Film

Pete's Dragon

Name: Pete's Dragon
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Released: 2016
Cast: Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence

Other titles called Pete's Dragon: the 1977 film.

Fairy tale
Light-hearted

A lush, earnest fantasy about a boy raised by a dragon in the Pacific Northwest forests. David Lowery's 2016 remake trades the original's scrappy charm for painterly cinematography and genuine emotion—it's a film that trusts wonder without irony. For families who like their adventure grounded in real feeling, or adults who remember loving the 1977 cartoon but want something with more visual ambition.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you grew up on gentle fairy-tale mysteries and still want a warm, old-fashioned story about a found child and a friendly giant creature, told with unhurried affection.

Skip it if you find sentiment sweet only in small doses, since it leans hard on wide-eyed wonder and a sincere, gentle heart with few sharp edges.

What it asks of you: Just under two hours of patient, forest-set storytelling at a walking pace, with the dragon glimpsed more than shown and plenty of quiet talk between scenes.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

How to Train Your Dragon2010

Another film about a boy and a dragon learning to understand each other, but with sharp humor, gorgeous animation, and a relationship that earns its emotional weight. The flying sequences are transportive.

But Animated and aimed at kids, so if you're watching for Robert Redford's gravitas, you won't find it here. The first film is best; sequels diminish.

The BFG2016

Spielberg and Roald Dahl, a child befriended by a gentle giant in a magical world. Sumptuous production design, a real sense of childlike wonder, and Mark Rylance's performance as the giant is lovely and strange.

But Slower and dreamier than most family films, which works beautifully or feels aimless depending on your patience. The third act deflates a little.

The NeverEnding Story1984

A boy and a magical creature (a luck dragon, in this case) share a bond that saves a world. Practical effects, a synth-heavy score that lodges in your brain forever, and genuine stakes disguised as whimsy.

But The special effects are dated and sometimes goofy. The pacing meanders. A child's film that demands a child's attention span, which is actually its virtue and its barrier.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Pete's Dragon

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Shape of Water2017

Both films believe that connection between human and non-human creature is real and redemptive, not fantasy. The visual language—how they frame intimacy and trust—is surprisingly similar.

A lonely woman and a mysterious amphibious creature form a profound bond in Cold War-era Baltimore. Guillermo del Toro's most visually stunning work, with a tender love story nested inside political intrigue. It takes the boy-and-creature premise seriously as metaphor and emotion.

But It's a romance with sexual elements, so very much not for young viewers. Also deeply strange and art-film precise—if you want straightforward adventure, look elsewhere. Some find del Toro's excess off-putting.

Bridge to Terabithia2007

Two kids create an imaginary fantasy kingdom as refuge from difficult real lives. Beautifully shot, genuinely moving without sentimentality, and it understands that imagination isn't escapism—it's survival.

But It pivots into grief and loss, which catches some viewers off-guard. Not a comfort watch, despite its fantastical trappings.

Raya and the Last Dragon2021

A girl and the last dragon journey across a fractured world. Disney animation at its most confident, with a story about trust and reconciliation that doesn't resort to easy answers. The dragon is wry and real.

But Another animated film, so if you came for live-action, it's not this. The world-building can feel overstuffed for younger viewers.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron2002

A wild horse finds freedom and kinship with a Lakota boy in the American frontier. Gorgeously animated by DreamWorks, with John Powell's orchestral score that sweeps you away. The horse has agency and personality.

But Slim plot and some ham-fisted morality about colonialism. Shorter and simpler than Pete's Dragon's ambitions.

Aquamarine2006

Two girls befriend a mermaid in a swimming pool and learn about loyalty and loss. Warmhearted, funny, and surprisingly moving for what sounds like a tween premise. The friendship is genuinely won.

But Aggressively mid-2000s in tone and style, which will either charm or alienate you. The plot is flimsy.

Where the Wild Things Are2009

Spike Jonze's adaptation of Sendak's picture book—a boy sails to an island of creatures made of puppets and practical effects. Melancholic, visually strange, and about childhood loneliness with real depth.

But Quiet and slow-moving, with a deliberately unsettling visual design. Children often find it sad rather than fun. Requires patience and a taste for oddness.

Charlotte's Web2006

A pig and a spider's unlikely friendship, adapted from E.B. White. Warm, funny, and genuinely touching without ever feeling manipulative. The voice cast is perfect.

But Gentle and leisurely, which reads as dull to viewers who need constant plot momentum. The animation is functional rather than gorgeous.

Pan's Labyrinth2006

Both are about children and magical creatures as response to isolation and loss, but Pan's Labyrinth asks whether the fantasy is real or a mercy. It's the dark answer to Pete's gentle one.

A girl enters a dark magical realm as refuge from Spanish Civil War horrors. Del Toro again, but this is fantasy as genuine escape from real trauma. Visually breathtaking and emotionally brutal in ways that make Pete's earnestness feel safe.

But This is not a family film despite its child protagonist. It contains genuine violence, death, and psychological horror. Subtitled. Not a comfort film.