With any live-action Disney remake, the main objective should be to not only bring their classic animated counterparts to the screen in a form that's larger-than-life, but do so in a way that remains completely faithful while adding to their respective stories. With Peter Pan & Wendy, Disney revisits the timeless classic tale of the young magical boy who refused to grow up with the results being reasonably satisfying. While the newest live-action adaptation has moments where it soars, including a strong devoted performance from Jude Law as Captain Hook, it fails to outdo previous screen versions with the latest effort amounting to be an honorable retelling, though lacks the thrills of previous iterations of the story.
Peter Pan & Wendy's plot has a young girl, Wendy Darling, meeting a young boy named Peter Pan, who refuses to grow up. He brings Wendy, her brothers, and Tinker Bell back to the magical world of Neverland, where they counter an evil Pirate Captain named Hook. Bearing the same plot as the 1953 animated classic, Peter Pan & Wendy approaches the story with a more personal tone while adding surprise twists regarding Hook's backstory, and his past relationship with Peter. Although it doesn't completely work, there's more to appreciate about this latest retelling with it's devotion to the original being undeniable, as well as its attempts to expand upon the stories mythology which make it an honorable reimagining.
As far as performances go, Peter Pan & Wendy's cast demonstrate a clear understanding of the assignment and play their parts exceptionally well. Both Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson deliver impressive work as Peter Pan and Wendy, with their performances being among the films strongest with them showcasing some fairly strong chemistry. Along with their work, it's Jude Law who demonstrates pure class in playing Pan's arch-nemesis, Captain Hook. Law brings his A game here and does a stellar job of playing a vengeful antagonist while also creating a complexed human side to him. The rest of the cast give noteworthy performances including Alyssa Wapanatahk as indigenous warrior-woman and Peter's elder sibling Tiger Lily, who watches over the Lost Boys of Neverland. Other notable additions include Jim Gaffigan as Hook's boatswain Mr. Smee, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe, Molly Parker, and Alan Tudyk as Wendy's siblings and mother John, Michael, Mr. And Mrs. Darling. As a whole, Peter Pan & Wendy's cast works nicely as a terrific ensemble while bringing a commendable amount of dedication to their roles. However, it's Molony, Anderson, and Law generating the most interest among audiences.
As far as directing goes, David Lowery gives the story a majestical feel that'll sweep audiences into a new world that's full of wonder and Pirates. Lowery's work is involving with the director's artistic vision shining through as evidenced by several visually striking sequences including a boat flying in the air and being turned upside down, or a swordfight between Pan and Hook, which includes the presence of a giant crocodile. Despite being a children's story, the violence is shown to be standard swashbuckling with Lowery making sure to include bits of humor into the film like one instance in which a pirate yawns "Wake me up when one of them kills the other...again." When it comes to the films tone, Lowery makes the story feel personal with the musical score being vivid in enhancing the emotions on screen. At 106 minutes, the film never feels slow-moving and keeps everything moving briskly from the moment Pan and Wendy's siblings fly to Neverland. In bringing the story of Peter Pan to the big screen once again after being done numerous times by other filmmakers, Lowery keeps the narrative focused while placing his own visual stamp on the story.
With the script, Pan & Wendy explores the concept of growing up being a great adventure despite the enormous difficulties of doing so. Other themes touched upon include leaving one's home, friendship, and experiencing change. One noteworthy addition to the story is the backstory given which explores the past friendship turned rivalry between Peter Pan and Captain Hook with Wendy's character dealing with the realization that she must grow up and assume her prescribed roles in society such as her parents wishes for her to attend boarding school. Unlike other previous versions of the classic story, this one gets more psychological with the characters while providing answers to longtime questions that fans have like why is Hook so angry and vengeful towards Peter, the latter's desire to remain a child forever, and Wendy slowly facing adulthood. Although this version of the story is darker than others, it aspires in making advances to character growth with Wendy, Tinker Bell, and Tiger Lily's characters being strong-willed along with wielding power. Despite the admirable attempt to make the stories female characters appear stronger than the male ones, it's the trio arc between Peter, Hook, and Wendy that make the newest version even remotely engaging to watch.
Of all the different adaptations of Peter Pan's story that's been brought to the big screen, this is arguably the moodiest with it attempting to give a more complex study of these characters while making some bold shifts with an already well-established narrative. It doesn't always succeed in it's risk-taking nor is it as memorable nor iconic as Steven Spielberg's underrated 1991 masterpiece Hook or 2003's Peter Pan, but it does right by the original 1953 animated classic in updating its story for modern audiences. Just don't expect it to stick in the brain long after it's over.
Final Verdict: An honorable reimagining that's watchable but never leaps to greatness. See it but once.
Images Courtesy Of Disney
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