8 Most Overrated Films Of Summer 2016

6. Pete’s Dragon

I liked Pete’s Dragon. I really did. It was working against itself given the muddled legacy of the original and some very basic trailers, but it emerged as a surprisingly well-pitched family movie, the kind we’ve not seen recently in the PG-13 baiting landscape. The effects were solid, the acting completely fitting - especially Karl Urban as a villain whose motivations you completely understand - and the new story full of wonder.

But some of the praise around this movie is frankly a bit ridiculous. Aside from people claiming it as their favourite film of the year (each to their own and all that), the obscenely high scores on Rotten Tomatoes over-convey the movie’s strengths and downplay some of its weaknesses in plotting.

In having a distinct identity and being better than the original, the film is certainly worthy of praise, but that shouldn't be a shield to its more overt, alternatively cloying and obvious Disney schmaltziness. At least it isn't Maleficent.