“Peter Pan” leaps off the screen by mixing the muted landscape of a sedate city with the glorious palette of a fantasyland sprung from the imagination of children. This live-action film version does contain many of the elements recognizable from the classic cartoon version, however those same elements have been enriched or re-imagined. The crocodile who bit off Captain Hook’s arm is the size of a city bus. Hook himself is a much more sinister figure who doesn’t flinch when shooting one of his loyal pirates found guilty of a minor indiscretion. Even Tinker Bell is more malicious, equipped with a spiteful streak and a wicked sense of humor.
There’s been a lot of talk about the sexual undertones in this newest rendition of the classic J.M. Barrie tale, “Peter Pan.” Some critics have even mentioned getting a little creeped out at the sexual electricity between Peter Pan and Wendy. Could that be because Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood are teens who, in real life, would be at the point in their young lives where they’d be discovering the opposite sex? Because we haven’t seen a Pan played by a real boy before, this sexual attraction is a new twist on this beloved tale. It seems perfectly natural when you take it in the context of the actors’ ages and get past the prior theatrical incarnations – including the Disneyfied animated version. Others have mentioned the weird sexual tension between Wendy and Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs plays both Hook and Wendy’s dad). Any sexual attraction in that instance would be just cause to feel weirded out. In this case, I think it’s just the magnetism of the actors concerned and not the roles (I’m hoping that makes sense). Any electricity between the two – which I personally didn’t sense – wouldn’t have been scripted. The film’s geared toward a younger audience and I can’t imagine that would have been the filmmakers’ intention.
Pirates are vicious killers, kids can be mean, running away doesn’t solve any problems, and if you don’t believe in fairies, they fade away and die. All lessons learned from “Peter Pan.” Another lesson learned from this “Peter Pan” is that letting a kid play a kid on film can add a whole different dimension to an age-old story.
Truthfully, I went into this movie not expecting much but came out of it having enjoyed the experience. "Peter Pan" is gorgeous, entertaining, and features spirited performances by newcomers and screen veterans alike.