Are Disney movies always fairy tales? The new Peter and the Dragon immediately rings a bell for me. A few years ago I was on holiday in the south of France. Hubby and I actually wanted to visit a snail farm (oui, they have one there and yes, we wanted to go there). Once there, an old French pie sent us away grumbling, it turned out to be closed. After half a kilometer we came across a beautiful forest, and decided to go for a walk. That turned out to be a good choice, because we were presented with a wonderful history lesson. In the forest where we walked, l'enfant sauvage lived. The feral child † "Victor," as the boy is known, was estimated to be about 10 years old when hunters found him. He crawled on all fours and made wild gestures but could not speak.
That boy was ten years old. No one knew how long he had survived in the woods, living on berries and nuts. It was clear that he had not had any contact with other people for a long time. He hadn't even been socialized by humans. He was thought to have been raised by wolves. Doesn't that sound like a fairy tale? Disney must have thought of it that way too, because as soon as I see the (promising!) trailer of their newest baby Peter and the Dragon I think:I know this story from somewhere! Disney goes L'enfant sauvage
The newest Disney film, Peter en de Draak, will premiere in Dutch cinemas on 5 October. The film is about a charming forester, the lovely redhead Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard). She spends all day wandering through the woods and one day she meets Peter, a mysterious boy without a home. Unlike Victor, he was not raised by wolves. Disney wouldn't be Disney if they didn't increase the fairytale factor! . Peter lives with a dragon – or so he says. Fortunately, that turns out to be a typical Disney dragon:Elliot is a bit the Big Friendly Giant among dragons. At least, when he's with Peter… and you shouldn't make him angry either – but that probably goes for all fire-breathing creatures.
There have been stories for years about a ferocious dragon ravaging the area. These are mainly told by Meacham, the woodcarver. All the children in the village grow up with the stories. Grace too, so she doesn't know if she can still believe Peter. Peter's description of Elliot is suspiciously similar to the dragon from the horror stories. Grace goes in search of the truth with her friend Nathalie. Because some secrets are too big to keep. Because how dangerous is dragon Elliot really?
Peter and the Dragon is another wonderful Disney film for kids who love an adventure. But also for moms and dads, and don't forget the grandmothers. With Robert Redford as woodcarver Meacham, this Disney film also brings some 'old glory' with it. And for all family members who don't like fairy tales:it's a true story (apart from the dragon perhaps). Google Victor from Aveyron!
You have to be able to take a lump in your throat, because this Disney film by Peter and the Dragon is a real tearjerker! Joyce has since been with her family and although the photo above still looks suspiciously cozy, she also told about red-rimmed eyes.
Nice Disney movies that are still to come:
Other fun Disney movies we've reviewed recently:
