image source rogerebert.com
"Peter Pan & Wendy" is a live-action film that is based on Walt Disney's animated classic, "Peter Pan." The film's co-writer and director, David Lowery, successfully creates nostalgic familiarity for the film's audience, although some viewers may have wished for more. The story follows Wendy Darling, who leads her brothers on a play session that includes sword fights, and they eventually meet Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. They are whisked off to Neverland, where they befriend the Lost Boys and the Native American princess, Tiger Lily. Jude Law anchors the film as Pan's nemesis, Captain Hook, and plays the character as a neurotic comic figure with personal issues.
Lowery and his co-writer Toby Halbrooks have created a film that replicates familiar moments and bits of scenery and costuming, scratching the audience's "just give me what I already know I wanted" itch. However, the film fails to subvert or reinvent its immediate corporate predecessor, unlike Lowery's "Pete's Dragon," which did. The film should appeal to young children and their parents, but they may be frustrated by some of the nighttime scenes, which are too dim and murky, making it hard to tell what is going on.
The performances in the film are good, sometimes even more than good, and the filmmaking is handsome and inspired. However, the film has a whiff of missed opportunity, and at times, viewers may wonder if Lowery and Halbrooks wanted to dive deeper than they knew Disney's executives would allow. The Peter-Tinkerbell relationship is a missed opportunity for a truly subversive "Peter Pan" satire. Tinkerbell is a tiny, mute woman who can't get anything done unless she uses a charismatic boy who refuses to grow up as her instrument.
"Peter Pan & Wendy" is similar to Disney's recent CGI-heavy "live-action" remakes of their traditional animation back-catalog faves, such as "The Jungle Book," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Lion King." However, the film is miles away from something like "The Green Knight," which was radical by the standards of commercial cinema, encouraging viewers to argue about what key moments and images meant.
In conclusion, "Peter Pan & Wendy" is a good film, but it fails to push the envelope and remains true to its corporate predecessor. It should appeal to young children and their parents, but they may be frustrated by some of the nighttime scenes. While the performances and filmmaking are excellent, the film has a whiff of missed opportunity, leaving viewers wondering if the filmmakers could have gone deeper than they did.
.webp)
0 Comments