A remake of 1977’s film of the same name,?Pete’s Dragon?tells of a young boy (Oakes Fegley) who grows up in the forest without any human contact after his parents are killed in a car crash. Thankfully, he’s protected by a powerful ally – Elliott the Dragon. Written and directed by David Lowery, the film has coming-of-age material mixed with some powerful themes about what it means to be unique, what community looks like, and how we explore the unknown.
While the ‘wild child’ idea has been played before (Hanna,?The Jungle Book, etc.) in various formats, there’s something truly magical about a kid with a dragon! Recognizing that Pete sees Elliott in a way that no one else does, the audience will see that there’s more to the world than what they think they see – and that there’s more to other people and situations than what their experience may have?proposed.
In a world where fear is an operating principle for most people,?Pete’s Dragon?proposes that love (and grace) might be more important. The film might actually propose that operating out of fear isn’t acceptable, that just because we don’t understand or know something doesn’t make it bad – or other. In fact, the film might push us closer to recognizing our place in the community, even if we see it differently – or appear differently ourselves.
In Disney’s Blu-ray combo pack, special features pick in moments from the making of the film through Lowery’s diary in “Notes to Self: A Director’s Diary,” while the special effects that make Elliott ‘pop’ are including in “Making Magic.” Lowery gets some more screen time with “‘Disappearing’ Moments,” showing off some of the scenes that didn’t make the cut. Lowery also teams with his co-writer Toby Halbrooks, Fegley, and fellow kid co-star Ooana Lawrence to provide the audio commentary. Fans seeking less background and more additional points will dig the two music videos (“Nobody Knows,” “Something Wild”) and … of course… the bloopers. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD, the story and visuals will keep the audience intrigued.
