Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Holiday Gift Guide: Pete's Dragon Blu-ray


Pete's Dragon


Studio: Walt Disney

Director: David Lowery

Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley, and Karl Urban

Retail: $39.95

ASIN: B01I0RFN38

Running Time: 103 minutes

Rated: PG

Where To Purchase:






Bonus Features includes:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:
  • Notes to Self: A Director’s Diary – Director David Lowery narrates the personal diary he kept through the filming of “Pete’s Dragon” in this intimate and fascinating look at the movie’s making.
  • Making Magic – Discover fun facts about what went into designing this spectacular, lovable dragon.
  • “Disappearing” Moments – The director shares a montage of the film’s “lost” scenes.
  • Welcome to New Zealand – Experience the wonders of New Zealand and learn why it’s a magical place to visit … and to make a movie.
  • Audio Commentary – Gain an insider perspective from director David Lowery, co-writer Toby Halbrooks and actors Oakes Fegley and Oona Laurence.
  • Music Videos
    • “Nobody Knows” by The Lumineers
    • “Something Wild” by Lindsey Stirling featuring Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
    • Bloopers
DVD:
  • Making Magic



Billy's Thoughts: Typically remakes or reboots don't tend to do very well at the box office, but this year two of the better films were The Jungle Book and Pete's Dragon, which where both made by Disney.

Pete's Dragon is a loose remake of the beloved 1977 live-action animated musical classic about a young orphan named Pete and his invisible dragon Elliot. The remake drops the original's 1900s setting and all of it's musical numbers. Instead it's set in 1983, where an eleven-year-old Elliot has been living a forest for the last six years after his parents where killed in a car accident. His only friend is a friendly green dragon that he has named Elliot, who can turn invisible when needed.

After Pete encounters a lumberjack crew near his home, he is spotted by the foreman's daughter, Natalie. The boy is taken in by forest ranger, Grace Meacham, who happens to be date Natalie's father, Jack.

Elliot awakens to find Pete missing. He goes on a search for the boy, but is spotted by the lumberjack crew, lead by Jack's brother, Gavin, who is determined to hunt down the dragon.

Like many people in their 30s, I grew up watching the original Pete's Dragon during my childhood, so I have found memories for the musical. Typically, I don't care for remakes, but Disney did a great job with The Jungle Book, so I took a bit of an interest in Pete's Dragon when it was released to theaters back in August; which I did watch at my local one-screen movie theater.

Surprisingly, the remake is a well-written, heartfelt family film that is just as good as the original. The entire cast does an excellent job, especially the Oakes Fegley and Oona Laurence as Pete and Natalie. The CGI for Elliot looks really good on screen.

The Blu-ray comes in a combo pack with a DVD and a Digital HD code for Disney Movies Anywhere. The picture quality and sound on the Blu-ray are superb. There are plenty of extras and special features on the Blu-ray, including commentaries, a behind-the-scenes look at the move, and two music videos. The song "Something Wild" by Lindsey Stirling and Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness is very catchy.

Pete's Dragon is available on Blu-ray today, and it would make a great stocking stuffer this year for both kids and adults.



*I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.



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