PETER PAN & WENDY – Review

It looks like kids’ movies are dominating the box office right now. Mind you, what looks to be the first billion-dollar blockbuster is based on a decades-old video game. But what about the classic fairy tales, you may ask? Not to worry, although it’s fairly young at a spry 121 years, as opposed to the centuries-old Grimm Brothers stories and assorted myths and legends. And it’s also the 70th anniversary of the definitive animated adaptation from the master artists at the “mouse house”. Ugh, you may be thinking, not another live-action retread of a superb cartoon ala the recent PINOCCHIO (not the Oscar-winner) or the dreary DUMBO. Well, you’re not really correct as this tale began (after its literary roots) on the stage and has been played by flesh-and-blood actors in versions going back to the silent movie days. And so, here’s another version, this time sharing the title with the other main character as we take flight with PETER PAN & WENDY.

It all begins like most versions in Edwardian London, around bedtime in the Darling House. Pre-teen Wendy (Ever Anderson) is a bit anxious as she packs for her trip to boarding school in a few hours. As usual per younger brothers, John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe) are literally bouncing off their beds as they play “pirate”, Father (Alan Tudyk) rushes in to calm them down and to put their canine nanny out for the night. Ah, but Wendy regales them with one last story of their hero Peter Pan before Mother (Molly Parker) tucks them in with a lullaby. It’s an interrupted sleep as they discover the fairy Tinkerbell (Yari Shahdid) has led Peter himself (Alexander Molony) to the bedroom in search of his missing shadow. After a sprinkling of pixie dust, they’re soaring over the city and en route to that enchanted isle of Neverland. Oh oh, the troupe is spotted by Captain Hook (Jude Law) at his pirate ship offshore. With the help of his first mate, Mr. Smee (Jim Gaffigan), the crew fires cannonballs into the sky. John and Michael are captured leading to a rescue by Peter, Tink, and Wendy, who are soon helped by the Lost Boys (and girls) led by Princess Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatahk). As the frustrated Hook plots his revenge, the Darlings settle in with Peter and the Lost Boys. But will they be content to stay there or will Wendy and her brothers find a way to return to their home so far away?

Despite the second billing, it’s Wendy who is really at the front and center of this retelling. Relative screen newcomer Anderson brings a modern sensibility to the role along with (oh, I’ll just blurt it) spunk as she has little time for macho foolishness. She’s not merely the “teller of tales” substitute Mum for her sibs and all the Lost Kids, but a formidable force against the villains. Molony seems to have the right mixture of ego and vulnerability as the often aggressive green-clad swordsboy. He’s not adept at dealing with Wendy’s challenges, though he learns to welcome them and to actually reflect on his own past behavior. Law has the grimacing threats of Hook honed to sneering perfection, but he offers a glimpse into Hook’s haunted inner life. This time the hungry croc isn’t the main star of his nightmares. Shahidi as Tink shows a real talent for pantomime as the expressive but very soft-spoken (Peter insists that you’ve got to learn to listen) fairy/sidekick. Gaffigan hits all the comedy beats as Smee, though he’s less of a comic foil and more of a parental figure and calming influence on his former charge, Hook. Wapanatahk turns Tiger Lily into an impressive warrior queen, And in their brief “bookend” roles, Tudyk is a charming and blustery papa and Parker is a sweet, gentle melodic matriarch.

This “re-imagining” is guided by director David Lowery who co-wrote the adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s novel (and the ’53 Disney feature) with Toby Halbrooks, and it’s not his first crack at a Disney “reboot” as he took on PETE’S DRAGON seven years ago. And much like that effort, this is a much darker, moodier “spin” (lots of shadows even as the sunlight shimmers on the sea). But that also reflects the script’s tone as it must give us details about the heritage of the characters that never seemed needed. I was reminded of the flashback to the demise of Belle’s mother when the action stops dead to have Pan or Hook explain their haunted history. This all works toward a real lull in the movie’s midpoint which almost sinks it. As for its ties to the 70-year-old cartoon, the old songs are out, though we hear a bit of “You Can Fly” as the pixie dust works its magic, in favor of the new lullaby from Mama Darling. And they’ve completely reworked the Tiger Lily character so that she is the rescuer who now sometimes speaks in the Cree language (and none of the “heap big” cliches in her family’s village). Another nod to the new century is the casting “inclusion” in the major roles and supporting cast. We see pirates of every color, and even a lady or two. And the Lost Boys include some girls, along with a special needs swashbuckler. These are nice new touches, but it doesn’t make up for the downbeat mood or the dimly lit backdrops. And yes, the croc is there, though only for one scene where he appears to have wandered in from a LAKE PLACID sequel (no comedy in this CGO critter). This is far from the nadir of these live-action retellings, but there’s nothing here that elevates the classic tale in the languid new visit with PETER PAN & WENDY. Maybe it’ll all go down a bit better at home while dipping into a jar of his peanut butter…

1.5 Out of 4

PETER PAN & WENDY is now streaming exclusively on Disney+