Pete's Dragon Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

Ups

6. The Tone Is Perfect

No matter its faults, this film is tonally on-point: it manages to be sweet and earnest without feeling too treacly, and there's a thoroughly old-school adventure film feel cutting through the entire thing.

Lowery does a stand-up job dealing with the early tragedy in Pete's life where he loses his parents, not shying away from it but tastefully showing how Pete came to live in the forest.

The emotional beats largely land, it doesn't try too hard to be anything, and is basically the sort of relaxed family adventure there should be more of in Hollywood.