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Jun 14, 2018Nursebob rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Director David Lowery pours the Disney syrup thick and sticky all over this overtly sentimental reboot of the 1977 non-classic, but he does so with such manipulative skill—not to mention awesome CGI effects—that he manages to keep things just this side of mawkish. Cute cherubs wise beyond their years, doltish authorities who don’t have a clue, and a few grownups who desperately want to BELIEVE again (Robert Redford approaching rock bottom as an affable old grandfather) round out the usual suspects in this kind of production while the loveable fur-covered dragon hovers somewhere between a slobbering puppy (he chases his own tail and snaps at butterflies!) and a big lime-coloured chesterfield. Thankfully the Pacific Northwest scenery, played by New Zealand, is pretty to look at and the action moves along at a fair clip despite an intrusive orchestral score that insists we laugh or cry at just the right moments. Steadfastly inoffensive (unless you work in the logging industry) with smiles and happy endings all around, this is definitely one for the single-digit age group—after all, who wouldn’t want their very own dragon?!