There is something about these new Disney live action adaptations that leave me scratching my head every time I finish watching them. Aladdin and The Lion King were not great and Pinocchio was just terrible. I went into this movie with higher hopes because the 1953 animated Peter Pan is a childhood staple and one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. There have been a few other adaptations of the Neverland story such as Hook and Pan. However this new story they created was a snooze fest from start to finish.
In this version of Peter Pan, it starts off pretty much the same. Peter Pan visits Wendy, John and Michael in their house trying to find his shadow. As soon as Peter Pan had 2 minutes of screen time, I knew I was in for a doozy for an hour and half. The twist they added to this movie was that Captain Hook wasn’t made out to be this terrible pirate and that yes, he and Peter Pan had a rivalry but it wasn’t like the ones we have seen in past adaptations. I personally didn’t care for this version. I think it could have worked but it was just not executed well at all.
I’m not sure if it was the script and screenplay or if it was just the actors, but the acting in this movie was atrocious. Some dialogue felt forced and tried to be funny and other times it was just boring. There were some instances where they were trying way too hard to act and it was noticeable. One of the memorable characters in the original was Captain Hook’s first mate, Smee. He was funny and enjoyable. However, Jim Gaffigan, who played Mr. Smee in this movie was just lifeless and not good.
It is such a shame that sometimes directors ruin characters from remakes. I would have to say that the only good acting that was done in this movie was Jude Law as Captain Hook. Even though it wasn’t his greatest performance, he saved this movie from getting a lower score than I actually gave it.
Like I stated before, I am in no way a fan of Disney remaking all these childhood classics into live action. With the upcoming films such as The Little Mermaid, Snow White and Lilo and Stitch, I am going to be going into these movies with very little expectations. Hopefully they start realizing their mistakes and take more advice from their audience and start releasing finished products instead of making it a money grab and trying to release something every few months.
Final Thoughts
Peter Pan and Wendy was clearly not a blockbuster hit. In fact, it’s a boring excuse for a remake of one of my favorite childhood movies. I watched this movie so you all won’t have to. If you want to get your kids into Disney movies, I recommend watching this movie, and then go watch the original to show them what actual cinema is.
