Very loosely inspired by the 70s original, Disney's latest updating of its back-catalogue wrings a contemporary tale out of the material but is a 'proper' children's film that works very well. From its mournfully elegiac opening to the heart-tugging ending, this is in many ways a classic Disney tale of story-telling, family and friendship with a clear environmental message. Cleverly positioned by the narrative, the largely non-threatening furry small-scale dragon is effectively the orphaned Pete's puppy and is mostly very well realised by CGI in this live-action film. Daniel Hart's score goes straight for the emotional jugular, the very rural settings are lushly filmed, and the lead adult cast (Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford and to a lesser extent Karl Urban and Wes Bentley) play well with careful sincerity and warmth. Pete's Dragon 2016-style proves to be a surprisingly enjoyable enterprise.
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