August 12 is the day that Disney releases its newest live-action remake, an update on their 1977 film "Pete's Dragon." While Disney has been on a live-action remake bent as of late, their efforts have fortunately paid off (like with "Cinderella" and especially "The Jungle Book"). With this new one, it's time to revisit the old movie...or not. Quite frankly, this remake has the right to generate the hope that this one will be better, considering how awful the original was.
The story: young Pete (Sean Marshall) runs away from his abusive caretakers with the help of his dragon friend Elliot and winds up in a small coastal town. However, after Pete and Elliot cause havoc on the town, they hide until Pete is found by Nora (Helen Reddy), and she takes him in and cares for him along with her dad (Mickey Rooney). However, Pete's caretakers, the Gogan family (led by the mother, played by Shelley Winters), are still on the hunt for Pete, and things get even knottier when a quack medicine man (Jim Dale) and his lackey (Red Buttons) roll into town.
Admittedly, the film is harmless. Apart from Pete being abused by the Gogans, there's nothing in "Pete's Dragon" that would be too scary for kids. Sure, there's action and stuff, but this is still Disney we're talking about. The film also boasts a memorable song, the Oscar-nominated "Candle on the Water," sung by Helen Reddy. While she's probably remembered best for one of the iconic hits of the '70s, she's probably the best thing about this movie: she's a pretty good actress, and her singing stands out.
If the whole movie wasn't so cutesy. Marshall plays the cute orphan trope like a fiddle, the songs aren't that great (save for probably "Candle"), the humor seems forced and the zaniness becomes too much. Also, there's a romantic subplot between Nora and the man she loves who's out at sea (Cal Bartlett) that's underdeveloped and kind of thrown in there for good measure. It's easy to see that Disney is straining with this one. The blending of live-action and the animated Pete is stilted, and overall, the movie seems rather forced. While Disney is capable of making great live-action films, even mature ones, there's nothing really to recommend "Pete's Dragon."
You can catch up on what's new about the remake here. Otherwise, you can go see the remake with fresh eyes, either from not ruining your expectations with spoilers, being bombarded by the trailers/promos or by seeing it for the first time. For those seeing the remake as their first experience, you're pretty lucky. It isn't worth seeing whether this new one stacks up to the original; in all likelihood, it probably will rise above it. Concerning the original "Pete's Dragon," that shouldn't be too hard to do.
