Peter Pan & Wendy Review

Walt Disney’s movies have consistently embodied certain elements such us magic or fantasy, and the humanisation of animals, right from the very start of its journey in animation. This brought forth a form of easy entertainment for children, while also being an absolute delight for adults. And I for one, having literally grown up on all things Disney, remember wondering as a child, how things would be if Walt Disney’s world did, in fact, exist for real. With talking animals, mermaids, women who dressed up as men and learnt martial arts to go to war… wishful thinking if one might say so. Therefore, when Disney started producing live-action adaptations of its own animated movies, it was a dream come true. To be able to experience the world I would see in my dreams, on screens at least, if not live it.

While the dream turned out to be a little disappointing in some cases, one thing became more and more clear to me: Disney’s movies work for certain signature factors, and a lot of them fail the moment you adapt them for the real world. With time, I realised that I was looking forward to live-action adaptations of movies that had the scope of intermingling our regular lives, with fantasy, like The Beauty and the Beast or even Dumbo. Peter Pan & Wendy was one such movie, since the story of Peter Pan is rooted in reality, involving humans. However, there still remained a factor that I was a little sceptical about. Peter Pan had a story that I have grown out of, the story of Neverland and a place where nothing ever changes. I failed to comprehend why Disney would even choose to create a remake of a movie that hasn’t even aged well. But I’m so glad that they did, and I have not been disappointed at all.

Peter Pan & Wendy made me realise that Walt Disney Pictures knows its audience a little too well. They know that 2019’s The Lion King or Aladdin, filled its theatres with adults who watched the original movies as kids. And after all, the movies were originally for children, so one can find the kids enjoying these films too. But with Peter Pan & Wendy, Walt Disney seems to have done away with their younger crowd, unless they are just there for the theatrics. Peter Pan has always been a coming-of-age story. But with the layers and nuances that director David Lowery has added to the story of Peter Pan & Wendy, the narrative simply shines through, making the content of the movie come across as so much more mature than it’s supposed to be.

The retelling of the story is the star of this film

Wendy Darling is not the “damsel in distress” like she was in the 1953 movie. She knows from the moment she meets with her rough landing in Neverland, that she is no better than having been kidnapped.

The story of Peter Pan & Wendy is what takes the cake for me. Walt Disney’s original Peter Pan film from 1953 was based on a novel by J.M. Barrie. It took us on an adventure along with a young girl in London who refused to grow up as she stepped into her teens. She is whisked away by the legendary Peter Pan, to a place where her wish can be fulfilled. In the process, which involved rescuing herself and her two younger brothers from the villainous pirate, Captain Hook, and finally wanting to go back home, she realises that she is now ready to grow up. But this culmination did not take a lot more than the climax of the film. Peter Pan (1953) was more about children having fun and living their lives according to their whims and fancies, and somehow still emerging as the heroes. Peter Pan & Wendy, wraps up this plot within the first 30 minutes of the film itself. And here’s where the layers that I mentioned earlier come in.

Wendy tells Peter point-blank that he is no hero without the help of his friends and supporters.

Wendy Darling is not the “damsel in distress” like she was in the 1953 movie. She knows from the moment she meets with her rough landing in Neverland, that she is no better than having been kidnapped. She sees through Peter Pan’s overconfidence and denial and isn’t dismissive, but understanding, as she tries to dig deeper into his perspective. No wonder that the movie had to delve into the backstories of Peter Pan, and wait for it (Spoiler Alert), that of Captain Hook too. Wendy tells Peter point-blank that he is no hero without the help of his friends and supporters. She realises that relying on a child, who is forever young, to rescue her is not a wise decision.

It’s no surprise there that in this movie, it is Wendy who is always saving the day, not Peter Pan. It brings me great pleasure to see how Disney has grown out of its trope of knights in shining armours, where the knight is a man, and all the women, crib for their validation. Peter Pan (1953) was rooted in the story of women (read Tinker Bell, all the mermaids in the lagoon, and Tiger Lilly) against a woman (Wendy, of course), and it was such a relief to see Peter Pan & Wendy do away with it. Tiger Lilly emerges as one of the strongest characters in this movie, and Tinker Bell is friendly, kind, and dependable, unlike her animated counterpart.

Moving on to the allegory of Peter Pan, Wendy is a girl who is about to step into adulthood, and she’s reluctant. She’s unwilling but not delusional, and the fact that she is aware of the inevitable, shows how maturity has seeped into her childishness. Her character develops gradually, as she grows into a person who becomes more and more sure of her future, having always possessed the hint of it. She isn’t like the animated Wendy who realises that now she’s all ready to grow up because she has had her fill of that one last adventure.

Peter Pan & Wendy takes the metaphor of ‘The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up’ and cranks it up a notch

Given that Peter Pan & Wendy comes from Lowery, whose last film was The Green Knight, another movie that was replete with impeccably portrayed metaphors and allegories, it can only be expected that he would maintain his streak. Might I add that Peter Pan & Wendy actually dabbles with concepts like “childhood gone wrong” and takes an unapologetic approach in exploring the trauma that it brings with it even after you are an adult. While there’s a can of worms right there, here’s a quote from the movie, that builds on the idea that Captain Hook is just another vulnerable human, who Wendy says, “grew up wrong.”

“You find me a child who truly knows the difference between right and wrong, and I’ll show you a man who can’t remember why it mattered in the first place.”
– Captain Hook

Captain Hook is an adult who doesn’t have any “happy thoughts to remember,” and it falls right in place into the story, as he was raised by Pirates in Neverland. But then again, there’s Wendy, who is hopeful about growing up the “right way” and believes in the existence of the silver lining somewhere. She ultimately chooses to return to her reality, away from the world of escapism that Neverland has always signified. She takes Peter Pan with him, but he refuses to stay and goes back to Neverland, to Captain Hook. Neverland is here to exist, for ages to come. So is Captain Hook, who is basically just an evolved version of Peter Pan, a child who is terrified of adulting, and lets his fears overpower him. But Neverland is incomplete without the duo, and therefore Peter Pan choosing to return to this make-believe place, is something that I can live with. As it is, this is not the first adaptation of the book Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. The story has been retold again and again, but the crux of it, continues to stay the same. Peter Pan & Wendy captures perfectly this essence and makes it a story that generations can go back and relate to.

Peter Pan & Wendy brings stellar performances from both young and old, along with a lil’ bit of visual magic

As for the performances, Jude Law is dashing as Captain Hook, and brings that new level of humanity into the character that has not been seen in previous Peter Pan adaptations. Ever Anderson plays Wendy Darling, capturing the balance of innocence and maturity perfectly. Alexander Molony’s portrayal of Peter Pan is raw and brings a breath of fresh air, much like his character. As for Yara Shahidi, who has drawn a lot of attention for her colour for portraying Tinker Bell despite not having fair skin, I couldn’t have asked for a better live-action version of my Tinker Bell. All the actors, the young and old alike, bring their A-game to the movie in terms of performance. Comedian Jim Gaffigan as Mr. Smee and Canadian actress of Cree descent, Alyssa Wapanatahk as Tiger Lily, deserve special mentions.

The magical elements typical of a Disney movie have been condensed into the music and visuals. This includes iconic songs from the Peter Pan 1953 musical like “We can fly”, and “A Pirate’s Life” blending seamlessly into the story without the extra flourishes of people randomly breaking into songs, as usually seen in Disney movies. As for the cinematography, and its underlying magical tone with the bright blue, yellow and green hues so predominant through the different frames, one just knows that this isn’t the real world. But then, “All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust” to step into the fantastical world that beckons both children, and now adults too. It strikes the perfect balance in bringing forth a story that does the talking and delivering the classic Disney experience meant for children.