'My Father's Dragon' Review

Adapting the iconic children’s book by Ruth Stiles Gannett, My Father’s Dragon is a charming yet elevated adaptation of the classic tale of a boy and his dragon building the friendship of a lifetime. The story follows Elmer and his mother as they move to the big city, and while coping with these changes, Elmer runs off in search of a mysterious island and a dragon that needs rescuing.

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Written by Meg LeFauve (Inside Out, Captain Marvel), the film feels inherently Disney in that it makes you feel warm inside at points but also follows the typical structure of the acts. However, the enticing aspect of this is that it allows audiences to feel the sense of familiarity that helps draw them into the story and shapes a world that feels new and exciting but somehow reminiscent of places they’ve seen before. Additionally, the screenplay had to be heavily adapted to give the plot depth and urgency, and what LeFauve has done fits perfectly with the themes of the book and creates an interesting narrative that allows for expansive worldbuilding and potential expansion, whether that’s in the form of a sequel, film or series.

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The movie makes an interesting creative decision with its animation style, choosing to use a more traditional 2D animation style instead of a more modernized 3D. While some viewers may prefer a more “lifelike” 3D style, the animation here works and suits the story perfectly. On top of that, it provides a stylistic difference from other projects, giving it its own feel and overall childlike feel, as the 2D feels reminiscent of past works.

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One of the most impressive qualities of the film is its outstanding score, composed by the Danna Brothers (Onward, The Addams Family). At certain times, it’s almost shocking that a score this beautiful isn’t featured in a blockbuster of a much larger scale.

Thematically and tonally, the film feels reminiscent of Where The Wild Things Are, as it not only follows a similar plot structure but also plays upon similar motives of acceptance.

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Overall, My Father’s Dragon is a good watch not only for family movie nights or with kids who love the book, but truly anyone who is a fan of animation, or wants to relive a glimpse of their childhood. Additionally, anyone who keeps track of award season will find this to be a worthwhile watch, as I predict that it’ll be nominated in the categories of animation, with the potential of adapted screenplay or score.

My Father’s Dragon hits select theaters on November 4 and streams on Netflix on November 11.

8/10