Overview
A young boy's extraordinary friendship with a dragon brings magic and adventure to a world that has forgotten how to believe.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- whimsical
- wistful
- gentle
- family movie night
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly found the remake to be a polished, emotionally sincere family fantasy that balances nostalgia, visual charm, and magical sentiment, even if its story is relatively slight.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Pete has lived alone in the forest for six years after losing his parents and must adjust to life with Grace and her family.
Pete's devoted friendship with Elliott motivates his secrecy, courage, and conflict with adults who want to capture the dragon.
The film remakes the 1977 Disney story as a contemporary-feeling, emotionally grounded live-action fantasy with a digitally created dragon.
Pete's forest home shelters him and Elliott, while the woodland becomes the visual and emotional source of the film's wonder.
Films like Pete's Dragon, and why
The BFG
shared family fantasy, gentle adventure, childhood wonder, and a protective bond between a child and an extraordinary creature
The Jungle Book
shared heartfelt family fantasy, rural wilderness setting, orphaned child protagonist, and polished creature effects
Paddington
shared live-action fairy-tale adventure, emotional orphan narrative, and a warm bond with a fantastical animal companion
Movie Details
- Director
- David Lowery
- Release Date
- 2016-08-10
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (2379)
Cast
- Oakes Fegley
- Bryce Dallas Howard
- Wes Bentley
- Karl Urban
- Oona Laurence
- Robert Redford
- Isiah Whitlock Jr.
- John Kassir
- Marcus Henderson
- Aaron Jackson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Pete's Dragon about?
- An orphaned boy and his invisible-to-most dragon friend must protect their forest home when skeptical adults try to expose and capture the creature.
- What is Pete's Dragon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pete's Dragon as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Pete's Dragon violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Pete's Dragon as mild.
- What did critics think of Pete's Dragon?
- Critics broadly found the remake to be a polished, emotionally sincere family fantasy that balances nostalgia, visual charm, and magical sentiment, even if its story is relatively slight.
- Which films are like Pete's Dragon?
- Films with a similar feel include The BFG, The Jungle Book, and Paddington.
- How long is Pete's Dragon?
- Pete's Dragon runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pete's Dragon?
- In United States, Pete's Dragon streams on Disney Plus.
