's willing to have scenes with little background music, just the quiet sounds of the forest, the birds, the wind. Instead of the cartoon caricature of a dragon we're used to these days, we get a smart, attentive, over-sized, loyal shaggy dog, that's got a proper physical presence in the forest.
What could easily have been an over the cartoony revamp is instead a big heart film focused on the relationship between a stranded boy & his protective pet. Loved it.
Go take yer kids.
Yeah, I thought The Jungle Book was fine, but it doesn't remotely compare with Pete's Dragon, as far as I'm concerned.
ajfoucault
Member
Going to watch it this summer for sure.
Alcibiades
Member
Saw this today... thought it was OK but nothing special. Predictable plot and there isn't any conflict until late in the story. The "bad guy" is stereotypical and boring. There is no sense of wonder which a movie with a dragon should have.
Also the dragon itself wasn't visually pleasing.
Disappointed. I remember enjoying the original as kid.
Also the dragon itself wasn't visually pleasing.
Disappointed. I remember enjoying the original as kid.
D
Deleted member 80556
Unconfirmed Member
I know there are St. Vincent's fans in GAF, so you guys might be pretty happy to hear her cover of 'Something on Your Mind' for this film.
Anyway, great to hear that it's doing great! That kid was in Person of Interest, looks like he has a good future in Hollywood. Can't wait to see it.
Anyway, great to hear that it's doing great! That kid was in Person of Interest, looks like he has a good future in Hollywood. Can't wait to see it.
Clay Davis
Member
A few friends and I watched this earlier in the week and it was a real surprise in how heartwarming and feel good it was. Elliot was wonderfully brought to the screen, the emotion in his faces and eyes was breathtaking at times and the little boy who plays Pete was really good too.
I really recommend anyone who liked Jungle Book go watch this, you'll love it.
I really recommend anyone who liked Jungle Book go watch this, you'll love it.
Yeah, both are similar, but the stories are completely different. Great movie.
Pete's Dragon is a truly beautiful film. From the first to the final scenes, you can tell you're watching something that has an unusually more personal touch than the typical big budget fare this summer. Although I haven't seen Lowery's other work, I can tell the story he was telling in this was deeply important to him thanks to the deep empathy I felt for all the characters. It's one unique story too; arguably the only movie this summer where halfway through the feature, I had absolutely no idea where it could go next. In a year of constantly predictable films, this was a relief. As far as filmmaking goes, it's a triumph.
The acting is top notch, with everyone in the ensemble doing a lovely job. Oakes Fegley is a revelation, both subtly convincing (Elliott is absolutely alive, half thanks to Fegley's performance) and downright heartbreaking at points. Oona Lawrence also does excellently, making me anticipate Lowery's Peter Pan project even more, since he clearly knows how to work with child actors. Elliott himself is a wonder, a perfect combination of the aforementioned performance by Fegley and really delightful character animation. It's impossible not to fall in love with him.
There are a few flaws of course. I've already mentioned that the second half of the movie is unpredictable in the best sense. The first half though... it just feels like a long build-up. Well done, certainly, and never boring, but it just feels off in a sense. Perhaps this is Lowery's arthouse sensibilities meshing with the studio style, as the recent film the first half most reminded of was Lenny Abrahamson's Room, in theme, tone, and aesthetics (Pete's long hair didn't help matters here either). The score by Daniel Hart is good at points, but often becomes overbearing as well. That is an alright issue to have because when the score is good, it's phenomenal.
Pete's Dragon is an contradiction. It is a remake, another entry into the boy-and-his-blank genre. Yet, the way it takes on its subject matter with deep love for every character on the film, along with other directorial flourishes, makes it feel wholly new. Pete's Dragon is an emotional wonder, a movie about childhood that everyone can get something out of. The best thing I could say about is that it's the rare film I could see becoming a childhood classic years down the road. Truly exemplary all around.
Please note: This review might not be wholly accurate because it was one of the worst audience experiences I've had at the theater. Nonstop children's chatters along with laughter by them at inappropriate moments nearly ruined the film. It's a credit to the film that I still found it to be a moving piece despite the viewing environment working against it.
The acting is top notch, with everyone in the ensemble doing a lovely job. Oakes Fegley is a revelation, both subtly convincing (Elliott is absolutely alive, half thanks to Fegley's performance) and downright heartbreaking at points. Oona Lawrence also does excellently, making me anticipate Lowery's Peter Pan project even more, since he clearly knows how to work with child actors. Elliott himself is a wonder, a perfect combination of the aforementioned performance by Fegley and really delightful character animation. It's impossible not to fall in love with him.
There are a few flaws of course. I've already mentioned that the second half of the movie is unpredictable in the best sense. The first half though... it just feels like a long build-up. Well done, certainly, and never boring, but it just feels off in a sense. Perhaps this is Lowery's arthouse sensibilities meshing with the studio style, as the recent film the first half most reminded of was Lenny Abrahamson's Room, in theme, tone, and aesthetics (Pete's long hair didn't help matters here either). The score by Daniel Hart is good at points, but often becomes overbearing as well. That is an alright issue to have because when the score is good, it's phenomenal.
Pete's Dragon is an contradiction. It is a remake, another entry into the boy-and-his-blank genre. Yet, the way it takes on its subject matter with deep love for every character on the film, along with other directorial flourishes, makes it feel wholly new. Pete's Dragon is an emotional wonder, a movie about childhood that everyone can get something out of. The best thing I could say about is that it's the rare film I could see becoming a childhood classic years down the road. Truly exemplary all around.
Please note: This review might not be wholly accurate because it was one of the worst audience experiences I've had at the theater. Nonstop children's chatters along with laughter by them at inappropriate moments nearly ruined the film. It's a credit to the film that I still found it to be a moving piece despite the viewing environment working against it.
Aztechnology
Member
BFG was a far too meandering film. It also had next to no marketing at least here in the states. Neither does this film. Hopefully word of mouth is enough to propel it.
Conkersbadfurday
Member
Happy to see the positive reviews, but man the trailer makes this look straight boring. Guess that was just poor marketing though. Will hopefully catch it before it leaves theater, but shit, Kubo just came out and that seems more interesting.
I wish you would just see it instead of asking, but in short, no.
Vincent Alexander
Member
Hey, Jungle Book was great! Except for
Mowgli getting to the village halfway through the movie, leaving me scratching my head going "what am I watching now? Him hanging out with Bill Murray?" Also, the antagonist suddenly switching from stalking his prey like a badass to deciding he might as well just lie around and wait, because that is what we want to see. And Mowgli running what was a multi-day journey in a single montage holding fire from the man village.
cj_iwakura
Member
It's cute. I enjoyed it, a lot more emotional than I expected.
I'm pretty sure the ending is how Reign of Fire happens.
Cow Mengde
Banned
Wow, I did not expect this. I thought it was just going to be some cheap quick cash in.
CraigerGamer
Member
Definitely take your 3 year old along.
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