Peter Pan and Wendy is a new and exciting retelling of the classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Before watching this movie, I expected to see a very familiar story as I had already seen the Disney cartoon and comic but was pleasantly surprised by what Disney kept and changed.
The movie came out on Disney+, April 28. The story was originally written by J.M. Barrie as a play in 1904 and a book in 1911. The new Disney movie has the same ensemble of characters as in the original 1953 Disney movie but following a different plot.
Mrs. Darling (Molly Parker) is sending her daughter Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson) to boarding school, but she doesn’t want to go. That night, Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi) and Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) show up in the room she shares with her brothers John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jube), confirming the existence of Neverland.
The children decide to go there with Peter and Tinker Bell, and fight against Captain Hook (Jude Law) with Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatâhk) and the Lost Boys, the crew of kids gathered by Peter.
I really enjoyed the setting and creative elements Disney incorporated. The main characters’ room was very cozy, carrying a spirit of childhood adventure.
The CGI was very well done, too, giving a sense of realness to the fantastical characters like the mermaids, the crocodile and Tinker Bell. The character designs were unique and interesting, especially for the Lost Boys.
I also really liked that the movie respectfully incorporated Native representation with Wapanatâhk’s culture being shown onscreen, including having her speak in both English and Cree. I also enjoyed that Hook’s backstory was explored in depth, showing his human side.
There were only a few things that I disliked about the movie. The first was that every time pixie dust appeared, it made a specific twinkling noise, and it could get really loud. Every time anyone with pixie dust on them moved, they would make this sound: “KLINKL-KLINKL-KLINKL.”
Also, the lighting was really dark, which wasn’t a bad thing, just different. It gave the movie a dark, serious tone.
Overall, Peter Pan and Wendy was an exciting movie that stands on its own well and together with other stories about Neverland. If you have never seen a movie or read a book with Peter Pan in it, this movie would be a great first, but if you’re already familiar with him, I still recommend watching this movie.
Peter Pan and Wendy is out now on Disney+. It is rated PG.
