Review - Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and I just finished watching the new Disney movie Peter Pan & Wendy, based on the story of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and a live-action retelling of the Disney animated film of the same name. So, in that regard, the story is pretty much on par with every single adaptation of the Peter Pan story. Wendy, John, and Michael, children of George and Mary Darling, meet Peter Pan and Tinker Bell  one night, and the two of them take the Darling children to Neverland. It's here where they encounter mermaids, the Lost Children, Tiger Lily and the island Natives, and of course a band of cutthroat pirates led by the notorious Captain Hook. So, of you've seen any version of Peter Pan, be it the original Disney version, the Mary Martin version, the 2014 live television version with Allison Williams and Christopher Walken, or the 2003 version with Jeremy Sumpter and Jason Isaacs, the story is pretty much the same and doesn't change much outside of cosmetics, which are what I want to focus on in this review. 

         Among these cosmetic changes, and one that has drawn some ire in online circles is in the casting of Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell. Honestly, I thought she fit the role very well, and given that a majority of her acting is purely in facial expressions and not with dialogue (until the very end, at least), I think she did really well with the character. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with casting a Black woman as Tinker Bell, just as long as she gets the core essence of the character right, which I believe Yara Shahidi did. 

         Now, two of the groups I was most concerned with were the Natives, which many adaptations of the Peter Pan story have been fast and loose with cultural insensitivity, and the pirates, who I feared would be made up to feel like rejects from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. But, we don't see the Natives much aside from Tiger Lily, and I think that Alyssa Wapanatahk did an excellent job in the role. As for the pirates, they definitely have quite a bit of personality for how much they take a backseat to Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. 

        Speaking of which, both Jude Law and Jim Gaffigan do a really good job as Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. The dynamic these two have is both hilarious and faithful to most adaptations of the Peter Pan stories. I also want to talk about John and Michael, portrayed by Joshua Pickering and Jacobi Jupe. They do a decent job, and they definitely are enjoyable in the movie. And for what little screen time they have, both Alan Tudyk and Molly Parker do pretty well as George and Mary Darling. Lastly, I want to point out the performances of Alexander Molony as Peter Pan and Ever Anderson as Wendy. Both of them do a fantastic job and are easily the heart, and the stand-outs, of this movie. 

         Now, there are a few things that deviate from previous iterations of Peter Pan. For instance, we have a mix of both Lost boys and Lost girls, as opposed to just the Lost boys alone. I don't mind as much, because it's definitely something that was bound to happen sooner or later, especially in our modern times. I also think that, unlike other adaptations, the crocodile, dubbed Tick Tock in this version with vocal effects by Dee Bradley Baker, gets only one scene to shine in this version, and isn't a major threat throughout the movie. 

        But the biggest change, the make-or-break element, that is in this movie is the backstory between Peter and Hook. In the past, there have been efforts to tie Peter Pan and Hook together and explain how they both came to Neverland. In THIS version, they were best friends years before, and Hook was a Lost boy. However, Hook wanted to leave Neverland, but Peter didn't support him and join him in that adventure. So, Hooo left, got picked up and raised by pirates, became their captain, and returned to Neverland filled with hatred and anger towards Peter Pan. Now while some may not be fond of this alteration to the dynamic of Peter and Hook, I personally think it's the reason that makes the most amount of sense. 

       Overall, director David Lowery did a really good job with this movie. And, after the disaster that was Robert Zemeckis' live-action remake of Pinocchio last year, it's nice to see one of these Disney live-action remakes that's actually really good and not just passable. Now, I wasn't a fan of the muted, gloomy color palette used in the movie, especially since Neverland should be vibrant and colorful, but I still enjoyed the movie. I'm giving Peter Pan & Wendy a rating of 4.5/5. Definitely check this one out, now streaming on Disney+. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off and I'll see you guys later.