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Common sense media reviewers.

Uneven origin story is disappointing; expect some violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Kids will learn about the idea of telling a famili

Strong messages about believing in yourself and yo

Hook protects and rescues Peter, even when it woul

Blackbeard orders people to jump to their death. C

Hook flirts with Tiger Lily, and they exchange sev

Insults like "daft," "dirty old nun

Educational Value

Kids will learn about the idea of telling a familiar story in a new way, as well as the power of friendship and self confidence.

Positive Messages

Strong messages about believing in yourself and your capability for greatness. Stresses the importance of friendship, alliances, and teamwork to overcome obstacles -- and, in this case, to defeat a common enemy.

Positive Role Models

Hook protects and rescues Peter, even when it would be easier for him to leave. He also defends Tiger Lily, and Tiger Lily helps Peter and Hook, too. She's a strong warrior; the best fighter in the film.

Violence & Scariness

Blackbeard orders people to jump to their death. Characters are injured/killed by gunshots, swords, and explosions; some turn into colorful chalk dust as they're killed. A man recalls killing a woman in the past. A crocodile menacingly comes near Peter, Tiger Lily, and Hook's boat. Full-out brawls feature pirates and tribespeople fighting with their swords and fists. Peter fights with older men. The fairies join the battle against Blackbeard. A boy is kidnapped.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Hook flirts with Tiger Lily, and they exchange several longing looks. In flashback, viewers see a silhouette of a couple kissing. Beautiful mermaids save Peter, who tells Hook he would definitely like them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Insults like "daft," "dirty old nun," "stupid," "imbecile," "coward," "bloody hell," and "shut up."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Pan is an action-fantasy retelling of the Peter Pan story, focusing on how the legendary character went from being a London orphan to the Boy Who Could Fly. Young Peter is kidnapped from an orphanage and taken to Neverland to work for the pirate Blackbeard ( Hugh Jackman ). Expect some intense scenes of brawls, sword fights, shootings, and explosions -- some of which lead to off-camera/implied deaths -- as well as a menacing crocodile. The body count, while notable, may go over the head of young viewers, since at least some of the departed turn into rainbow-colored chalk dust when they're dispatched. Language includes insults and exclamations like "daft," "imbeciles," "bloody hell," etc., and the romance is limited to a kissing scene shown in silhouette and some longing looks between Hook and Tiger Lily, who's a strong female character. The movie promotes teamwork and friendship and has a strong message about believing in yourself and your capability for greatness. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (15)
Kids say (32)

Based on 15 parent reviews

Mocked Nuns and Mary statue

What's the story.

PAN is a retelling of the Peter Pan story that focuses on Peter's transformation from a London orphan into the iconic savior of Neverland. Instead of the tale's traditional Edwardian, turn-of-the-century England setting, the movie takes place a few decades later, during WWII. Stuck in a strict orphanage, 12-year-old Peter (Levi Miller) is among a group of boys kidnapped in the night by a pirate's crew and taken via flying ship to a far-off land where the pirate Blackbeard ( Hugh Jackman ) forces them to mine for pixum, a magical crystal that serves as an elixir of youth. After Peter flies for the first time, Blackbeard jails both him and an American named Hook ( Garrett Hedlund ). The pair breaks out and encounters Tiger Lily ( Rooney Mara ) and her tribe, who believe Peter could be Neverland's savior from Blackbeard's tyranny. But first, Peter has to believe in himself -- a difficult feat when there are pirates out to kill him.

Is It Any Good?

Despite Jackman's expert theatricality as Blackbeard and a few thrilling 3D scenes, Joe Wright 's interpretation of how Peter becomes Pan is an uneven mess that may impress kids but not parents. Hedlund does an almost note-for-note impression of John Huston-meets- Harrison Ford (as both Indiana Jones and Han Solo) to play the reimagined Hook, an American miner with a good sense of humor. He's the cast's standout, and Jackman also looks like he's enjoying hamming it up as the Big Bad Blackbeard. So, yes, the acting is fine -- but the script and the direction are confusing and off the mark. At a few points, it seems like Wright is trying to channel Baz Luhrmann with eyebrow-raising sing-alongs to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (which Luhrmann memorably used in Moulin Rouge ) and the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop ." These songs don't fit in either thematically or plot-wise; they're simply bizarre.

At least there aren't any insensitive depictions of "Indians" in this installment; instead, Wright goes for a pan-ethnic group of indigenous people from around the globe (with Mara presumably playing Tiger Lily as an indigenous Hiberno-Saxon with a posh English accent). Mara is quite luminous, but none of the actors can save Pan from the bland characterization and occasionally boring story line that may leave audiences uninterested instead of actively engaged in what happens to Peter and his friends. That's not to say young audiences won't find it entertaining, but teens and adults will likely leave theaters underwhelmed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Pan 's action violence . How does it compare to what you've seen in other action/fantasy movies? Do different types of media violence have a different impact on kids?

Why do you think origin stories are so popular? How does Pan address questions about Peter and Hook that weren't answered in the original story? How does the movie make you rethink the story of Peter Pan ?

What is the film trying to say about the idea of enemies and villains? Are people all good or all evil? How does Pan explore the idea that enemies sometimes start out as friends, and friends sometimes start out as enemies?

For fans of the book and the animated movie, what do you think of this version? Do you like the changes between the source material and this story? What do you miss? Why do you think filmmakers might choose to look at a classic story in a different way, rather than make a straightforward adaptation?

Movie Details

In theaters : October 9, 2015
On DVD or streaming : December 22, 2015
Cast : Hugh Jackman , Rooney Mara , Amanda Seyfried
Director : Joe Wright
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Fantasy
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Book Characters
Run time : 111 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : fantasy action violence, language and some thematic material
Last updated : October 23, 2023

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Pan Reviews

It is a transposition of the play "Peter Pan, the boy who did not want to grow up" (1904). The originality of this interpretation lies in its prequel character, introducing us the origin of Peter Pan and his arrival to the land of Neverland".

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Jan 14, 2024

It'll certainly keep your kids entertained, but that's all that it will do. Pan does little to add to the classic tale (...) and fails to make an impression that lasts.

Full Review | Oct 9, 2021

Big production values aren't enough to save this muddled, clunky Peter Pan origin story.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 8, 2021

A noisy conclusion to the story allows the special effects to take over and Pan becomes a little less magical and a bit more mundane.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 4, 2021

A mess, and no amount of exposition is going to tie it together.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jan 26, 2021

I am pretty much sure most adults would find it to be such a waste of time. If there is going to be a sequel, I really can't say... but I hope they make it much better...

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Nov 20, 2020

Why are all these pirates singing a 90's grunge anthem while navigation a flying boat in the middle of Neverland? [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jun 28, 2020

Joe Wright's take on the classic tale is a success, albeit a very, very strange one.

Full Review | Apr 7, 2020

Keep calm and don't go see Pan, but cross your fingers that Levi Miller will get a role worthy of his talent.

Full Review | Original Score: D+ | May 10, 2019

Wright tends to ditch some of the more magical parts and elaborations on character...to give us a prequel that will be entertaining for the kids, but will leave adults wanting more.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 10, 2019

Overall, all the well intention of the filmmakers involved is swallowed up by overwhelming action and CGI spectacle. It also went on for far too long at nearly 2-hours, but too short on humor and whimsy.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Mar 5, 2019

There is little the cast can do with the storyline and un-inspiring dialogue they have to work with.

Full Review | Feb 22, 2019

Even magic becomes predictable. And despite the innumerable set pieces, that's where Pan fails to sparkle.

Full Review | Feb 7, 2019

It's more annoying than enchanting.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Jan 18, 2019

Neverland is not a place that can be measured with dimensions (...) and mile markers. It is a place of pretend, its boundaries are permeable, its reality always in question.

Full Review | Jan 9, 2019

However, the whimsical aspect of Pan was dubiously over-shadowed, over-produced yet curiously understated in its ability to convey a storytelling moment that did not seem laborious.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 9, 2018

The screenplay is generic, the cast is poorly chosen, and despite his talent Joe Wright was just the wrong choice for this material.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Nov 1, 2018

While it works well as eye candy, and it would probably babysit a kid for two hours if necessary, it doesn't exactly serve as a winning advertisement for a Neverland vacation.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Oct 31, 2018

Full of various ideas and narrative threads built on top of others, none of which make any sense.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Aug 13, 2018

The film does not exactly fly by and some interpretations of the characters, chief among them Hook, may strike some as odd. Never mind; there are always the inventive visuals and Hugh Jackman in pure, pantomime baddie mode.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 23, 2018

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Movie Review

Review: ‘Pan’ Proposes Peter and Captain Hook’s Origin Stories

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By A.O. Scott

Oct. 8, 2015

Peter Pan, who flew through the air in a costume, was in many ways a prototype of the modern superhero. He has certainly been a lucrative entertainment franchise for a very long time, with durable merchandising potential, from feathered hats to peanut butter. All of which may help to explain the otherwise baffling existence of “Pan,” a hectic and labored attempt to supply the boy who never grew up with an origin story.

The film has a decent pedigree. The director is Joe Wright, a tested hand at literary adaptation whose efforts have been both underrated ( “Anna Karenina” ) and the opposite ( “Atonement” ). Rooney Mara and the spectral emanation of Amanda Seyfried both show up, as does Hugh Jackman, the hardest-working man in movieland, playing Blackbeard, Peter’s pirate nemesis. Captain Hook is in the movie, too, but he’s a good guy, and hints about his future turn toward villainy — and the loss of his hand — are among the dispiriting signs that a sequel may be in the works.

Movie Review: ‘Pan’

The times critic a.o. scott reviews “pan.”.

Meanwhile, there is enough going on in in “Pan” to fill several movies, most of which you’ve already seen and perhaps enjoyed under other titles. There are mermaids and ships to remind you of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, and a dreamy landscape populated by virtuous animists that recalls “Avatar.” Hook, played by Garrett Hedlund, is a Han Solo type with an Indiana Jones hat and an odd Jimmy Stewart way of talking. Peter (Levi Miller) is given a vaguely Potteresque messiah complex, and subjected to a lot of talk about prophecies and chosenness. Blackbeard rules over a dusty hellhole swarming with enslaved children, the kind of place we’ve seen a hundred times before. That the captives sing a cappella choral renditions of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Blitzkreig Bop” does not add much in the way of freshness.

The action sequences are murky and chaotic, taking place in dim light made more so by 3-D glasses. Ships fly through the air. Battles are fought. The mood swings unsteadily from jaunty to weepy to sinister. Unsettling deaths and disturbing revelations are followed by swashbuckling merriment.

In the middle of it all, poor Peter, who starts out in a London orphanage during the Blitz, does his best to reconcile his natural cheekiness with somber themes of loss and longing. The character’s pluck and mischief are nearly drowned in a bog of maudlin mommy love, and his vows of vengeance dampen the spirit of fun. The dominant emotion in “Pan” is the desperation of the filmmakers, who frantically try to pander to a young audience they don’t seem to respect, understand or trust.

“Pan” is rated PG. It’s grimmer than you might expect, in every way.

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Thumbs down … even Hugh Jackman chewing the scenery as Blackbeard doesn’t enliven Pan

Pan review – a return to Neverland that should never have been made

A starry cast, including Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara and Cara Delevingne, can’t save Joe Wright’s dull, dreadful, unasked for prequel to JM Barrie’s children’s classic

I t takes a movie such as Pan to make you realise that Oz the Great and Powerful wasn’t all that bad. Like that 2013 film, Pan is an origin-story prequel to a children’s classic that nobody asked for, but it doesn’t even lead to the point we all recognise. Through most of Pan, young Peter (Levi Miller) is brothers-in-adventure with the older James Hook (Garrett Hedlund), and remains so to the end of the movie. Hook never turns evil, nor does he lose his hand, and the film concludes with the greatest fright of all: maybe another Peter Pan movie is in the pipeline, to fill in the rest of the backstory before we get to the JM Barrie original.

The backstory is the greatest foe in director Joe Wright’s uneven film. Ten minutes before the ending, our young orphan protagonist, having been whisked away from 1940s London by a flying pirate ship, is still having secrets explained to him via inelegant exposition checkpoints. There are discovered letters, a Memory Tree, and a lagoon enchanted by mermaids endowed with the power of studio script notes.

This total lack of forward momentum is made worse by a bland cast of characters and uninspired action. It turns out that this special boy with a mysterious pan-flute necklace is a “chosen one”, whose father was an all-powerful fairy and whose mother, a native from Neverland (named Mary, why go for subtlety?), left him in our world until he was old enough to fight for peace at home. Miller is fine enough as the courageous British tyke, but Hedlund, something of a poor man’s Channing Tatum to begin with, voices the future Captain Hook as John Wayne by way of Pa Kettle . (And I don’t think it’s supposed to be funny.) They meet when Peter is snatched with other orphans and sent to work in “pixim” mines, mining fairy dust for evil pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman).

Jackman is just following the routine by now, chomping up scenery as a bad guy in an altogether dreadful film. But it’s not nearly enough. He’s no Eddie Redmayne in Jupiter Ascending . His quarry of (mostly) child labour greets newcomers with a rousing chorus of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, and leads them to punishment with the Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop. You can practically see an impassioned director selling the studio: “Audiences won’t know what to think!!!” Indeed.

This anachronistic dice roll would work if the rest of the picture’s creativity measured up. What is striking is how bland everything is. Rooney Mara gets in on the faux-inspirational act as the “native” Tiger Lily. It’s the type of thankless role Natalie Portman doesn’t do any more, and hopefully Mara won’t either, now that she’s got Carol under her belt . The only interesting thing about Tiger Lily is her ceremonial headdress, which looks like it was fashioned after Gossamer from Looney Tunes . Adeel Akhtar’s cockney version of Hook’s sycophantic chum Smee doesn’t get any clever lines, but he is at least moderately charming.

Eventually we get a big finish, in which Peter leads the Fairies – trod-upon, wordless pins of light – into a final, exhausting battle with Blackbeard and his flying ship. But getting there is a chore. There are a handful of in-jokes (Hook hates crocodiles! Blackbeard just said “Think a happy thought”!) that ought to please no one, and a mute, computer-enhanced Cara Delevingne swims up from the uncanny valley as a mermaid to give Hedlund’s Hook a “Gosh, ain’t she a beaut” moment. No, the pirates singing Nirvana are not the worst thing in this movie.

It could be that endlessly staring at computer monitors has ruined my eyesight (or that auditorium six of the Regal Kaufman Astoria has a wonky projector bulb), but I was shocked at how dark Pan was. So much of the movie is set in London at night, inside caves or in Blackbeard’s brooding chambers. Only one sequence, a fighting set-piece with the natives, is brightly lit, and its production design is striking.

Bored parents continually checked their smartphones from about 15 minutes into the film, and by the end, restless children were running around the theatre. Normally I’d tsk at such unruly behaviour, but this time, who could blame them?

Science fiction and fantasy films
First look review
Hugh Jackman
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Comments (…)

Screen Rant

Pan falls short at being either an imaginative origin story for peter pan and/or a satisfying standalone big-budget fantasy adventure..

Pan introduces us to Peter (Levi Miller), a twelve-year old boy - living in WWII era London - whose mother (Amanda Seyfried) mysteriously left him at an all-boys orphanage when he was still an infant. Peter and his best friend Nibs (Lewis MacDougall) come to realize that boys at the orphanage have been vanishing without a trace, but cannot figure out who is responsible - until one night, when Peter and several of his fellow orphans are kidnapped by a band of pirates (armed with a flying ship), who then whisk the children away to a distant magical place known as Neverland. There, Peter is forced into slave labor by the pirates and their leader, Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman).

However, when Peter inadvertently foils his own execution (in a most extraordinary way), Blackbeard comes to the conclusion that Peter is the boy who is prophesied to bring about his downfall. Peter then escapes before Blackbeard can kill him and sets out with the hope of finding his mother - though, with help from one James Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and Neverland native princess Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), Peter might end up fulfilling a destiny that he never expected.

Pan , as written by Jason Fuchs ( Ice Age: Continental Drift ), is a re-imagining of the Peter Pan mythos that serves as a prequel to J.M. Barrie's classic play/novel "Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up", as well as an origin story for the eponymous character. Unfortunately, the film does so by crafting a messiah or "chosen one" narrative that unfolds in a very formulaic manner, offering a derivative spin on many tropes while at the same time cribbing elements that've been used to greater effect in similar fantasy stories ( Chronicles of Narnia , Harry Potter , etc.). Pan also banks heavily on filmgoers being familiar with the original Peter Pan story - frequently repurposing famous lines from the book/play and foreshadowing events that are only distantly relevant to what is happening in the movie - yet fails to offer fresh insight on the themes and ideas that are raised in Barrie's original fairy tale.

The Pan mythology, as presented on the big screen, in turn feels incomplete as a standalone mythology and winds up mostly convoluting the history of Peter Pan and Neverland, rather than expanding upon them. Fuchs' scipt, to be fair, neither attempts to give explanations for the more fantastical elements of the Peter Pan story, nor does it (generally) go out of its way to directly setup events in its predecessor - something that allows the film to better retain the playfulness of Barrie's work without suffering from too strong a case of "prequel-itis", as a result. There are even a handful of plot elements that suggest an earlier draft of the Pan script might've stood better on its own (a la the Peter Pan prequel book/play, "Peter and the Starcatchers") than the final version that ended up on screen.

From a directorial perspective, Pan does benefit from having Joe Wright at the helm in certain respects. Wright's movies rarely fail to impress in terms of their visuals (see Atonement , Anna Karenina , and so on) and Pan likewise boasts some creative, if hodgepodge, costumes and practical production design in general by Aline Bonetto ( Amélie ). Unfortunately, the CGI elements of the film don't always meld that well with the non-digital components - giving rise to a number of sequences that have a distinct "green screen" look - and the practical components are overwhelmed by the big-budget CGI spectacle; itself, frequently derivative of the CGI from such tentpoles as Avatar and - sorry to say - The Last Airbender . Neverland, in turn, comes off as less of a living and breathing place and more a collection of expensive set pieces (unlike the fairy tale-inspired setting of Wright's film Hanna ).

Pan cinematographers Seamus McGarvey (Wright's frequent collaborator) and John Mathieson ( X-Men: First Class , The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ) shot the film in such a fashion that certain imagery does benefit from viewing in 3D - either taking advantage of the depth of field that is afforded by 3D (during scenes set atop flying pirate ships) or providing pop-out screen effects. Nevertheless, the 3D aspect of the film pales in comparison to recent movies that have also featured action sequences that unfold from great heights (see Everest and The Walk ). Similarly, a number of scenes from Pan feature either a darker or relatively muted color palette that isn't enhanced by 3D - meaning that while 3D doesn't hurt the Pan viewing experience, it's not a necessity either.

Newcomer Levi Miller is perfectly serviceable in the role of young Peter in Pan , though the way the character is written - a cross between a youthful free-spirit and a reluctant hero archetype - results in what feels like a watered-down version of how Peter Pan is typically portrayed. Garrett Hedlund ( TRON: Legacy ) also gives a good natured performance as the young James Hook, though the character is little more than the typical wise-cracking, self-concerned, sidekick type. By comparison, Adeel Akhtar as Mr. Sam 'Smee' Smiegel - who, like Hook, is not yet a pirate in the film - delivers more of an over the top performance (for better and worse), much like the other noteworthy character actors in the cast - such as Nono Anozie ( Cinderella ), playing Blackbeard's second in command, Bishop.

Speaking of Blackbeard: the character is essentially a tweaked version of the Captain Hook character in Pan , and Hugh Jackman very much chews the scenery while he's playing the role - sometimes for the better, sometimes not - but ultimately, the Blackbeard character fails to add anything new to the Peter Pan mythology that the (older) Hook before him didn't (sidenote: Blackbeard also gets an exceptionally weird introduction in the film). Similarly, the decision to make the natives of Neverland a multi-ethnic group, rather than literal Native Americans, helps to distinguish Pan from Peter Pan adaptations past - but only on a surface level. The same goes for the decision to play up the warrior aspect of Tiger Lilly's personality, yet not give Rooney Mara much else to work with.

Pan falls short at being either an imaginative origin story for Peter Pan and/or a satisfying standalone big-budget fantasy adventure, when all is said and done. Director Joe Wright's usual inventiveness as a cinematic storyteller gets lost amidst the CGI malaise of the film, while the movie's attempt to craft a more complicated mythology out of the relatively simple Peter Pan story might've worked - but would have required a far less conventional and run of the mill approach, in order to do so.

With that is mind, Pan is a family-friendly offering (if a hollow one) and serves up enough stylish eye candy - while also keeping the proceedings light - that it could be more pleasing to some moviegoers, especially those of a younger age. However, as far as Peter Pan movies go, there have been far better renditions - be they traditional live-action adaptations (see, for example, P.J. Hogan's 2003 Peter Pan ) or continuations of the original story by J.M. Barrie (see Steven Spielberg's Hook ).

Pan is now playing in 2D and 3D U.S. theaters. It is 111 minutes long and is Rated PG for fantasy action violence, language and some thematic material.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comment section!

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‘Pan’ Movie Review: Say No to This Trip to Neverland

“Are you brave, Peter?” asks Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). “I try to be,” replies Peter (Levi Miller) who has just survived his first few days in Neverland in the fantasy adventure film, Pan .

Set during the early days of World War II, Peter’s introduced as a young boy who was left at the door of an orphanage as a baby. Now a spirited and mischievous young lad always getting into trouble, Peter challenges the nuns who run the orphanage. He notices that many of the boys seem to disappear during the night when everyone’s asleep and is told by the nuns and Mother Superior that they were adopted and have new homes, an explanation Peter doesn’t believe. One night, Peter decides to try to stay up and see what’s really going on. After a few hours of waiting and nothing happening, Peter gets sleepy and decides to go to bed. Just then, Peter and a few other boys are swept up by bungee-jumping pirates and taken up to a flying pirate ship. Scared of heights, Peter decides not to make a jump for it and stays on board as the ship soars through the sky, sailing beyond even the clouds into space.

The next morning Peter finds himself in Neverland, a dark and magical place ruled by Blackbeard the pirate who’s been kidnapping young orphan boys and bringing them to Neverland so he can put them to work to dig for fairy dust. Peter is forced into the tunnels to dig and fairly quickly comes across a nugget of fairy dust which is then taken away by one of Blackbeard’s henchmen and claimed as his own discovery. Peter, being an obstinate young man, tries to get it back from the creep and is hauled before Blackbeard to be punished. Blackbeard makes an example of Peter, forcing him to walk the plank over a deep, dark pit to this death. But when Peter is forced off the plank, he falls a little more than halfway before he starts to hover and float in midair – an incredible feat seen by everyone in Neverland.

Blackbeard takes Peter back to his cabin and tells him of a prophecy that speaks of a young boy who was taken from Neverland and when he reaches the right age will return to lead an uprising against Blackbeard. The prophecy is about a boy who can fly, a boy known as The Pan. Fearing Peter might be the boy, Blackbeard puts him in the underground prison where Peter is freed by a young adventurer named James Hook (Garrett Hedlund, doing a weird imitation of Harrison Ford) who believes Peter is his ticket to leaving Neverland and getting back home. But Peter’s not just a way for Hook to escape; Hook actually likes the kid but doesn’t want to admit it. Beginning to believe that he might be the boy and that if he is it could mean his mother is somewhere in Neverland, Peter teams up with Hook to try to find the natives, led by Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), in order to find out the truth about his mother, Neverland, and if he is really The Pan.

Pan Rooney Mara, Levi Miller, Garrett Hedlund

Directed by Joe Wright, Pan is a cluttered, chaotic, inept mess of a fantasy adventure film with ridiculous, outlandish performances, unimpressive sets, and action scenes that are anything but thrilling.

Hugh Jackman is perhaps the only actor in the film delivering a performance that, although it’s a bit over-the-top, actually fits in a new telling of the Peter Pan legend. He even finds a few scenes to infuse a little bit of humor as well as fear (Blackbeard’s greatest fear is old age and death creeping up on him), and he even shows off his singing voice. It’s just too bad Jackman’s take on the iconic pirate is not enough to save the film from being the disaster that it is.

Garrett Hedlund gives a horribly cartoonish performance as young James Hook, an adventurer who was captured by the pirates and befriends Peter in order to find a way out of Neverland. Hedlund bounces from Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones films to Harrison Ford in Star Wars , and it’s jolting to watch his bizarre take on Hook.

The casting of Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily sparked controversy over the change to the original beloved character’s ethnicity, and Mara’s performance involves not much more than staring wide-eyed into the camera with her big, soft, lovely eyes. Mara’s Tiger Lily doesn’t really do much else except flirt with Hook in a few scenes that don’t connect with the audience and are actually cringe-worthy. It’s a waste of a very talented young actress who has already shown in earlier films she’s capable of so much more.

Newcomer Levi Miller is decent as Peter, the young hell-raiser who defies the nuns at the orphanage and always disobeys the rules as any true Peter Pan would. The character’s written in a way that makes this version of Peter a quivering, fearful, unimpressive young man who bears nothing at all like Peter’s shadow let alone Peter himself once he gets to Neverland.

The overused, overwhelming use of CGI effects are unimpressive and unoriginal. In fact, everything about the film from its look to its set designs to the action scenes seem taken from better films. For instance, the mining and digging area with the boys in Neverland is straight out of Mad Max: Fury Road . The colorful native headquarters looks almost exactly like the lost boys hideout in the film, Hook . The bombing and look of London is right out of the film The Chronicles of Narnia . There’s nothing new or original on screen in Pan , and the classic fairy tale’s been done far better before by other filmmakers.

In short, there’s nothing magical, creative, or fun about Pan . The film doesn’t soar off the screen but instead sinks under the weight of too many effects and bad dialogue.

MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action violence, language and some thematic material

Running Time: 111 minutes

Release Date: October 9, 2015

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DVD & Streaming
Action/Adventure , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

October 9, 2015
Levi Miller as Peter; Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard; Garrett Hedlund as Hook; Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily; Adeel Akhtar as Sam Smiegel

Home Release Date

December 22, 2015

Distributor

Warner Bros.

Movie Review

In the distant, far-away world of Neverland, there is a prophecy of a flying child who will someday save the land’s inhabitants.

Now, to listeners familiar with children’s books of yore, that line may have a familiar ring to it. “Is it the story of a gifted boy named Peter Pan, his fairy friend, Tinkerbell, and their fight against a scoundrel named Hook?” they might wonder aloud.

And the answer is … not quite. That’s actually another story altogether. A later one, if you will.

This yarn is about a magical lad who’s as yet unknown. It’s said that he’s the offspring of a human and a fairy. And in this Neverland world of marauding pirates, enslaved orphan boys and colorful-but-terrorized natives, the one they call Pan is greatly needed.

For this enchanted, would-be boy savior might just be the one to rescue one and all from the heartless, fierce—but generally well-dressed—pirate named … Blackbeard.

Yes, that Blackbeard.

Here, he’s a shudder-inspiring sea robber who’s terrorized Neverland for generations. Blackbeard commands a crew of swarthy buccaneers and drives hundreds of kidnapped boys to dig for something called pixum (also known as fairy dust) in vast underground mines. Why, you ask? Because it could keep a man alive forever if he could but find enough of it.

That very task has occupied Blackbeard and his cruel henchmen for generations. Why, some even say that the pirate has driven Neverland’s fairy population to the point of extinction pursuing this potent, immortality-granting dust.

So for those toiling and slaving under the well-coiffed despot’s ruthless reign, hope is in very short supply indeed. Until, that is, a boy plucked out of an dreary orphanage on Earth during World War II arrives in Neverland.

A boy … who can fly.

Positive Elements

Though Peter sometimes uses deceit to trick his earthly orphanage caretakers, he’s really a thoughtful, caring boy who’s willing to risk his wellbeing for the sake of others. He doesn’t necessarily believe that he’s the prophesied Pan (even if everyone else does), but he bravely stands up against Blackbeard’s tyrannical rule for the sake of the virtues his parents stood for.

“Sometimes friends begin as enemies and enemies begin as friends,” the movie says in its opening moments. Thus it imagines Hook in his early years being a trusted friend and ally to Peter, as well as a romantic interest for Tiger Lilly. All three of these friends take great risks in their collective efforts to save one another and to rid Neverland of Blackbeard’s enslaving scourge.

Before leaving him at the orphanage, Peter’s mother tells her baby boy that she loves him and whispers, “I promise that you will see me again, in this world or another.”

Spiritual Elements

Neverland, obviously, is a magical realm. In it, there are flying fairies and soaring galleons, not to mention the pixum that keeps Blackbeard perpetually young. It’s also a realm where people cling to their faith in the eventual appearance of a young messiah of sorts whom they hope will deliver them from bondage. Later in the story, the magic of the fairies allows Peter to speak briefly with the spirit of his dead mother. In addition to the fairies, we see other mythical creatures as well, such as mermaids, for instance.

Back on Earth before Peter is kidnapped, the orphanage’s Catholic nuns are anything but positive role models. In fact, they’re just the opposite: women who regularly torment their young charges. You would think that among those supposedly God-fearing women there might be at least one good one. But, alas, such a kind nun is nowhere to be found in this story. Instead, these wicked nuns actually sell children to the pirates.

Peter finds a nearly life-sized statue of Mary in a nun’s office.

Sexual Content

We see Peter’s human mother and his fairy father (who has taken human form) embrace. Though nothing further is shown, we’re told that Peter was the “child of their love.” Hook openly flirts with and pursues a romantic relationship with Tiger Lilly, who throughout the film wears outfits revealing a bit of bra and midriff. Other ancillary women also show some skin, and men go shirtless. Mermaids are very briefly seen underwater with long, covering hair. (We see a bit of bare shoulder and torso that implies they’re not wearing clothes.)

Violent Content

We never glimpse gore, but quite a few folks perish in the course of this conflict-heavy fantasy flick. For instance, German fighter planes drop bombs on English homes and buildings. They crash and burn in battle. Children and pirates tumble to their implied deaths in rocky chasms. Scores of Tiger Lilly’s tribesmen puff into clouds of colored dust when run through by pirate blades and axes.

Flying pirate ships clash and crash, blazing away with roaring cannons. World War II fighter planes strafe ship decks with gunfire. Pirates get thumped with shovels and buckets. Ferocious skeletal birds attack children and adults. Gigantic crocodiles snap at people and leap out of the water. A boy almost drowns when being dragged under water by one of those beasts before being rescued by a trio of mermaids. Children are snatched up into the air by kidnapping pirates. Those same children are forced to toil mercilessly in large mines, resulting in blistered hands.

Tiger Lilly is an athletic, spirited gal who never backs down from a fight. We see her smashing male opponents full in the face and watch as those foes manhandle, pummel and slam her to the ground in return. Blackbeard’s crew shoots flames into swirling, burning swarms of tiny fairies.

Young Peter gets thumped around quite a bit too, including hitting his crotch on a large plank.

Crude or Profane Language

One use of “d–nation,” and a couple of uses each of “darn” and “heck” (as in, “What the heck?” and “I’ll be darned”). We hear “h—” and “bloody h—” once each.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Blackbeard uses a rejuvenation device to inhale pixie dust and restore his youth.

Other Negative Elements

Peter lies to nuns. He and a friend break into someone’s office to steal money and food. Like Peter, Hook is also one to dabble in untruths when it suits his needs. “I lied, I do that sometimes,” Hook rationalizes. “It’s called being a grown up.” The soundtrack introduces Blackbeard with the chorus of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Since Scottish author J.M. Barrie first dreamed up his stories of a flying boy who would never grow up more than a hundred years ago, his imaginary realm of Neverland has been a busy place. Peter Pan and his magical universe have inspired scores of books, TV shows, movies, plays—even video games.

Director Joe Wright’s latest addition to that picaresque panoply of all things Pan could be seen as a pseudo-superhero-style origin story (in this age of superhero everything). It gives us the low down on a boy named Peter before he was soaring about with raucous glee and brandishing his dagger. Here, he’s just an orphan kid, longing for his mum, when he’s yanked unexpectedly into the fantastic—and the heroic.

This is a prequel, however, where the pirates are more coarse and gritty than colorful and goony. And where Tiger Lilly’s tribe is, well, more trans-globalish than we’ve seen before. Hook is something of an Indiana Jones romantic hero rather than a hook-handed rake with a ticking-clock phobia. Toss in epic battles between flying ships and WWII fighter planes, as well as bim-bam-booms involving waves of tiny fairies and a prancing baddy named Blackbeard, and what we’ve got here is something fairly entertaining … but barely identifiable for those expecting a more traditional take on the Peter Pan canon.

Purists will likely balk. The family’s youngest will likely duck for cover. And the rest of us will likely wonder where this would-be franchise reboot goes from here. Because this sweeping, swirling, twinkling explosion of CGI color is a long way from that beloved story about a boy in green tights who never wants to grow up—even if it’s got some charms of its own.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Peter Pan gets a new origin story, but it wasn't one worth telling.

For a movie that clearly required a lot of time, consideration, and effort, Pan ends up feeling rather slapdash. Many of the individual scenes/sequences work on their own and can be fun to look at, but few fit into any larger sort of picture. The entire prophecy the story is built around is ill-explained and silly. Even if we accept that these characters and this place eventually becomes the Neverland we know and love, Pan is still not a tale worth chronicling.

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Movie Review: Pan (2015)

Greg Eichelberger
Movie Reviews
5 responses
--> October 9, 2015

The local theater where I went to view the latest Peter Pan adventure (I found myself the ONLY one in attendance, by the way), Pan , inadvertently began showing the film “ Black Mass .” I went to the manager to alert them of the error, however, two hours later, I wished I hadn’t opened my big mouth. There are at least ten different film versions of this story — originally written in 1904 by Scotsman J.M. Barrie — including a silent 1924 picture, “Finding Neverland,” “Hook,” several musicals, and a 1953 animated Disney classic (as well as an innumerable volume of Tinker Bell cartoons), but this is by far the least interesting of the bunch. Ten movies with 10 different casts over a 90-year span. Someone, somewhere has to finally say, “Enough is enough. Stop remaking, rebooting and reinventing this once-beloved children’s book already!”

Alas, director Joe Wright (“ Anna Karenina ”) did not listen to this humble scribbler and proceeded to put together a dark, bizarre prequel, or origins, if you will, which purports to tell us that Peter, played by cute-as-button Levi Miller (“Supergirl” TV series), was an orphan abandoned in London during World War II (you gotta hand it to that J.M. Barrie, predicting the Blitz and all, oh that WASN’T J.M. Barrie, it was screenwriter Jason Fuchs of “Holy Rollers” fame? Sorry, my bad). Ruled over by vicious, ugly, overweight nuns (remember, fat and ugly equals evil) who sell the boys to pirates in the night, Peter is whisked away on a pirate ship, no less, with British Spitfires thinking it’s some super Nazi war machine, and put to work in the fairy dust (pixum, how scientific) mines of cloud-covered Neverland.

Here, as ruled over by the wicked Captain Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman, “ Chappie ,” looking even more feminine than Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow), the children are given two choices: Work endless hours in dark caves or be killed instantly. Another less than honorable punishment is to have to listen to the poor souls being forced to sing both “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Songs performed in a film far ahead of their actual release timeline, who does Joe Wright think he is, Baz Luhrmann?!

Anyway, sentenced to death, Peter manages to impress Blackbeard by flying about the island — in decidedly unimpressive CGI. Evidently, he is part of a fairy prophecy about a boy who can fly leading a revolt of the natives and killing the pirate. Not too inquisitive about the prediction — and not too intelligent, either — Blackbeard simply imprisons the lad, but he soon escapes thanks to Indiana Jones-lite James Hook (yes, HOOK, Garrett Hedlund, “ TRON: Legacy ,” doing his best John Huston impersonation) and hijacks a schooner to the interior of the island where he meets a group of “natives” led by the afro guy from 1980s sporting events and Princess Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara, “ Ain’t Them Bodies Saints ”). A few less than intriguing things then take place, such as Tiger Lily explaining to Peter that he will know the truth about his mother when he submerges himself in a nearby river, because the river has somehow been imbued with his mum’s memories, and can show it all to him in the form of poorly-constructed animation. This river also has huge crocodiles and blonde, translucent mermaids (are there any other kind?).

Soon, however, Blackbeard and his crew of circus geek henchmen capture everyone and then attack the Fairy Kingdom. This sets the stage for some kind of battle which releases millions of fairies, including a brief cameo by Tinkerbell, who swoop in and actually contribute more to saving the day than our lame heroes do. As an epilogue, Peter goes back to the war-torn orphanage and brings all of his former pals back to the island.

Before the credits roll, though, we not only get the same last line in the book, “Second (star) to the right and straight on ’til morning,” but also, “We’ll always get along, right, Hook?,” which seems to be hinting an unwanted and unnecessary sequel. With not-so-special effects and computer graphics which do not live up to the hype, there’s really no reason to even see Pan in 3D (let alone at all), despite the trailers which try to make it seem irresistible. It isn’t.

Besides all of this nonsense, there’s even a not-all-too-unsubtle relation to the original ““Star Wars” film. Joe Wright, meet George Lucas, now get lost, boy.

Tagged: boy , novel adaptation , orphan , pirate , prequel

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.

Movie Review: Despicable Me 3 (2017) Movie Review: Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Movie Review: All Eyez On Me (2017) Movie Review: The Mummy (2017) Movie Review: Baywatch (2017) Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Movie Review: The Promise (2016)

'Movie Review: Pan (2015)' have 5 comments

October 9, 2015 @ 1:20 pm THE TRUTH

This is going to bomb so hard and deservedly so.

October 9, 2015 @ 1:45 pm whorsham

Of all the unnecessary prequels they could have pursued they pick Peter Pan, one that no one gives a fuck about.

October 9, 2015 @ 2:32 pm Mika

If this were about the Greek god Pan I would have seen this.

October 9, 2015 @ 9:18 pm hungerpangs

On the good side it isn’t a Disney prequel. On the bad side it isn’t Disney work and it’s a lazy prequel devoid of any connection to the original source.

October 9, 2015 @ 10:57 pm Death Blossom

I’ll eventually get to this just to watch Hugh Jackman ham it up.

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Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – Pan (2015)

October 15, 2015 by Robert Kojder

Pan , 2015.

Directed by Joe Wright. Starring Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Amanda Seyfried, Adeel Akhtar, Nonso Anozie, Kathy Burke, and Cara Delevingne.

12-year-old orphan Peter is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland, where he finds both fun and danger, and ultimately discovers his destiny — to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.

Pan is another one of those big budget movies no one asked for yet we were given anyway, which is all well and good because the Hollywood machine will keep on churning out whatever executives think have the potential to make money. Hey, if those movies end up being good despite no one craving them, there’s really nothing wrong with it; moviegoers see something of quality while rich people get paid, meaning it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Sometimes however, Hollywood big-wigs could not be any less clued in to what people actually want to watch, and that’s exactly where Pan falls. It’s an origin story to Peter Pan but bafflingly fails to explore any of the fable’s beloved fantasy characters to justify the point of a prequel. James Hook is here with two hands, and sorry to disappoint, but he doesn’t lose one of them, leaving you wondering what his purpose to this story is besides starting out as Peter’s friend. In a nutshell, Pan does take itself to be clever by switching around allegiances and adding ancestry to Peter’s parents, but in reality everything is hollow and rendered meaningless.

This is of course due to the fact that Pan is more of a special-effects extravaganza far too reliant on CGI. Some scenes in particular feature backgrounds that just feel like a miss-mash of colors in hopes of wowing audiences visually. Case in point, there is a scene where an underwater lagoon filled with mermaids has a magical power to illustrate past events, which is used to show Peter something incredibly important cementing the path of his journey, but all it actually does is leave yourself asking what the f***you just witnessed. Around 75% of Pan feels like it was conceived on drugs.

Seriously, how in the name of all that is holy do you come up with the idea to introduce Hugh Jackman’s Blackbeard (who doesn’t even really have a full beard so I’m just calling him Blackbeard-less for the rest of this review) singing along to Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit with his mining workers? I admire the bold move to be anachronistic but such an out of place, awkward decision must also be rooted in logic. It’s not, and that’s not even the dumbest scene, because moments later a group of pirates sing The Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop while Blackbeard-less begins executing people.

All of this nonsense could be forgiven if Pan told a cohesive story that was easy to buy into, but it instead just goes from lackluster action sequence to action sequence. Nothing here is even remotely memorable beyond being outlandishly stupid (during the final fight Peter starts blasting swarms of fairies at enemies as if he’s Goku from Dragonball Z ). Why did the fairies absolutely need Peter there controlling them to be able to defend themselves? Truthfully, I’m past the point of caring and trying to figure it out, because this movie is just stupid.

Costume design is one area where Pan deserves some recognition, with many of the outfits being very elaborate and striking. Coming out the best here is Hugh Jackman’s Blackbeard-less, covered in all black clothes with ghoulish white skin complexion. There are some eyebrow raisers though, most notably whatever the heck that headdress Tiger Lily wears, and this blink-and-you-miss-it moment where a pirate resembling a member of an 80s hair-metal band tries to capture Peter. It’s also really weird that some characters attire miraculously changes from scene to scene despite no one actually having a chance to swap wardrobes, but in a movie this bad that’s chump change to complain about.

What I will also say is that it is never boring; Hugh Jackman seems very determined to chew up the scenery as a flamboyant devilish pirate and make the most of his screen-time, which unfortunately diminishes as the movie goes on. His motivations are summed up in one scene and he is as one-dimensional as baddies come, but he is having fun which is infectious for a brief moment.

The rest of the cast ranges from mediocre to awful; Garrett Hedlund’s Hook is hyperactive, Rooney Mara’s Tiger Lily is super serious about protecting the fairy kingdom, Smiegel is essentially a living cartoon creation, and Peter feels like you could pull any child off the street to play the part and yield the same results. Furthermore, their personalities are so wildly different from one another that no one has any chemistry with each other. It’s almost as if each actor interpreted the script in a different tone; some child friendly with wonder and others monotone and dramatic.

To be fair, I don’t even think director Joe Wright understood the tone of the script given to him by Jason Fuchs, as there is a scene where two characters are intended to fight to the death, but end up fighting on a trampoline. The little tussle is more humorous than anything, but the problem is that I seriously have no idea what the true intentions were. Pan is extremely tone deaf and unsure of whether it should embrace darker material or stick to its more family-friendly roots.

Most importantly, it’s simply amazing that Pan can begin in a bland colorless World War II London and wind up in a crystallized fairy kingdom, with both environments eliciting the same sense of indifference. A little bit more character and plot would have went a long way over uninspired CGI.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★

Robert Kojder – An aficionado of film, wrestling, and gaming. Follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook

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'Pan' Movie Review: Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara and Garrett Hedlund Round Out Star-Studded Cast

Get the details of the Hugh Jackman movie.

Hugh Jackman portrays Blackbeard in a scene from "Pan."

 -- Starring Levi Miller, Rooney Mara , Garrett Hedlund and Hugh Jackman

Two-and-a-half out of five stars

I went to see a Joe Wright movie and a Baz Luhrmann film broke out. Or at least something that wanted to be a Baz Luhrmann movie, very badly.

With "Pan," director Wright’s attempting to tell an origin story –- that of Peter Pan. Since it’s the world of Peter Pan, anything is possible and that’s exactly how Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie wanted it. So, perhaps in the spirit of Barrie, Wright lets his imagination run wild. The results are far more bizarre than entertaining.

"Pan" starts out promising, even touching. On a cool evening in pre-WWII London, a striking blonde woman with a porcelain complexion begrudgingly leaves her baby boy on the dark alley doorstep of an orphanage. It’s an emotionally-charged, beautifully rendered scene that has you believing you might be in for a special experience.

Cut to a few years later. It’s World War II and Peter (12-year-old Levi Miller) is still living in the orphanage run by an evil, obese, junk-food-hoarding nun who, naturally, hates him. But in no time, Peter and many of his fellow orphans are kidnapped by pirates in a flying ship -– one that’s perfectly visible to all of London and the RAF -- and whisked off to Neverland, where they’re greeted by what seems like thousands of Lost Boys singing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (very Baz Luhrmann-esque).

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Congratulations to Wright for thinking out of the box here but, to paraphrase an old saying, “Nirvana is Nirvana and Neverland is Neverland, and never the twain shall meet.”

To be fair to Wright and screenwriter Jason Fuchs, the flying ship escapes into some sort of space-time continuum thingy to get to Neverland, which sort of explains the completely incongruous nature of placing a song written in 1991 in a movie that takes place during WWII.

Then Hugh Jackman’s Blackbeard arrives to lead the chorus. He’s a combination of Flash Gordon’s Ming the Merciless, The Emperor Palpatine from " Star Wars ," Count Rugen from "The Princess Bride," and Dora the Explorer. Actually, he’s nothing like Dora the Explorer, but you’ve gotta love Hugh Jackman. His commitment to the character, the dialog and the role, as one would expect, is fantastic. Unfortunately, in this case, he’s committing to a character, dialog and role that lack originality and sometimes simply don’t make sense.

We also meet John Hook (Garrett Hedlund), a handsome yet selfish rapscallion who uses Peter to escape Neverland. Later, we meet Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), who will attempt to help Peter find his mother and, perhaps, discover who he really is. Hedlund proves here he’d probably make a terrific Indiana Jones. Mara proves she deserves better.

"Pan" is an aesthetically pleasing yet misguided attempt to give us Peter Pan’s backstory. All the key players in this movie are unquestionably talented, but they’re part of something that feels like a blatant and somewhat desperate attempt to be something it’s not: a movie that captures the imagination and ignites a franchise. Instead, it’s a menagerie of uninspired whimsy that doesn’t seem particularly well thought-out. If you want to see a far more imaginative and entertaining backstory of Peter Pan, head to New York and check out the musical "Finding Neverland."

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By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

We’ve been choking on Peter Pans lately — Allison Williams crowing in tights on TV, Finding Neverland on Broadway, the high school production you rightfully dread seeing. The nadir, till now, was Steven Spielberg’s 1991 Hook, with Robin Williams as the grown-up Peter longing for his golden youth and a chance to defeat Dustin Hoffman’s dastardly Capt. Hook. Still, Joe Wright ‘s origin story of Peter and the lost boys has to be the dimmest, deadliest take ever on J.M. Barrie’s Pan myth.

Peter, played by 12-year-old Aussie Levi Miller (a lovely performance in a luckless film), has been suffering in a London orphanage ducking Nazi bombs. Things aren’t much better when nuns sell off Peter and his fellow orphans to the pirate Blackbeard ( Hugh Jackman , so hammy his acting should be served with pineapple). Then it’s off on a flying ship to a steampunk-bleak Neverland where the kids are used as child labor to produce Pixum, the street name for crystalized pixie dust that works as a Fountain of Youth for Blackbeard. Let Walter White’s crystal meth top that!

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Jackman’s drag-act pirate king (ruffles, black wig, jagged teeth) didn’t need a chorus of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from his mateys. But that’s what he gets — and later a buccaneer take on the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Blackbeard believes Peter may be the flying boy destined to free the child slaves (duh) so he sends Peter to the plank. But not before Peter makes allies of his pirate-enemy-to-be James Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and Tiger Lily ( Rooney Mara ), the only Caucasian among a multi-cultural band of insurrectionists. If you believe in fairies, they are also here, until Blackbeard tries to incinerate them with a blowtorch. WTF!

I’m usually game to follow Wright anywhere, from his literary adaptations ( Atonement , Pride & Prejudice, Anna Karenina ) to his foray into fantasy in Hanna . But this is too much, or too little, or not enough. Wright is defeated by a DOA script by Jason Fuchs, cruddy CGI and 3-D special effects that crash and burn at liftoff. This joyless, juiceless Pan is a theme-park ride from hell.

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Movie Review: “Pan”

On its surface, the movie “Pan” may simply seem like another remake of J.M. Barrie’s story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. However, instead of the pixie dust and ticking crocodile mythos that most are familiar with, “Pan” gives a twist to the story by portraying the character’s origins. The film revolves around the adventures of Peter (Levi Miller), who, with the help of his allies James Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and Princess Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), tries to save Neverland from the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman).

Among the larger-than-life characters who populate the film, the most praiseworthy is Jackman’s portrayal of the ruthless Blackbeard. As the main antagonist of the film, he is a character who combines charisma and seriousness with surprising moments of humor. Jackman’s Blackbeard is a cartoonish figure welcome in a film that sometimes takes itself too seriously.

What’s more are the film’s visuals, especially in 3D. Just like every glossy adventure movie released these days, they rival James Cameron’s “Avatar” special effects in their vividness. “Pan” achieves something that the Disney “Peter Pan” could not, and captures the fantasy and magic of Neverland in a way that never verges on excessive.

Unfortunately, the film has little to offer apart from Jackman and its extensive visual effects, which ultimately can only do so much.

To begin with, there is a large disparity between these newly re-imagined characters and the memory of these same characters from previous adaptations of the story. The question arises of how Peter and Hook, so different already, would somehow become the characters we know and love from our childhood stories. Although “Pan” is an original story, and audiences seem to be expected to give some leeway between the characters they see and the characters they know those people are supposed to become, it is nevertheless difficult to bridge the gap.

Another point of contention is the existence and role of Princess Tiger Lily; this character met with backlash early on when it was first reported that Mara, a white actress, had been cast as the Native American character. Controversy aside, it is difficult to see exactly what the character adds to the plot, even though she does aid Peter and Hook on the periphery in their fight against Blackbeard. Her status as a main character, however, is still an exaggeration. “Pan” would have functioned almost just as well without her.

Other disappointments include the film’s purported action scenes. “Pan” follows a growing trend of dark, gritty re-imaginations of beloved characters and stories, which are only now becoming rather tired. In this way, it is similar to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy or Disney’s series of reimagined fairy-tales (Maleficent, Cinderella, and the upcoming Beauty and the Beast). “Pan” contains a number of uproarious fight scenes, but for a movie that seems to aim for a more realistic re-imagination, the scenes themselves do little to thrill children, and certainly are not enough for their parents.

If there was any hope that “Pan” could turn itself around toward the end, it is lost in the disappointing and surprisingly brief wrap-up. The movie seems to pride itself in exposition, building suspense and the makeup of the narrative, but it is never able to amount to anything. Even when the battle is over and the dust had settled, the film still seems to leave audiences wondering if there were some twist coming that they hadn’t anticipated. Given the time “Pan” spent on building up to an action-packed showdown, the final minutes left many desiring more.

In short, Pan is a reimagining that wows with visual effects and is somewhat redeemed by Jackman as its principle antagonist, but does not seem to know what to do with its own subject matter. It is unclear whether it is an adaptation aimed at completely redoing the story of Peter Pan or simply paying homage to it.

Strictly speaking, it is an average, run-of-the-mill blockbuster, and boasts an enticing, action-packed premise that is sure to draw audiences. However, childhood fans of the story and its characters would be better off finding something else to occupy their Saturday.

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Pan Parent Guide

Despite all the intrigue, these plotlines fail to keep the promise of reimagining this familiar story. instead, the production elements feel like borrowed clichés..

The story of Peter Pan comes to life once again, this time with Levi Miller playing the heroic boy and Garrett Hedlund as Hook. The villain in this version is an evil pirate named Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman).

Release date October 9, 2015

Run Time: 111 minutes

Official Movie Site

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by donna gustafson.

Peter Pan is a famous character with an oft-told tale. But this 2015 screen version assures us that we are about to experience a story we have not heard before: One where friends begin as enemies, and enemies begin as friends.

Twelve years after Peter (Levi Miller) was left as an infant on the doorstep of a home for boys, England becomes engulfed in WWII and London endures persistent German air raids. Within the walls of the institution the orphans are under attack from Mother Barnabas (Kathy Burke) as well. This dictator of a Nun uses wartime rationing as a way to misappropriate funds while fabricating excuses for the disappearance of some of the children under her care. Although the mischievous Peter is suspicious of her actions, even he can hardly imagine the full nastiness of the verbally abusive woman until he himself is yanked out of bed in the middle of the night. Along with many of his fellows, Peter is pulled aboard a flying ship that sails through the air, and (after an extended scene where the boat exchanges cannon balls with Nazi bombers) arrives at an island floating in the clouds.

The first not only saves his life, but also makes Blackbeard suspicious that Peter may be the fulfillment of a prophesy about a human with the power of flight who will lead a rebellion against the his powerful rule. Hook, the second miracle, invites the youngster to join his escape plan, with the mercenary motive of believing he, Peter and tag-along Smie (Adeel Akhtar) will stand a better chance of success if they include the “boy who can fly”.

Once the trio breaks out of Blackbeard’s grasp, another conflict arises. Hook wants to return to Earth while Peter desires to find his mother whom he has reason to believe is connected to Neverland’s extinct Fairy Kingdom. And opportunist Smie just wants to go with whoever seems the most likely to insure his freedom. No matter what destination they chose, the squabbling group must pass through the enemy territory of the Tribal Natives. They must also avoid being spotted by monstrous birds of prey and the marauding pirates Blackbeard has sent out to hunt down Peter.

Despite all the intrigue, these plotlines fail to keep the promise of reimagining this familiar story. Instead, the production elements feel like borrowed clichés. Scenes from the London period (which go on much longer than necessary) are just like the bad orphanages described in Oliver , The Rescuers , Annie and the institution that schooled Matilda . (It is not a flattering portrayal of Nuns either.) Peter’s secret parentage makes him a Messiah figure (so does Harry Potter ’s). Hook’s character is a dead ringer for the lovable scoundrel Hans Solo of the Star Wars saga. A quest for immortality is thrown in (reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ). And music is used as a quirky anachronism (like in A Knight’s Tale ), however its inclusion is more strange than charming.

This rendition does try to mollify some of the political incorrectness of the “savages” portrayed in Disney’s animation, by presenting a multi-ethnic cast of characters adorned in tribal costumes that seem inspired by traditional African dress, yet created out of made-in-China embellishments. It’s difficult to tell whether or not this is an improvement. The message has been enhanced as well, and focuses on finding the confidence to have faith in one’s self. Yet the depictions of untrustworthy adults remain the same.

Still, parents’ biggest concern will likely be the frequent battles, sword fights, weapons use, explosions and murderous threats. While most of the deaths and injury are bloodless and implied rather than shown, this swashbuckling action is better suited for older children and teens. Unfortunately, this group will likely also be old enough to recognize that even with a big budget and amazing special effects, the magic is somehow missing. Instead of something new, the retelling of this fairytale that began with skepticism about its potential sadly sees that potential end in skepticism.

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Donna Gustafson

Pan rating & content info.

Why is Pan rated PG? Pan is rated PG by the MPAA for fantasy action violence, language and some thematic material.

Violence: Many suspenseful situations are depicted and characters are in constant danger. Many characters look scary. A mother abandons her baby at an orphanage. Youngsters are abused by cruel caregivers and forced to do unreasonable chores and work in labor camps. Adults, who are supposed to protect others, use their positions for their own gain. World War II bombing raids and explosions are depicted. Characters are kidnapped and sold into slavery. Misbehaving boys are threatened with punishment (by having their palms whipped) and are later shown with bandaged hands. Characters are in constant peril from frightening predators, warring groups and an unmerciful dictator. Resulting injuries and deaths are implied, with little detail shown (some creatures simply turn into colorful dust clouds when they meet their demise). Battles are frequently depicted, with weapons and fists, as well as dogfights between airborne vehicles. Adults lie, betray and try to manipulate others. References are made to execution, genocide and murder. Characters are shown with mild injuries (sometimes with blood effects), languishing in dungeons, in life and death contests, and contending with fanciful beings.

Sexual Content: Tribal people and mermaids are dressed in scanty costumes. Characters joke about flatulence. A man attempts to flirt with a woman. A baby is conceived by a couple that is likely not married.

Language: Name-calling, slang words and mild profanity are used.

Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

Pan Parents' Guide

At one point in the story, Hook excuses his behavior by telling Peter: “I lied – it’s called being a grown up”. Does being an adult justify being dishonest with children? Are their some truths kids should be protected from? Are their other ways of explaining difficult concepts to youngsters?

What are Tiger Lily’s (played by Rooney Mara) motives for engaging in war? What things does she hope to gain or protect? How are her feelings different than Hook’s? Why is Peter more inclined to listen to her, rather than Hook, when they both council him to believe in himself?

Peter is afraid that he is not the boy of the prophecy, and confesses his fears to Tiger Lily by saying: “What if I fail?” She counters with: “What if you fail to try?” What do you think her question implies? How might you use her advice in your life?

Peter Pan was written as a play by J.M. Barrie . Upon his death he donated all the royalties from the story to the Great Ormond Street Hospital . So every time you pay to see or hear anything related to Peter Pan, you are making a donation to help sick children.

The most recent home video release of Pan movie is December 22, 2015. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes Pan Release Date: 22 December 2015 Pan releases to home video (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy or Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following extras: - Director’s Commentary - Never Grow Up: The Legend of Pan - The Boy Who Would Be Pan - The Scoundrels of Neverland - Wondrous Realms

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Peter Pan & Wendy Review

M ost of us have seen the animated version of Peter Pan when we were growing up. I remember not seeing it in the theaters but watching it at home with my daughter. We laughed, we cheered, and we watched it over and over again until she became tired of watching it. My daughter loved Captain Hook. She loved him so much that we bought her a plush of the Captain and she would take it with her whenever we went out. I am not so sure where the Jude Law version of Captain Hook will sit with my daughter.

This new adaptation of Peter Pan called Peter Pan & Wendy brought a lot of joy to this father who watched this movie while the kids were asleep. I will admit that I was not really that excited about this movie. I just felt like it was going to be ok. I mean, why would Disney put it on Disney+ instead of putting it on the big screen? The film was originally announced in 2020 and was supposed to play on the big screen. It seems that Covid delays and reshoots moved the release of this movie a few times and it ended up being on Disney+.

The release on Disney+ will bring the movie to a bigger audience and if you are a parent like me, you can pause or rewind when you missed something due to your kid asking a million questions. The new adaptation of the movie is fun but does feel a little lackluster at times. The movie give us the familiar tale that we have seen but gives us a little more insight into the background between Peter Pan and Captain Hook. I don’t remember if this was ever talked about before in previous versions but this information humanizes Captain Hook a little. You will start off hating him at the beginning of the movie but by the end you feel some sort of sympathy for him.

The movie is filled with a diverse cast that just feels right on Neverland. The kids have the same spunk and tenacity as we have seen before but seem a little more stronger than the previous version. I will backtrack for a moment and say when Peter, Wendy and the boys fly to Neverland, the visuals of their flight there is pretty cool. One of the standouts on Neverland is Alyssa Wapanatâhk who plays Tiger Lilly. Her character shows Wendy what it truly means to be strong and is a source of encouragement to Wendy in the movie’s climatic fight.

Captain Hook and Smee are played by Jude Law and Jim Gaffigan and they are fantastic on the screen. Law’s Hook is creepy at first but as the movie progresses we see a softer side of him. Smee is just the comic relief and I wish we could have seen more of him. If we have Hook and Smee we are sure to have Tick-Tock Croc and when he appears it is a stunning scene. Just the sheer look of Croc makes that scene terrifying.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Peter and Tinkerbell, played by Alexander Molony and Yara Shahidi. Since Tinkerbell does not talk, Shahidi’s acting is hindered in how much she can do, but I felt she was great in portraying Tinkerbell’s mannerisms and joy. Alexander is fun as Peter and you can tell that he enjoyed playing this role. Peter Pan & Wendy is a fun movie that families will enjoy together and maybe this will lead them to rewatch the animated movie to compare notes.

Final Thoughts : Peter Pan & Wendy is a perfect adaptation of the animated movie and the Broadway play. There are a few nods to those in the form of music and things the characters say and do. The imagery is fantastic and would have been great to be seen on the big screen in a theater. There are a few changes here and there to move the story along but families will enjoy seeing this movie together.

Kid-Friendly: The movie is very kid-friendly. Some of the images of Captain Hook and his band of pirates might scare or intimidate younger kids but they are not too scary.

Violence: There are some fight scenes with Peter, Hook, Wendy, and the rest of the Lost Boys and pirates. There is a lot of swordplay and one use of a gun. It is a children’s movie so the violence is toned down.

Disney’s epic movie event, “Peter Pan & Wendy” is a live-action reimagining of the J.M. Barrie novel and the 1953 animated classic, directed by David Lowery (“The Green Knight,” “Pete’s Dragon”), streaming 2023, only on Disney+. Directed by David Lowery (“The Green Knight,” “Pete’s Dragon”), the film introduces Wendy Darling, a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind who meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Alongside her brothers and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell, she travels with Peter to the magical world of Neverland. There, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that will change her life forever. The film stars Jude Law (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), Alexander Molony (“The Reluctant Landlord”), Ever Anderson (“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”), Yara Shahidi (“Grown-ish”), Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Joshua Pickering (“A Discovery of Witches”), Jacobi Jupe, Molly Parker (“House of Cards”), Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), and Jim Gaffigan (“The Jim Gaffigan Show”). “Peter Pan and Wendy” is directed by David Lowery from a screenplay by David Lowery & Toby Halbrooks (“The Green Knight”) based on the novel by J. M. Barrie and the animated film “Peter Pan.” The producer is Jim Whitaker (“Pete’s Dragon”), with Adam Borba (“A Wrinkle in Time”), Thomas M. Hammel (“Thor: Ragnarok”), and Toby Halbrooks serving as executive producers.

Most of us have seen the animated version of Peter Pan when we were growing up. I remember not seeing it in the theaters but watching it at home with my daughter. We laughed, we cheered, and we watched it over and over again until she became tired of watching it. My daughter loved Captain … Peter Pan & Wendy Review Read More »

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, a maze of horror and wonder.

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Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth" is one of the cinema's great fantasies, rich with darkness and wonder. It's a fairy tale of such potency and awesome beauty that it reconnects the adult imagination to the primal thrill and horror of the stories that held us spellbound as children. If you recall the chills that ran down your spine and the surreal humor that tickled your brain in the presence of " Alice in Wonderland ," "Little Red Riding Hood" or " The Wizard of Oz " when you were a child (or, later, in the nightmarish dream-films of Luis Bunuel , Jean Cocteau, F.W. Murnau or David Cronenberg ), you'll discover those sensations once again, buried deep in the heart of "Pan's Labyrinth."

As gruesome and brutal as it is enchanting and spellbinding, "Pan's Labyrinth" is a movie intended for adults, not children, as its "R" rating indicates. Some kids under 17 will find it fascinating (especially if they know Spanish or don't mind reading subtitles), but it's a harsh and uncompromising film -- although less gory and violent than many video games.

"Pan's Labyrinth" is itself a narrative maze, with multiple stories that branch and eddy, flowing apart and back together again like the a stream tumbling down a rocky hillside or, more aptly, blood spilling over a craggy boulder. Opening titles set the story in Spain, 1944, as resistance fighters lurking in the mountains continue to fight Franco's fascist regime. And then, immediately, before we can grasp any visual bearings in that world, the subterranean voice of Pan (a faun, whose name "only the wind and the trees can pronounce") whisks us into a fable about a dead princess whose kingly father waits for his daughter's soul to return in another form, and to reclaim her place at his side.

In the first vertigo-inducing minute or so of the film we're plunged into the turbulent imagination of Ofelia ( Ivana Baquero ), a bookish 11-year-old girl who is traveling with her pregnant mother Carmen ( Ariadna Gil ) to an old mill in the forest, where Ofelia's evil-stepfather-to-be, Capitan Vidal ( Sergi Lopez ), commands a fascist outpost. Next door is an ancient stone labyrinth, a place that's easy to get lost in.

The night of their arrival, Ofelia clings to her mother in bed as the creaky old house moans and Ofelia's unborn brother restlessly kicks. Carmen asks her daughter to tell the baby a story, to calm his nerves (as well as Ofelia's). The girl rests her head on her mother's belly and the camera, positioned at the foot of the bed, descends into Carmen's womb, where we see the fetus suspended in warmly glowing amniotic fluid.

Ofelia tells of a rare and beautiful night-blooming blue rose that once grew on a mountaintop (a reference not only to the lore of the blue Meconopsis poppy, but perhaps to David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" mythology), surrounded by poisonous thorns that made its mysterious beauty -- and properties of immortality -- inaccessible. The camera moves to the right and there's the rose and the mountain. Then it descends into the prickly brambles where a mantislike insect (previously encountered by Ofelia in the woods) alights in the foreground. The bug takes wing and the camera soars to keep up with it, past the moon and onto the stone sill of the room where Ofelia and her mother lie in bed.

This astounding and fluid composite shot serves as a microcosm of the whole movie: a graceful, complex but seamless, seemingly inexorable movement that weaves in and out of fantasy and reality so that each becomes an extension of the other. Whole worlds open before our eyes and then fold back upon themselves; dimensions of time and space are creased into shape as if the movie was an elaborate origami creation.

Meanwhile, bugs and monsters (lethal and benign) buzz, squirm and shuffle through the forest of Ofelia's imagination. Pan, a creature with the head of a goat and the body of a contorted mammalian tree trunk, believes that Ofelia herself is (surprise!) the reincarnation of the dead princess, and gives her a series of tasks to prove she is indeed the lost royal.

Ofelia's challenges do not arise like arbitrary plot obstacles; they are organic to her (and the movie's) development. The girl learns not only to follow instructions, and that there are heavy prices to pay for failing to abide by them, but also to trust her own instincts about right and wrong. In order to find her true self, she must also find the strength to break the rules imposed by authority.

An individual conscience: What could be a more powerful anti-fascist weapon than that?

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Film credits.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

118 minutes

Ivana Baquero as Ofelia

Maribel Verdu as Mercedes

Sergi Lopez as Vidal

Ariadna Gil as Carmen

Alex Angulo as Doctor

Doug Jones as Pan/Pale Man

Directed and written by

Guillermo Del Toro

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Review: PETER PAN National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago

The latest adaptation of the classic musical runs through April 7.

J. M. Barrie's beloved 1904 play Peter Pan refers to the Native Americans who inhabit the forests and coves of Neverland as "piccaninny warriors," and this is honestly one of the work's least offensive descriptions of the tribe. But these warriors, including the requisite damsel in distress Tiger Lily, delighted early audiences so much and functioned as such an integral plot device that later adaptations of the classic story did little to correct these harmful caricatures. One of these versions of the Peter Pan story was a 1954 musical of the same name. With a creative team that included director Jerome Robbins and composer Jule Styne , PETER PAN played to sold-out audiences for sixteen weeks before going on a national tour and receiving a televised production on NBC. This version featured actress Mary Martin as the titular boy who never grew up, a casting choice that has remained the standard ever since. Most recently, in 2014, the musical received another live NBC broadcast starring Allison Williams as Pan and Christopher Walken as Captain Hook. This new, somewhat more sensitive take on the story attempted to smooth over some of the original material's racist depictions of Native Americans, replacing the lyrically baffling and horribly offensive "peace pipe" song, "Ugg-a-Wugg."

Now, Native playwright Larissa FastHorse and lyricist Amanda Green , daughter of original lyricist Adolph Green , have reworked the musical yet again to further correct harmful stereotypes and update the story for modern sensibilities. This newest adaptation of PETER PAN, now touring throughout the United States, unquestionably corrects injustices that never should have been committed in the first place. But by flying Peter so enthusiastically into 2024, the creative team has stripped him and his story of some of their magic, making the boy who wouldn't grow up more out of touch than out of time. The musical plays at Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre through April 7.

FastHorse made history last year with her satire THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, becoming the first Native playwright to have a work produced on Broadway. Soon after, producers announced that she would be reworking the book of PETER PAN for its impending national tour. In interviews, FastHorse said that she wanted to move the story's opening and closing scenes from Victorian London to contemporary America so that "every child in this nation [can] look out their window... and believe Peter can fly by." The geographic transposition of the story makes a certain amount of sense; our current image of Peter Pan is as much an American invention as it is an English one. But references to cultural trends in the 2020s make the musical already feel painfully dated. Like the original musical, FastHorse's script begins with Wendy Darling ( Hawa Kamara ) and her younger brother John ( William Foon and Micah Turner Lee , alternately) waltzing in their bedroom. The difference, though, is that Wendy hopes that the video of the siblings' dance challenge will go viral on social media and earn her enough money to go to medical school (Wendy's age is never specified, but these details suggest she is either 12 or 22 years old). While viral dance challenges were all the rage several years ago, they've since fallen out of fashion, illustrating the dangers of using passing trends to appeal to audiences whose tastes rapidly shift in the age of smartphones and Snapchat.

More importantly, though, FastHorse has found a way to incorporate indigenous tribes into Peter's story without turning them into caricatures or merely smoothing over the material's rough edges. Now, Tiger Lily ( Raye Zaragoza ) and her companions represent indigenous cultures not just from the Americas but from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe too. Forced out of their ancestral homelands, these warriors have come to Neverland to preserve their cultures until they can finally return home. It's a relatively simple yet thoughtful change that justifies the tribes' presence on the island without ignoring the imperialism that forced them there in the first place. However, these changes introduce ideas that never feel fully fleshed out, solving one problem while introducing several others. References to the injustices these populations faced are ultimately fleeting, as though their backstory had to be shoehorned into a show that has to keep the attention of thousands of kids who might prefer to be watching their iPads.

The rest of the show's creative elements and performers work admirably to capture the imaginations of such children. As Peter, Nolan Almeida makes the most of his natural charisma, beaming a smile that can be seen in the back of the balcony while embodying the fluid physicality of a young boy. Almeida's vocal quality has a contemporary pop sound, making nearly 70-year-old songs feel surprisingly fresh. The flip side of this talent is that his line delivery occasionally takes on the singsong lilt of a TikTok influencer or a California skater.

Peter Pan is nothing without Captain Hook, though, and Cody Garcia plays the part with such effortless humor and sublime talent that they become the rare villain you love to love rather than love to hate. Garcia displays a stunning vocal range that flies from a low growl to a heavenly falsetto in the span of a few notes, and their tall frame makes Hook's physicality all the more imposing and comical, especially alongside Kurt Perry 's bumbling first mate Smee. Watching their performance, one wishes that Garcia could be seen in a role that provides them with greater depth and freedom to showcase the full extent of their talents.

With the expanded book and added lyrics, Wendy and Tiger Lily have become somewhat more complex characters, though there's room for further depth and development. FastHorse includes a scene between the two that makes PETER PAN score higher on the Bechdel Test than before, but the fact that the women only ever talk about Peter prevents it from earning a passing grade. All the same, Kamara and Zaragoza have pleasing voices capable of expressing power and emotion. Zaragoza is actually an accomplished folk singer, and it feels like a missed opportunity that these talents weren't put to better use. In fact, given the cast and creative team that director Lonny Price has assembled, I wondered more than once what the product might have been if they had been allowed to create a PETER PAN musical from scratch without any obligations to the previous iterations.

After all, Price and his designers have proven themselves more than capable of capturing the magic of Barrie's story, using practical effects and projections in ways that would have been unimaginable in 1954. I dare anyone not to feel a sense of wonder as Peter takes flight into the Darlings' bedroom for the first time, sprinkling pixie dust across the floor and audience (the largely enchanting flight choreography is by Paul Rubin ). In one of the show's most delightful moments, Peter has an extended dance/fight sequence with his own shadow projected against the wall, the two of them bouncing across the room as shelves collapse and picture frames spin. This kind of playful, thoughtful stagecraft makes you want to see how technology pushes theater into fascinating new realms of design. David Bengali 's projections are beautifully rendered and thankfully lack the artificiality that plagues so many other projection-heavy productions. My only qualm came late in the show when the moon over the pirate ship suddenly grows large across the screen and joins in a song praising Captain Hook's villainy. Not only does this cheesy bit happen twice within roughly ten minutes, but it raises horrifying questions about the Lovecraftian celestial beings that inhabit the heavens over Neverland and encourage the bloodlust of the humans below. But the children in the audience didn't seem to mind.

And perhaps this is ultimately the sign of success for any production of PETER PAN, regardless of how often adults may roll their eyes or debate the merits of a new script. Kids throughout the auditorium began clapping to bring Tinker Bell back to life before Peter could ask twice, and one particularly bold boy sitting behind me booed Hook at every opportunity he could. This new, revamped PETER PAN may not necessarily be for the whole family, and I'm open to the idea that perhaps it shouldn't be. After all, Wendy and others lose their ability to fly as soon as they grow into adulthood. But one wishes that this production had found a way to allow us to share in that childhood wonder for just a little longer.

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