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Pete's Dragon

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 4, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Offbeat live-action/animation mix with lots of drinking.

Themes in this movie include:   friendship, growing up
updated 08.14.09

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Though the heavy drinking does seem to put a weird stagger on the material, most of this is Disney-safe, with the message about holding out hope and maintaining childlike innocence and optimism. Expectedly, most grownups, except the villains, don't believe that Pete actually has a dragon, and adult-authority figures tend to be buffoons.

  • Role models:

    Pete is a nice, honest orphan kid, though kind of one-note in that he’s mostly either being chased or chastising Elliott to behave. Pete never endorses Elliott using his strength or flaming breath against antagonists, and Elliott saves a bunch of townspeople in the end. On the other hand, a schoolteacher is depicted as a particularly nasty and negative character. Pete’s evil-but-dumb adoptive family, the rustic Gogans, are stereotyped hillbillies.

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Comical roughhousing, as Elliott (sometimes visible, sometimes not), knocks villains around -- usually into the water -- with his tail, or the bad guys get caught up in their own snares. A few "comical" songs in which the villains sing about either cutting up Elliott for medicinal ingredients or abusing/killing young Pete (roasting the boy "gently" on a BBQ, for instance).

  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Was the sequel called Pete’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings? Extravagant drinking imagery pervades, with Mickey Rooney’s grandfatherly character as the town drunk. Other characters are repeatedly shown drinking or talking about drinking. Elliott the dragon himself imbibes of a flask. One guy, when he says he’s witnessed a dragon, is accused of being drunk -- and advised to have a drink and get over it (!?). Raucous musical number in a saloon featuring rolling barrels and a final shower of beer suds (predicting the "foam parties" that would be popular with youth decades later).

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Pete's Dragon was written by Sarah Wenk

Parents need to know that several characters in this movie get quite drunk. There are some fight scenes (though they are mild) and a scene of a teacher hitting a student.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about what they'd do with a dragon of their own.
  • Discuss Pete's situation and how sometimes people have to find their real families.
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More on Pete's Dragon

What’s the Story?

This Disney musical about a boy and his dragon centers on Pete, an orphan who has been sold to an abusive backwoods family. Pete is befriended by Elliott, a rotund, friendly, and often mischievous dragon. Together they run away to a small Maine town, where they meet Lampey the lighthouse keeper (Mickey Rooney) and his daughter Nora (Helen Reddy). Of course the bad backwoods family comes looking for Pete, and there is another complex subplot involving a quack doctor (Jim Dale) and his often-drunk sidekick (Red Buttons) who have their own plans for Elliott. There is a disastrous first day of school for Pete (in which his hands are hit with a stick by his teacher), many mishaps involving the mayor, and some wet cement that gets mucked up over and over again.
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Is It Any Good?

The interaction of people and animation in PETE'S DRAGON is surprisingly good, but the movie itself falls rather flat. The biggest problem is the songs, which are utterly forgettable, which is not a great feature for a musical.

The story is a good one and there's a certain sweetness to the proceedings, but also a combination of predictability and noisy chaos that will make this better viewing for kids than for their parents. The message, about finding love and security in a crazy world, is a good one, and children will find this an entertaining and enjoyable viewing experience.
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Movie Details

Studio: Disney, Director: Don Chaffey
Run time: 128 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/3/1977, DVD release: 8/18/2009
MPAA Rating: G

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    zackaback
    I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it 1.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Hated It!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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