Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Just finished the movie. Peter Pan is one of my favorite novels of all time and, because of this, I rarely pass up an opportunity to catch any film adaptation of the story, so this was no different, despite my general reluctance in watching Disney live-action remakes. I actually took notes while watching the movie. Before I get into my thoughts and analysis, I will say that, despite not being perfect (what film is?), this is the only live-action remake I’ve seen where it actually surpasses the original, for me. While I will always cherish the original animated film, the more I read the original text by J.M. Barrie, and I have read it multiple times, the more I dislike Disney’s animated film. While it nails the whimsical and fantasy components, I strongly believe it misses the seriousness of the story and the truly painful, yet beautiful and inevitable, factors about aging, becoming an adult, and having responsibilities and opportunities that children simply don’t have and experience. It lightly touches on it, but it doesn’t get into the meat of it. This live-action does a much better job at doing that. Spoilers ahead.
-As insinuated above, this film is closer to the text, in terms of the general themes and messages, than the original animated version, which, as a big fan of the novel and literature in general, I really appreciate. Love that they included “To die would be an awfully big adventure,” as it’s one of my favorite quotes from the novel. Some things were changed, like having female lost boys (this strays directly away from the text, but it didn’t bother me at all).
-The journey to Never Land scene was beautiful. One of my favorite scenes.
-The representation is outstanding and doesn’t feel forced at all.
-Yara Shahidi is beautiful as Tinkerbell. I really enjoyed her performance and the different take on the character from the animated film. I want to analyze the idea of who can and can’t hear her that’s presented in the film, but I will spare you.
-I love that Tiger Lily actually speaks an Indigenous language, specifically Cree. Alyssa Wapanatâhk is gorgeous and a much better Tiger Lily than what we get in the animated version. The absence of the ridiculous and racist “What Makes the Red Man Red” is an automatic win.
-The pirates are very funny and quite enjoyable, Smee included.
-Jude Law’s interpretation of Hook is something else I prefer over the animated version, who is presented as a fool and a clown of some sort. Here, while he has his goofy moments, Hook is more refined with a very clear and understanding motive for hating Pan and children. He is more dimensional.
-Alexander Molony’s performance as one of the titular characters is convincing. He is way more serious and nails the cocky, “I don’t care” attitude that Peter Pan has. He is less cheery and boy-ish, something I’m not used to. I do wish he was more cheery at times, but I thought his performance was good. Not my favorite Peter Pan, but still good.
-Wendy’s inevitable aging and growing up is immediately tackled in the beginning of the film. She fears growing up, but there are signs that she is already doing so and maturing faster than she thinks (“every man for himself” attitude towards John, being genuinely upset about being put in danger and nearly dying when attacked by the cannonball, scolding Peter for not being more concerned about their safety, etc.). She is fighting it, yet naturally doing it. I’ve never seen an interpretation of Wendy like this before in any other film adaptation. I could analyze this take and direction of the character, but, again, I won’t. Ever Anderson is a lovely Wendy.
-Similar to the animated version, I admire Peter and Wendy not being in love with each other, unlike Universal’s version (which I love). I think it should be kept this way. They have love for each other and care for each other, but they are not in love.
- I wanted more of Michael and John.
-As I stated earlier, I really like how this adaptation tackles the growing up/losing one’s childhood theme. I think the “growing up wrong” line is very compelling. It implies that simply aging is not the problem, but the way you age and the adults that some people become can be harmful and bad. Wendy’s happy thoughts consisting of both her as a child and as an adult is an example of this concept and one that is simple, yet so very well-done (and is the whole point of the story!). There is beauty, fun, and good in both childhood and adulthood. The emphasis on the importance and strength of a mother’s love is evident in this film and helps drives the biggest theme of the story home. Again, these themes are central to the story, and the animated version only slightly addresses them. Given that it’s a children’s movie from the 1950’s, I’m not surprised it doesn’t properly and extensively address these themes. However, I do appreciate when they are addressed, and this film adaption does so convincingly.
-The music and score are fantastic. I really enjoyed the film’s version of “You Can Fly!”.
-The humor is great, too. John questioning whether they should now be heading to the second star to the left and not the right, since they’re going home and therefore in the opposite direction, is brilliant.
-The simplicity of Never Land is welcomed. No overly-saturated colors, no large amounts of fantasy elements, no weird-looking sirens/mermaids… It is literally just a place made of multiple islands that is surrounded by a large body of water. That’s it.
This remake is unlike the animated original, and yet, it is still a decent to good film. That’s what I’m looking for with these films, but I’m usually disappointed instead. This didn’t disappoint me, and it absolutely beats the animated original. Good job, Disney.
Really great analysis.
I loved how they wrote and presented Tiger Lily, very improved, and well done.
And I loved how they did the Lost Boys. “But you’re not all boys? … I guess it doesn’t really matter.”
