
Pete's Dragon
Some secrets are too big to keep.
2016 • 103 min • Adventure · Family · Fantasy
Synopsis
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace, who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales... until she meets Pete, a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete's descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham's stories. With the help of Natalie, an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.
Our family guide
Best from age 6- 100 Reviewers · 5 · 65%
- 64 Audience · 2352 · 35%
A young orphan boy, Pete, lives in the forest with his best friend, a dragon named Elliott. When Pete is discovered by a forest ranger, Grace, she and her family try to understand his mysterious past and protect Elliott from those who would exploit him.
- Violence & peril
- 2/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 1/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 0/10
- Scary moments
- 3/10
Heads up
- Some peril when characters are pursued.
- The dragon can seem intimidating at times.
- Loss of parents is a central plot point.
What it models well
- Friendship and loyalty
- Protecting nature and animals
- Family bonds and belonging
- Empathy and understanding
Talk about it after
- How Pete adapted to living in the wilderness.
- The importance of trust and believing in others.
- Why it's important to protect wildlife habitats.
- What makes a family, and how it can be found in unexpected places.
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Pete's Dragon. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
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Top billed cast
Director: David Lowery • Crew: Toby Halbrooks, David Lowery
Trailers & clips
Reviewer notes
RecommendedOakes Fegley is quite charming here as the eponymous orphan who has managed to survive, alone, in the forest following an accident that killed his parents. One day, this mini-Mowgli is spotted by park ranger "Grace" (Bryce Dallas Howard) who tries to introduce him to society - and school. How did he survive, though? Well he tells her all about "Elliott" - a dragon!…
RecommendedWholesome viewing. <em>'Pete’s Dragon'</em> is a pleasant film. This remake brings a lot of feels thanks to its hearty narrative. The special effects are nice, as is the score - particularly towards the end. The cast isn't all-star but they all do good jobs. Oakes Fegley gives a sweet performance as Pete, though it's Bryce Dallas Howard who is probably the film's standout.…
RecommendedDisney's retelling efforts post-Maleficent continue to be worthwhile. Does what the original did only better, and though it's not a brilliant movie, it is well made for the most part, and I found myself quite endeared to the titular dragon. _Final rating:★★★ - I personally recommend you give it a go._
RecommendedTrusted family reviewers**For Pete, home is where Elliot is.** I saw the '77 film prior to this so that I'm not going to miss anything if the upgradation was done in this new version. That was a quite okay film, so do this one. The difference between two was mainly the technology, but there's a major surge on all departments. Somewhat this looked more enjoyable than the old one.…
RecommendedThe infectiously whimsy and adventurous **Pete’s Dragon** undergoes a polished millennial-style rebirth for today’s kiddies not fortunate enough to be alive when the 1977 live-action animated musical blueprint made its charming, impressionable impact for youngsters of all ages back in the day.…
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Gallery
Details
- TMDB audience
- 6.4/10 (2,352)
- Age rating
- PG
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $65,000,000
- Box office
- $143,695,338
- IMDb
- tt2788732
- Official site
- movies.disney.com

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