Pete's Dragon Review
Following in the tradition of hybrid classics like Mary_Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Pete's Dragon is a live-action musical adventure where real people interact with Disney-style animated characters. Namely, a cartoon giant dragon named Elliot that is occasionally invisible. It was a big hit at the box office at the time of release, and even was nominated for two Academy Awards, for the musical score and the song "Candle on the Water." Made during a bit of a rocky time for Disney, this is still just a mediocre effort and mostly just good for nostalgia value. The hammy overacting is almost unbearable, particularly an over-the-top Mickey_Rooney as lighthouse keeper Lampie and shrill Helen_Reddy as his daughter, Nora. Acting veterans Shelley_Winters and Red_Buttons also make exaggerated appearances. The animation is subpar, but it marks one of the last projects by Don_Bluth and Gary_Goldman before they left Disney and went to make classics like An_American_Tail. This movie is no classic by critical standards, but it has enjoyed a long life on home video with younger viewers. For its 1984 re-release, Pete's Dragon was cut down to 104 minutes, but was restored to its original length for the 2001 DVD release. Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
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