Let's get this out of the way... I have no problem with a movie having a fresh take on a character or story. As long as it honors the spirit of the original source material, I'm all for it. But when a movie gets to the point where the story not only loses sight of the main message of the original source but also strips the characters of their personalities it's hard to recommend it for someone going in there expecting a faithful adoption. Hence, Peter Pan and Wendy... the newest live action adaption from Walt Disney Pictures.
Let's start with some positives though! Some of the action scenes were done pretty well, and the portrayal of Captain Hook was very good. I also thought the actress who played Tiger Lily did an extremely good job as well and I personally really like the fact that they used a real Native American actress to play as her this time. There are a few times during the movie where I was surprised that they did use some of the more obscure material from the books but it doesn't happen that often. Also, the cinematography is very well done, and it gives it an epic feel.
But then we get into the story and the characters... Which is my main issue with this film.
All the characters are surprisingly very mean spirited to each other. It gets to the point where there's really nobody to root for by the end of the movie. All of the classic personality traits of each of the characters are pretty much gone because of this. It feels less like a fun filled family adventure and more like an A24 movie. It doesn't fit, and it just comes off as empty and depressing. The locations are very drab and boring and looks nothing like what Neverland is supposed to be (vibrant, colorful, almost like Pandora from Avatar). Also, the editing transitions between certain scenes seem very cheap and something you would see from a TV movie from the early 2000s.
In the end this movie is a weird and slightly depressing interpretation of a classic story. There are a few scenes that are fun to watch and some of the actors do a very good job (especially Captain Hook and Tiger Lily) but overall it's not something I would recommend if you were looking for a super faithful adaptation.
Let's start with some positives though! Some of the action scenes were done pretty well, and the portrayal of Captain Hook was very good. I also thought the actress who played Tiger Lily did an extremely good job as well and I personally really like the fact that they used a real Native American actress to play as her this time. There are a few times during the movie where I was surprised that they did use some of the more obscure material from the books but it doesn't happen that often. Also, the cinematography is very well done, and it gives it an epic feel.
But then we get into the story and the characters... Which is my main issue with this film.
All the characters are surprisingly very mean spirited to each other. It gets to the point where there's really nobody to root for by the end of the movie. All of the classic personality traits of each of the characters are pretty much gone because of this. It feels less like a fun filled family adventure and more like an A24 movie. It doesn't fit, and it just comes off as empty and depressing. The locations are very drab and boring and looks nothing like what Neverland is supposed to be (vibrant, colorful, almost like Pandora from Avatar). Also, the editing transitions between certain scenes seem very cheap and something you would see from a TV movie from the early 2000s.
In the end this movie is a weird and slightly depressing interpretation of a classic story. There are a few scenes that are fun to watch and some of the actors do a very good job (especially Captain Hook and Tiger Lily) but overall it's not something I would recommend if you were looking for a super faithful adaptation.