Peter Pan & Wendy
Disney+Peter Pan & Wendy is one of the few recent Disney re-imaginings released in recent years to have something resembling a soul. A large portion of this soul can be contributed to David Lowery, director and writer of The Green Knight and Pete’s Dragon. With this experience in Disney’s domain, as well as that of other studios, he is able to bring a level of care, dedication, and craftsmanship that has not been too apparent in a Disney live-action remake since Kenneth Branagh and his take on Cinderella in 2015. While there is a reliance on the original 1953 “classic,” and the film itself may not have done a lot to reinvent the story of Peter Pan due to this, the performances and charm on display here are nothing to scoff at.
The film opens with Wendy (Ever Anderson) roughhousing with her two younger brothers while in their shared bedroom. This is before being scolded by their father who points the blame at Wendy for not acting her age. Wendy in a moment of sorrow wishes to never grow up as she will miss childhood and its simplicities. This leads to the introduction of Tinker Bell, played charmingly by Yara Shahidi, and this film's depiction of the Neverland flight. There are some fun and imaginative visuals at play here with the flight over London and the transport through the clock tower being highlights. While all of this happens the audience is treated to a beautiful orchestral interpretation of “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” that helps bring to life this oft-cited scene in a way that keeps it from being an overtly hollow depiction of the classic flight. All of this rings true for a majority of the film as the soundtrack is one of the single most impressive parts of this entire ordeal. Every action, every beat, and every meaningful moment is masterfully backed by an excellent orchestral piece.
The actual look of the film is where things begin to get a little bit dicey. Due to Lowery having a very specific aesthetic that lends itself to be a bit gloomier than expected in a film so full of joy and the desire to ponder on the makings of youth and adventure. Neverland doesn’t necessarily always feel as alive and magical as would be expected and more so feels like an island with a shadowy gloss over it. This says nothing of the actual direction itself as that is where the actual fun and emotion lie. With sweeping shots and close-knit sword fights being done by the masterstroke of a man with a vision. A fun and fanciful vision that was ultimately, and overtly, suppressed. This was done to meet the needs of making this a live-action remake as opposed to a new adaptation of the original source material. Ultimately, having to follow the Disney blueprint may have caused some hindrance to the occasional sparks of new material.
David Lowery and his vision aside, the main players in this do an admirable job with everything they are given. Especially Jude Law, as Captain Hook, absolutely chews up the scenery as the madman with a penchant for hunting down The Lost Boys, and his nemesis Peter Pan (Alexander Molony). This is done with a fun new twist giving some interesting depth to this age-old rivalry.
There’s much to find for everyone in this new take on Disney’s Peter Pan, but it can’t help but feel a bit empty when retreading the age-old steps of this well-known story. At the end of the day, having as much talent as this does in front of, and behind, the camera can’t fix an issue that is present in all of these remakes. This issue is the desire and need to step out of the shadows of their much-loved counterparts, but not being allowed to do so because it may hurt the compani’s bottom line. This is no way to move forward with creative endeavors in film but at least this one wasn’t half-bad.