Universal is the latest studio to jump on the live-action remake trend, with "How to Train Your Dragon" being the first adaptation of a DreamWorks Animation Studios film. Fingers crossed that Disney does not use this as inspiration to greenlight live-action adaptations of Pixar movies, but all bets are off at this point. While reviews tend to be more positive for DreamWorks' first live-action adaptation (you can read /Film's review here), many film fans online continue to argue over whether these remakes have any merit whatsoever other than to cash in on the audience's nostalgia. As mentioned in the paragraph above, some live-action remakes justify their existence, but far too many are nothing more than lazy cash grabs. However, there is an underrated live-action remake that Disney produced nearly a decade ago that deserves a bigger audience, and is one that could appeal to audiences flocking into theaters to relive Hiccup and Toothless' first flight together: "Pete's Dragon."
This Underrated Live-Action Remake Is A Must-Watch For How To Train Your Dragon Fans
Disney
Released towards the end of the summer 2016 blockbuster season, Disney's remake of "Pete's Dragon" stands out as one of the studio's more worthwhile additions. For starters, although it follows in the trend of producing more remakes based on pre-existing intellectual properties, this film, directed by David Lowery, is based on the 1977 film directed by Don Chaffey, which was a hybrid live-action/animated movie. To be fair, the original "Pete's Dragon" was not a massive hit, like many of the other animated films that Disney continues to pillage for a new remake every year, so a 21st-century remake isn't all too bizarre. But beyond it being based on an old IP, Lowery's remake has quite a few elements that make it stand out.
While the original "Pete's Dragon" film was a musical, the 2016 remake is not. Director David Lowery co-wrote the script with Toby Halbrooks, and opted to tell a more grounded family drama. Granted, there is still the fantasy adventure element, given that there's a dragon involved, but the family dynamic is front and center in the remake. One of the ways in which the remake honors the original is that it begins in 1977, the same year in which the original film was released, before it flashes forward to 1983, where the story picks up. The remake also stays true to the original film's titular duo: Pete and his dragon, Elliot. Oakes Fegley plays Pete in the remake, and his relationship with Elliott is tenderly captured, much of which is thanks to the grounded human perspective that Lowery brings to the film, as well as the lovely VFX work by WETA Digital in bringing Elliott the furry green dragon to life.
Rounding out the cast of the "Pete's Dragon" remake are Bryce Dallas Howard, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence, and Robert Redford. Lowery brings out convincing performances from his entire cast, and their material is elevated thanks to earnestness and warmth on display throughout. The film also wins viewers over with its Pacific Northwest backdrop paired with its fantastical elements, evoking the feel of coming-of-age Amblin' adventure films such as "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "The Goonies."
Disney
If you were to go check out film circles online, the consensus seems to be that most cinephiles are really tired of live-action remakes of animated films. Given that Disney has dominated this practice over the last 15 years, it was only a matter of time before other studios like Universal would explore their catalog, and now, "How to Train Your Dragon" is soaring in theaters. The film, which was directed by the original film's co-director Dean DeBlois, looks to be a faithful adaptation, almost to a fault. Given the inherent emotional power of the original film, it is hard not to feel swept up in the spectacle of it, but much of those feelings were already on display in the original animated film, deeming the entire exercise unnecessary.
A live-action "How to Train Your Dragon" sequel is currently slated for theatrical release. It is unknown whether or not this sequel will be a remake of the 2014 "How to Train Your Dragon 2," but both DreamWorks and Disney should find some inspiration from the "Pete's Dragon" remake on one particular element: making these new adaptations fresh and relevant on their own merits, rather than being a lazy exercise in cashing in on audience's nostalgia. Sure, "Lilo and Stitch" is doing gangbusters, but ultimately, these live-action remakes fail to hold a candle in comparison to their superior original animated counterparts.
Following the model that David Lowery's "Pete's Dragon" brought to theaters should serve as the right kind of inspiration for new adaptations. In fact, studios should be exploring some of their lesser-known properties to adapt for modern audiences, given that most are already familiar with many of the IPs that are being reproduced. The 1977 "Pete's Dragon" never stood out in Disney's catalog the same way its numerous Renaissance Era films have with a certain generation, so a remake made both creative and financial sense, especially given that the 2016 adaptation grossed $143.7 million on a budget of $65 million.
You can read /Film's 2016 interview with "Pete's Dragon" director David Lowery here. Meanwhile, both the remake and the fascinatingly odd and surprisingly mean 1977 film are available to stream on Disney+.
