It’s been 70 years since Disney turned J.M Barrie’s novel into an animated classic with 1953’s Peter Pan. While there have been many attempts to interpret new versions of the classic tale, none have come close to the success and critical acclaim of the animated Disney feature. The character of Tinkerbell became a mainstay in pop. culture and almost as famous as Mickey Mouse as their semi-sometimes mascot. The Peter Pan ride at The Walt Disney theme parks is still extremely popular, even to this day. So when Disney announced that it was time for Peter Pan to get the live-action adaptation amongst most of its library, you could not help but feel a little sceptical about the expectations for this project.
Peter Pan & Wendy stars Alexander Molony, Ever Gabo Anderson, Yara Shahidi and Jude Law in an action-packed family adventure that feels like Disney’s version of The Goonies and films from that era. While there may not be much here for Disney adults, kids and families (the intended audience) will have a great time with this film that is coming straight to Disney + (available at the time of this article going live).
It is a stock standard re-telling of the classic tale with a few modern twists to keep kids engaged, most notably the removal of the musical element, while these have been integrated into the score to fulfil that nostalgic itch, the film definitely benefits from not having to be weighed down with this legacy.
Visually the film offers some beautiful locations and the design of Captain Hook’s ship is particularly impressive. It’s a shame the same can’t be said about Tick-Tock the now CGI-ed monster doesn’t feel anywhere near as menacing or amusing as the original film.
Peter Pan & Wendy will be a hit for kids and tweens looking for a live-action version of this film that offers a lot of fun and antics that will keep them entertained. If you are a Disney Adult, this will probably not be for you and while it’s not Pinocchio bad, it’s not Cruella good either.
Peter Pay & Wendy is streaming now on Disney +
