Peter Pan & Wendy tells the same story we have all heard a million times, however this time it is done in a more mature way.
Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan, no matter your age, so when I heard that there was going to be yet another adaptation of it, I was not sitting there counting the days to its release. On top of that, it comes on the heels of many Disney live action remakes, and not all of them have been breathtakingly good. But nonetheless I love the story so I was cautiously optimistic. Turns out I am quite thankful I watched Peter Pan & Wendy because it exceeded my expectations.
It should be mentioned that it starts off feeling like the very same story we have seen time and time again. Trust me though, get through those first few moments because the moment they head off to Neverland, things change. The visuals as they travel to Neverland are incredible, and that is the moment I knew this film was going to bring something unique to that well-known fairytale.
Alexander Molony is great in the lead role of Peter Pan, but it is his moments alongside Wendy and Captain Hook that stand out the most. There is more to the story of how Peter and Hook met, and came to know each other, and that brings some heart to the film.
The past being explored and the added layers to the relationship between Captain Hook and Peter Pan make the lore itself more powerful. It also allows for viewers to be more invested during some moments, which will cause some emotions to come bubbling to the surface when they least expect it.
Jude Law opposite Molony was a brilliant casting choice. Law is clearly having the time of his life in this role, leaning into the villainy as best as he can. At the same time, he brings a slight likability to Hook at key moments, leaving viewers not knowing whose side to be on — a problem that has never come about during other reiterations of the fairytale.
In the end, this makes Director David Lowery’s Peter Pan & Wendy more mature than any version we have seen before. It gets dark at times, but not too dark for younger eyes. There is a balancing act that film tightly walks, and it is pulled off — almost perfectly.
There is a strong female presence in Peter Pan & Wendy as Tinkerbell, Tiger Lily, and Wendy step more to the front. However, it should be noted, this is still very much Pan and Hook’s story to be told. Ever Anderson brings something new to Wendy that we really haven’t seen in the past.
She has always been the mother figure to the lost boys, but here she really embraces that. Her relationship is stronger with Tinkerbell and there is a powerful conversation she has with Tiger Lily that makes them both more important to the tale.
One of the things that stands out is that it is clear that Disney had to be selective on how they spent their visual effects budget. Some shots are absolutely stunning, while others obviously had less refinement.
The giant pirate ship battles are like candy for the eyeballs, and will leave you wanting more. It truly made me wish we had more Pirates of the Caribbean films coming this year. But then some simple moments just don’t work.
For example some of the flying is off, especially one scene in particular where Wendy is swaying back and forth in the air, as if the harness that was holding her was moving and no one opted to fix it. You can’t see the straps or anything, but it just doesn’t work. Sure, this could have been intentional. We don’t exactly have any reference for how humans look as they fly, but it still didn’t look right to me.
Tinkerbell has a beautiful costume and Yara Shahidi does a great job in the role, especially in her final moments with Wendy, but she never looks quite right when in the same scene as full size kids. Again, something about the effects is off in these moments.
The biggest issue, however, lies in the end of the movie. I was one hundred percent all in until the final few moments. David Lowery worked hard to bring fans a new adaptation that did right by the original while weaving in something new and making it more mature. It feels as if Disney executives then swooped in and said wait, we need to have a happy ending, fix it.
Then all the effort that was put in to make this a darker, more mature Peter Pan story, was swept away to sea with one short scene. If anything, this should have been saved as an end credit so that there was more time to sit with the repercussions of the choices made in the movie.
Overall Thoughts
Peter Pan & Wendy has a lot of visually stunning moments. It offers a more mature version of the well-known story which in turn is refreshing for audiences and long time fans. There are definitely some missteps, however. There are times where the effects are simply “good enough” when they could have been great. Next to the gorgeous scenes, these really stand out.
There is also the issue with the ending. It retcons everything that delivered a powerful story in about one minute’s time, which is disappointing and won’t sit well with most viewers. Lowery gave us a darker, more mature adaptation that could have quite possibly been the best one, and then it is ripped away from him in the final scene.
As for the pacing, this film flies by. Where most will be happy to see the runtime, the movie overall feels like it is rushing to the finish line, which is unfortunate.
Peter Pan & Wendy is going to surprise a lot of people with just how good it is. It’s a shame though, because it could have been perfect.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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About Peter Pan & Wendy
Disney’s epic movie event, “Peter Pan & Wendy” is a live-action reimagining of the J.M. Barrie novel and the 1953 animated classic, directed by David Lowery (“The Green Knight,” “Pete’s Dragon”), streaming 2023, only on Disney+.
Directed by David Lowery (“The Green Knight,” “Pete’s Dragon”), the film introduces Wendy Darling, a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind who meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Alongside her brothers and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell, she travels with Peter to the magical world of Neverland. There, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that will change her life forever.
The film stars Jude Law (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), Alexander Molony (“The Reluctant Landlord”), Ever Anderson (“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”), Yara Shahidi (“Grown-ish”), Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Joshua Pickering (“A Discovery of Witches”), Jacobi Jupe, Molly Parker (“House of Cards”), Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), and Jim Gaffigan (“The Jim Gaffigan Show”).
“Peter Pan and Wendy” is directed by David Lowery from a screenplay by David Lowery & Toby Halbrooks (“The Green Knight”) based on the novel by J. M. Barrie and the animated film “Peter Pan.” The producer is Jim Whitaker (“Pete’s Dragon”), with Adam Borba (“A Wrinkle in Time”), Thomas M. Hammel (“Thor: Ragnarok”), and Toby Halbrooks serving as executive producers.
Peter Pan and Wendy is streaming on Disney+ now.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.