Pete is a small boy running away from slavery with an abusive hillbilly family who have "bought" him. He falls in with an invisible dragon and a lighthouse keeper and his daughter, and assorted good and bad things happen.

This Disney offering is one of the more forgotten live action movies despite the fact that it has quite a lot going for it. It is colourful, daft, has a good moral heart, some excellent villains, decent songs, and decent effects (both physical effects and traditional animation).

The performances are all good, with Helen Reddy doing well in her only movie lead role, and young Sean Marshall's sincerity outweighing his winsome cuteness.

This is still a good family film.

Pete's Dragon may be a little slow, but this memorable movie was one of my favorites when I was a child. What kid doesn't like to imagine having a magical dragon as a best friend? Plus, the songs are catchy, whimsical, and even touching. This is a Disney classic that should be revisited every so often.

This is a very well done film. It isn't quite as memorable as Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, but it so deserves to be up there. The protagonist was very well portrayed by Sean Marshall,(despite the lack of singing ability) but my favourite was the animated dragon Elliot. The scene in the schoolroom was priceless. I absolutely loved Helen Reddy as Nora, the way she sang "Candle in the Water"(about her lover) was beautiful. Jim Dale was great and very funny as the quack Dr Terminus, but he has been better in the Carry on franchise. The most entertaining were Red Buttons and Mickey Rooney, and I mustn't forget the Gogans Shelley Winters must have had a ball making this film. The film has two minor drawbacks. It is a little too long, but also the songs while very pleasant to hear aren't as memorable as later Disney efforts, though Candle On the Water and There's Room for Everyone are classics. But I agree it is underrated. This film is an 8/10. Bethany Cox