Pete's Dragon (1977)

 

Full disclaimer: this was one of three Disney films that were pretty much on repeat at home in the days of VHS. The other two were 'Mary Poppins' and 'Bedknobs & Broomsticks'. So you might think this one has a pretty large nostalgic feel to it, but one thing that has always returned is that - in the end - this one isn't all that memorable, save for the cutesy dragon. Even the songs are a bit (dare I say it?) bland at times. Still, it's fun in that classic Disney sense. 

Pete is a young orphan who was bought from the orphanage by the horrendous hillbillie hoodlums known as the Gogans. He escapes with a little help from a dragon that can turn itself invisible.

Handy. 

He ends up in the quiet little fishing village of Passamaquoddy and immediately things go wrong as Elliott (the dragon) causes mischief and of course Pete gets blamed for this. However, he is in luck, as Nora, daughter of lighthouse operator Lampie (Micky Rooney) notices him and takes him into her home, to care for, as she yearns for a family. Her fiancee has gone missing at sea, you see. 

And then Doc Terminus comes to town, a classic quack and a remnant of the Wild West. The town isn't too eager to hand over their hard earned cash, but when he finally gets convinced there is such a thing as a real dragon, the dollar signs in his eyes light up and he hatches a plan to kill Elliott and hand Pete over to the Gogans once again. 

So how will it all play out and will there be a happy end?

It's Disney: asking the question is answering it at the same time.

So this isn't exactly Disney 'grand cru', even though it is harmless enough. The integration of the animated dragon with the real environments is actually pretty impressive, certainly for the time, as this would be later perfected by 'Roger Rabbit'. But still, it works. Elliott's design is a bit weird but memorable (why does a dragon have hair?) and his vocalisations are funny. The acting is pretty much on point, with a shout out to Doc Terminus for being funny and captivating. Mickey Rooney goes overboard when he is supposed to be drunk and it comes across as annoyingly exaggerated. 

Some things just don't click all that well, and if you have a musical and the songs don't get you going, that is a true shame. From most Disney musicals, a lot of people can remember and/or sing at least one song, but this one: not so much. They just don't grab you as they should. 

Another thing they might have changed: Elliott is green and a lot of the backgrounds are also green. It's a bit jarring at times to try and figure out where the dragon stops and the foliage begins.

Nevertheless: 'Pete's Dragon' is still a recommended watch and kids will probably love it. It just isn't one of the greats, that is all.