Harry here... here's the first review I've seen anywhere for the P. J. Hogan PETER PAN, and the author, going by the clever alias... "Studio Plant" seems to be asking the question, "Why another Peter Pan movie?" Well, I don't claim to be an expert on the Barrie subject at hand, but I will say this rhetorical answer... "Because it is a timeless tale for every generation and time?" I say that, because I do love the Silent 1924 PETER PAN which I have on DVD and am in particular quite fond of Anna May Wong's portrayal of the silent Tiger Lily. Then there's that Disney PETER PAN, which was and is a favorite of my father's and as a result a fave of mine... In particular, the musical cues that trumpet Pan's arrival rule. Never been a fan of the Mary Martin version. It just didn't do it for me. But then there was HOOK, which save for a scant few moments of pure elation... it killed an awful lot of the magic of Peter Pan for me. But gosh golly if I don't love those few moments so much that I don't hate Spielberg for letting me down. Now there's this P.J. Hogan thing... #1, we finally have a real boy as Pan. #2 Ludivine Sagnier as Tinker Bell is just enough to make me smack my lips and wait for that faerie dust trail to land on my head, cuz if you can't think a happy thought looking at Ludivine... then, I'm really sorry for you. #3 - I've never seen an accurate adaptation of PETER PAN told on the big screen in color and given all the magic that modern cinema can muster. SURE - I would've loved to have seen Victor Fleming direct a Technicolor telling with Mickey Rooney as Peter Pan, Judy Garland as Wendy... Basil Rathbone as Hook, Guy Kibbee as Smee and Jean Harlow as Tink... and a young Ida Lupino as Tiger Lily... BUT... the world sucks sometimes when it misses it's calling, so instead... this will be my color fanciful telling to see... I hope...
Hey Harry:
Those of us lucky enough to live in the O.C. seem to get an awful lot of test screenings lately. I guess with our surfing, Land Rovers, rich girl beach parties, and ragging on Chino, we're just a perfect little slice of America. So, when we got handed an invite to a test screening of Peter Pan over at the Block, I was bored just enough to go.
The theater was packed mostly with families and I was quite amused to see the NRG goons running the metal detector over each little kid just to make sure Peter Pan didn't wind up on the streets of Hong Kong before the credits rolled. What they didn't save us from was yet another movie about Peter Pan. The crowd laughed at times, gave a smattering of applause, but the kids seemed really restless. After seeing the film, with many very rough fx shots, I just can't answer: Why another Peter Pan movie?
I don't think there are any spoilers really because you know the plot. The parents are cracking down on Wendy & her brothers childness at the same time Peter Pan shows up chasing his shadow. The kids fly off to Neverland and Capt. Hook begins the chase. In the best scene of the movie, he captures Wendy's brothers who are then rescued by Peter Pan without much of a fight (and with the help of an always well-timed crocodile). Hook dispairs, tries to turn Wendy against Peter Pan with the help of a scorned Tinkerbell. He tries to poison Peter Pan but Tinkerbell takes it instead. Fortunately everyone starts chanting "I believe in faeries" and she's okay. Then the final battle between Capt Hook and Peter Pan goes down, again aided by a wel-timed croc. And most everyone lives happily ever after.
The kid who played Peter Pan annoyed me. His character isn't spritely, mischeivous, or anything other than flat. I guess he's supposed to look good wearing leaves. Wendy is a lovely young lady, more of the central character than Peter Pan, and performs quite well on screen. Hook is okay, properly menacing at times, however he does kill many of his own men for little reason and can't ever seem to finish the job when it comes to Peter Pan.
Mainly its the story that is the problem. It's very choppy, hard to follow at times, and fairly dull. Some of it seems a little like Masterpiece Theater which I think made the kids restless. The best scene takes place about halfway through the movie so there's lots of downtime. Not enough surprises to warrant a new Peter Pan. Stick with the cartoon.
later dude,
Studio Plant
