Peter Pan & Wendy 4K 2023 2160p WEB-DL

A feature film adaptation of the Disney cartoon.

At one time such masters as Joe Wright, Ben Zeitlin, and even Steven Spielberg took on the adaptation of Peter Pan. Alas, each picture had its own rather obvious problems. Wright's "Pan: Voyage to Netland" was on the list of top box office flops of 2015, and Rooney Mara is still making excuses for casting the Indian princess Tiger Lily. Let's trust that David Lowry's ("The Legend of the Green Knight," "Ghost Story") upcoming film will turn out to be a head above all previous versions.

Peter Pan & Wendy 4K Review
There's controversy whenever Disney elects to create a live-action version of one of their animated films. The company isn't exactly interested in creativity with these offerings, with most emerging as impressive technical achievements content to rehash the same story for a young audience (think "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King"). And then there was 2016's "Pete's Dragon," with co-writer/director David Lowery endeavoring to do something different than the original 1977 musical, finding freshness and big heart in his remake opportunity, emerging with the best of the Disney do-overs. Lowery returns with a true career challenge, dealing with the oft-told tale of J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan." There's been enough media devoted to Neverland happenings over the last century, putting the helmer in a difficult position of invention. "Peter Pan and Wendy" doesn't stray far enough from the basics of Barrie's world and Disney's 1953 animated offering, but it finds ways to restore a little magic to the tale, and it's newly focused on the emotional health of the characters, which keeps it interesting.

Wendy (Ever Anderson) is facing a change in her life, preparing to attend boarding school. She's frustrated with the situation, facing the pressures of responsibility and growing up, trying to remain playful with her younger brothers, John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe). Entering their room at night is Peter Pan (Alexander Molony), joined by Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi), and he's searching for his shadow, encountering children in need of adventure. Taking the siblings to Neverland, Peter is immediately targeted for revenge by Captain Hook (Jude Law), who's looking to destroy the leader of the Lost Boys. Separated from the pack, Wendy tries to process her new surroundings, encountering the chaos of the youngsters, the heroism of Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatahk), and the dangers of pirates, who've taken her brothers hostage, leaving her to deal with Peter's history of heartache and his connection to Captain Hook.

"Peter Pan and Wendy" remains in line with the basics in story, focusing on Wendy and her fear of maturity, told she's too old to have fun when play with Michael and John leads to a small bit of household destruction. She's about to attend boarding school, fearful of such change implemented by her mother (Molly Parker) and father (Alan Tudyk), left with sadness, which coincides with the introduction of Peter and Tinker Bell, who arrive to play and spread pixie dust, looking to take the siblings on an adventure in a fantasy land. "Peter Pan and Wendy" is familiar, but Lowery plays with the specifics, pressing down on the girl's uncertainty when confronted with her future, and he adds a bit of cosmic power to the journey, using strange visuals to detail the flight to Neverland, which still requires happy thoughts, finding Wendy struggling to locate some.

The gang arrives in Neverland, quickly spotted by Captain Hook, who's joined on a ship by his pirate crew (who offer a few sea shanties during the run time), including Smee (Jim Gaffigan). "Peter Pan and Wendy" revives the battle between the crusty Captain and his boyish nemesis, and time is spent with the Lost Boys, who offer a welcomingly diverse collection of faces and personalities, but aren't the focus of the screenplay by Lowery and Toby Halbrooks. The writing eschews the magic and mischief of Neverland to highlight history shared between Captain Hook and Peter Pan, which plays into themes of maturation and the loss of innocence. Wendy is also an important piece of the puzzle, connecting to the bravery of Tiger Lilly and respecting Tinker Bell (who's only heard by Peter), but she also deals with the depths of her feelings, suddenly thrust into mothering mode, which taps into an understanding that changes everything for the characters.

There's some action in "Peter Pan and Wendy," with Lowery staging swordfights and chases, also organizing a crocodile rampage at Skull Rock. However, this is a softer understanding of the story, with the writing working on a more psychological level, striving to connect to emotionally wounded people gradually achieving some clarity after losing themselves to the routine of conflict. It's a slightly different approach to the "Peter Pan" experience, which helps to give Lowery's movie its own personality and dramatic goals. There are wonderful ideas and visuals in "Peter Pan and Wendy," but it's hard to shake the sameness of the story, and Molony isn't a stirring Peter, easily passed by Law's more interior take on Captain Hook and the brightness of spirit in Anderson's performance. Lowery doesn't aim for a full reinvention, instead working on pieces of the tale, trying to humanize certain elements, which is appreciable, helping the feature inch away from so many previous takes on "Peter Pan," finding his way to a compelling balance of tradition and introspection.