Pete's Dragon (Restored Edition) [VHS]

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Product Description ------------------- A heartwarming musical adventure about the friendship between a young boy and his invisible pet, PETE'S DRAGON casts a magical spell with thrilling plot twists and a delightful blend of live action and enchanting Disney animation! Pete, a young orphan, flees from his cruel guardians to a Maine fishing town with a lovable but mischievous dragon named Elliott -- his one true friend! Fortunately for Pete, they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora, and her her. But Elliott's flair for flying and disappearing at will continually get Pete into trouble. The adventure heats up when the townsfolk try to capture Elliott for their own gain -- only to discover that a fire-breathing dragon may be the only solution to an unexpected problem! .com ---- This story of a winsome orphan and his guardian dragon features an Academy Award-nominated score and song, Helen Reddy's "Candle on the Water." The combination of a live-action story with an animated figure was innovative in 1977, and the green dragon with pink wings will still charm youngsters today. However, its plot has the boy running from a nasty family to whom he's been sold into slavery, as well as an evil magician who tries to steal the dragon for his parts. These dark story lines may e or bore younger children, who only want to see Elliot the dragon belch fire and give Pete rides on his back. And older children who might appreciate the plot may scoff at the relatively crude animation. This leaves a rather narrow audience window of about ages 3 to 7. A cast of veterans includes Shelley Winters, Mickey Rooney, and Red Buttons, who all turn in the hammiest of performances. Acting newcomer Reddy demonstrates both why her acting career never took off and why her singing career did. (Lines like "You're a bunch of superstitious ding-dongs" don't give her much help.) However, her sometimes awkward performance as the lonely lighthouse keeper who gives the boy a home provides the film with its heart. Bottom line: it's a keeper for diehard Disney fans, dragon lovers, and those who remember this movie fondly from their childhood. --Kimberly Heinrichs