Pete's Dragon

It is time for another review. This is Pete's Dragon. After the success of Mary Poppins, Disney decided to try and recreate the success by making movies that combined animation with live action. This is one of the movies. So it is time to start; this is Pete's Dragon.

The movie starts with a boy named Pete (Sean Marshall) running away from his evil step family lead by a woman named Lena (Shelly Winters). Fortunately Pete has a magical dragon named Elliott (Charlie Callas) (don't we all). Elliott has two abilities to talk like Scooby-doo and to turn invisible. They escape from the step family and after a musical number Pete and Elliott make it to the town of Passamaquoddy. But even with Elliott invisible he gets Pete in trouble. Eventually an old drunken lighthouse keeper named Lampie (Mickey Rooney) (yes his name is really Lampie) sees Elliott and he gets scared and tells his friends....in song. After the musical number "I Saw a Dragon" Lampie returns home with his daughter Nora (Helen Reddy). Pete and Elliott hide out near the lighthouse. Nora sees Pete and invites him in. Nora tells Pete about her boyfriend Paul (Cal Bartlett) and that he was a sailor and his ship sunk at sea. Pete asks Nora if Elliot can find him and Nora (thinking Elliott isn't real) says yes.

Dr. Terminus

 The next day a con man named Dr.Terminus (Jim Dale) and his bumbling sidekick Hoagy (Red Buttons) (wait Hoagy and Terminus? What is with the names in this movie?) come to town and start in selling ineffective medicine and tonics. Two musical numbers later the local fishermen complain about the fact that all the fish seem to have gone and they think that Pete is the reason that the fish are gone. Nora sings a song welcoming Pete which makes Pete and all the other kids late for school. The teacher Miss. Taylor (Jane Kean) punishes Pete for being late and talking about dragons. But Elliott bursts through the wall and saves Pete from school (well so much for staying invisible). Meanwhile after seeing this Dr. Terminus is convinced that Elliott is real and he wants to catch him, chop him to bits and use him to make (effective) potions. He even sings a song about it. Later Lampie and Nora say that they want to adopt Pete. They are so happy they sing the song "Brazzle-Dazzle Day". If you want to know what the song is about...I haven't got a clue. However Pete's original step family comes to town.

***SPOILER ALERT STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT THE END RUINED***

Pete's step family find him Lampie and Nora and they sing the song "Bill of Sales". Fortunately Elliot makes the boat explode. But Dr. Terminus teams up with them and they form a plan. Meanwhile Pete says Elliot found Paul. But Nora says Elliot doesn't exist and that he should stop pretending. Wait why doesn't Nora believe in Elliott she saw a boat of singing hillbillies explode (I can't believe I just said  that) and how did the news about a giant dragon shaped hole in the wall of the school not reach her attention. Regardless, Dr. Terminus and the step family catch Pete and Elliott. But they manage to escape, defeat the villains, and Paul even comes back. So everything seems to be going well but Elliott has to go. So Pete say goodbye and they all live happily ever after. The End.

***SPOILERS OVER KEEP READING***

Pete's Dragon is relatively good. The effects on Elliott are impressive and Dr. Terminus is a really funny villain despite how over the top he is. Most of the songs are pretty good as well. But Pete doesn't have much of a personality besides being just a nice normal kid (with a dragon as friend). A lot of the songs go on for a while and start to lose focus. In my opinion Pete's Dragon is worth watching just be ready for some corny and over the top moments. See you next time.

AT THE HOT POCKET FACTORY