Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

Streaming Now on Disney+

Rating: 8.5

Did I see a different movie than everyone else? Because this was GREAT! Disney has two live action remakes coming out within a month of each other… and I think I just saw the better one. Unfortunately… the lazy, soulless CGI infested one will go on to become more successful and more beloved… but whatever. I’ll probably like “The Little Mermaid”… but we have something really special on our hands here with “Peter Pan & Wendy” that is either going unnoticed, or people aren’t connecting with.

Disney finally makes an intelligent, thematic and well-made live-action remake… and not only does it get dumped on Disney+, but the audience didn’t turn up for it. That makes me, a fan of well-made *theatrical* cinema, very very unhappy. I actually really liked this movie! It definitely isn’t your average Disney flick, it’s made by A24’s David Lowery after all, but I really appreciated it for its differences and bold creative choices. I loved Lowery’s “Pete’s Dragon” remake from a few years ago, it’s a bright spark in a sea of unoriginality (I say that while also being a fan of most of the other live-action remakes Disney has done… I’m a hypocrite I know), and was naturally very excited to see what Lowery could bring to the tale of “Peter Pan”! For me at least… he may have delivered one of my favourite adaptations of the source material, one that outshines the problematic Disney classic! It retains the good from that film, and I loved how the score integrated classic themes and songs from the original, while also correcting the more problematic elements and adding in much deeper layers of story, character and theme. I really loved the commentary this film had not only on growing up, but also on the passing of time. And I really loved how Captain Hook’s story was woven in here. I really loved Jude Law’s take on the character and even felt sympathetic to him at some points, despite his eccentric traits. And the rest of the cast was fantastic too. I couldn’t imagine a better Peter Pan, and I loved the three Darling siblings! On top of it all… it’s a real shame this one didn't get a theatrical release. Lowery's sweeping scenery deserves to be highlighted. The cinematography was fantastic and I loved that they shot on real, practical locations than making it all a bland CGI-fest. This felt like an actual movie, not just (as Scorsese would put it) a theme-park ride.

I really love that Lowery is able to make very strong art films (“The Green Knight”, “A Ghost Story”) while at the same time crafting some of the best Disney films out there right now in “Pete’s Dragon” and “Peter Pan & Wendy”. I just wish the audience turned up for these… I love both his Disney films (and his independent ones), so I am truly disappointed to see them not doing as well as they deserve to. Why did this one have to be stuck on Disney+?

Trust me, give this movie a shot. It’s worth it, and has easily become my favourite adaptation of “Peter Pan”. Not only that… but it IS the best Disney live action adaptation IN YEARS!

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Premise: Follow the adventures of Peter Pan, a boy who does not want to grow up, and how he recruits three siblings in London, and together they embark on a magical adventure on the enchanted island of Neverland.

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Disney

Directed by David Lowery

Screenplay by David Lowery & Toby Halbrooks

Based on the book by J.M. Barrie

Cast: Jude Law, Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe, Yara Shahidi, Jim Gaffigan

Runtime: 1hr 46min

Rating: PG

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

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IMDb Rating: 4.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62%

RT Audience Score: 11%

RT Critic Average: 6.1/10

RT Audience Average: 1.2/5

Metacritic Score: 61

Letterboxd: 2.5/5

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Fun Fact: Jude Law gave ice cream to all of the children who starred in the film on the final day of shooting as an apology for scaring many of them while portraying Captain Hook in costume.

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