I remember getting teary-eyed the first time I read J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan." I was, of course, familiar with the Disney animated film, but that movie side-stepped the truth that Barrie makes very clear in his final pages: that Wendy will grow up, change, and eventually die, while Peter will remain as he is, always in the moment, never growing old but never really living either. Both pay a price for their choice. This is one of the many ideas P.J. Hogan explores in his adaptation of Barrie's novel, and it's one of the many things that makes the film so wonderful.
Also to Hogan's credit is the fact that he's assembled a good cast and placed them in an entrancing world. Casting good young actors is a bit tricky, but Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Ward acquit themselves admirably in the central roles of Peter and Wendy. The balance between Peter Pan's charm and his self-absorbed arrogance is a hard one to find, but Sumpter walks the tightrope. Hurd-Ward, her wide blue eyes shining, creates in Wendy an energetic, eager girl who is both frightened and intrigued by her oncoming adolescence. There is real chemistry between the two, and they make us feel for their characters. But the standout performance belongs to Jason Isaacs. Following the theatrical tradition, Isaacs does double duty as Captain Hook and Wendy's father Mr. Darling, and plays both remarkably well. His Hook is cunning, sadistic, and fierce (but with a sad, pathetic undertone); while Mr. Darling seems to be permanently apologizing for himself (but not without the occasional burst of temper).
Most of the effects in "Peter Pan" have a strange, slightly unreal look to them. But as in Jean Cocteau's work, this is an asset rather than a liability. It allows us to accept the storybook quality of Neverland, a world of faries, black castles, pirates (many of whom look like they just finished their berths on the Black Pearl), flying children. and weather which shifts according to Peter's moods; a place which might have seemed silly to our jaded eyes but instead charms them. Likewise, scenes which might have felt hokey (such as the near-death and restoration of Tinkerbell) are carried off effectively.
Most "family" movies attempt to earn the title by creating cute characters and simple stories for the kids while making nudge-wink style pop culture references to the adults. This isn't necessarily a bad thing--in films like "Aladdin" and "Shrek," it's done marvelously. But it's refreshing to see a movie that embraces all ages with its sense of wonder. "Peter Pan" is such a movie.
Also to Hogan's credit is the fact that he's assembled a good cast and placed them in an entrancing world. Casting good young actors is a bit tricky, but Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Ward acquit themselves admirably in the central roles of Peter and Wendy. The balance between Peter Pan's charm and his self-absorbed arrogance is a hard one to find, but Sumpter walks the tightrope. Hurd-Ward, her wide blue eyes shining, creates in Wendy an energetic, eager girl who is both frightened and intrigued by her oncoming adolescence. There is real chemistry between the two, and they make us feel for their characters. But the standout performance belongs to Jason Isaacs. Following the theatrical tradition, Isaacs does double duty as Captain Hook and Wendy's father Mr. Darling, and plays both remarkably well. His Hook is cunning, sadistic, and fierce (but with a sad, pathetic undertone); while Mr. Darling seems to be permanently apologizing for himself (but not without the occasional burst of temper).
Most of the effects in "Peter Pan" have a strange, slightly unreal look to them. But as in Jean Cocteau's work, this is an asset rather than a liability. It allows us to accept the storybook quality of Neverland, a world of faries, black castles, pirates (many of whom look like they just finished their berths on the Black Pearl), flying children. and weather which shifts according to Peter's moods; a place which might have seemed silly to our jaded eyes but instead charms them. Likewise, scenes which might have felt hokey (such as the near-death and restoration of Tinkerbell) are carried off effectively.
Most "family" movies attempt to earn the title by creating cute characters and simple stories for the kids while making nudge-wink style pop culture references to the adults. This isn't necessarily a bad thing--in films like "Aladdin" and "Shrek," it's done marvelously. But it's refreshing to see a movie that embraces all ages with its sense of wonder. "Peter Pan" is such a movie.