Pete's Dragon (2016) - 8.5/10
Watching this movie with my kids made me feel like I was Frodo listening to Sam's speech about there still being good in the world worth fighting for. This is not a remake with self-referential winks to the audience or Easter Egg references to the original. Just an utterly earnest, warm hearted, character driven story that completely stands on its own. This is a film that treats adults and children alike with the utmost respect and does not coast on cheap sentimentality, rapid fire quips or money shot spectacle and I couldn't be more amazed that it went down *none* of those roads, especially in this day and age.
It probably would have benefited from just a little more levity, but it certainly didn't need to. It joins The WWitch, 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Shallows as another great surprise of 2016.