1) Pete’s Dragon (2016)
If this remake of the 1977 live-action tale of a boy’s friendship with an animated dragon crept up on you, we can’t say we’re surprised. The film has arrived in theaters with seemingly less-than-usual fanfare from Disney, and considering the quaint but dated sentiment many hold for the original version, no one likely expected co-writer/director David Lowery’s update to be so damn powerful.
Oakes Fegley stars as Pete, a boy who survives in the woods for six years with the help of a CG-animated dragon named Elliot, while Bryce Dallas Howard, Karl Urban, Wes Bentley, Oona Laurence and Robert Redford round out the supporting cast. By imbuing its characters with a sense of realism and warmth, Lowery — previously best known for indie drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints — lends the story greater weight than it originally carried, and what easily could have come off as a cheap retread instead uses its fantastical elements to convey a worthwhile message about real-life magic.
It’s not often that a remake improves upon its predecessor, but Pete’s Dragon is certainly the exception, a tender and thoughtful family film that we’re really hoping audiences discover during its theatrical run.