Just like with the recent Pinocchio and Disenchanted – Disney opted to forgo a cinematic release of JM Barrie’s classic tale.
Probably because there’s been so many versions of Peter Pan that have floundered on the big screen before.
And much like the two aforementioned straight-to-streaming efforts, this is a bit of a mixed bag – mainly due to the political correctness tweaking of the iconic 70-year-old animation.
To be fair some of the additions were already in Barrie’s 1911 novel, but there’s no doubt that some of the subtle – and some not quite so – changes feel a bit out of place.
Like the title says, this is definitely as much a Wendy story as Peter Pan, and it’s not without its merits – as Disney gives it a modern day gloss.
In Edwardian London, a disillusioned Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson) is spending the last night at home with her parents before going to boarding school, when the Peter Pan tale her Mum speaks of actually comes to life after Wendy makes a wish.
Then right on cue Peter (Alexander Molony) appears – with his faithful fairy friend Tinkerbell (Yara Shahidi) by his side – to whisk Wendy and her younger brothers, John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe), to Neverland.
This aligns them with (a reinvented) Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatank) and the Lost Boys, and headfirst into a battle with Jude Law’s vengeful Captain Hook, Mr Smee and pirate clan.
But despite a welcomed back story for both Pan and Hook, this ultimately lacks the magical sparkle of the 1953 original – and ends up being little more than passable fare.
My nine-year-old boy, Joshua, enjoyed it enough – so this new iteration is definitely watchable for its target demographic.
But unfortunately, it walks more than it truly flies.
ESP Rating: 2.5/5
Gavin Miller
Disney+ Exclusive, Out Now
Cast: Jude Law, Ever Anderson, Alexander Molony, Alyssa Wapanatank, Yara Shahidi, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe, Jim Gaffigan, Molly Parker & Alan Tudyk
Running Time: 1 Hr 49 Mins
Director: David Lowery
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