Review | ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’: Disney needs to stop trying to reinvent its own magic

David Lowery directs the latest Disney remake of a classic with "Peter Pan and Wendy" starring Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, a young boy who lives in Neverland and never wants to grow up. Photo collage by DANIEL PEARSON, staff photographer

Although faith, trust and a little pixie dust is enough to make Tinkerbell fly, it falls short at making David Lowery’s new “Peter Pan & Wendy” film the perfect success. 

The fantasy film was released to Disney+ on April 28 and stars Peter Pan (Alexander Molony), who lives in Neverland with arch-nemesis Captain Hook (Jude Law). Peter visits Wendy Darling (Ever Gabo Anderson), at her home in London and brings her and her younger brothers to Neverland for the adventure of a lifetime. 

Once in Neverland, the Darlings meet the Lost Boys, a group of young boys and girls who follow Peter around and live without adult supervision. They all live under Peter’s rule of thumb: stay young forever and never grow up. 

Throughout the movie, the audience watches a more mature take on the classic 1953 Disney film as Peter faces several near-death experiences at the hand of Captain Hook. Wendy develops her own sense of self-confidence, instilling some in Peter as the film toys with themes of adulthood and what it truly means to be a kid.

Additionally, “Peter Pan & Wendy” explores new plot lines between Peter Pan and Captain Hook as well as between Wendy and Tinkerbell (Yara Shahidi), both of which emphasize friendship and empowerment in ways Peter Pan movies have not done so before.

Rather than the typical feud between Peter and Captain Hook, where throughout the previous movie they seem to be enemies for no apparent reason, constantly wishing for the other’s demise, this film explores a new take on their relationship and how they were connected as kids.

A myriad of Peter Pan movies have been produced throughout the years, with only a few coming out a success.

The first film released, “Peter Pan,” is a silent version, produced by Paramount Pictures in 1924 and beautifully captures the essence of the original story told by the Scottish novelist J. M. Barrie. Then in 1953, Disney created their own animated version of the tale, also titled “Peter Pan." 

These films were followed by Broadway shows, Steven Spielberg’s 2004 Captain Hook-centric film “Hook,” a film about Barrie’s inception of Peter Pan titled “Finding Neverland” and many other spin-offs and remakes.  

Almost 100 years later with new retellings of the story still being made, this rendering of the original proves there are still new plot avenues to explore. 

As someone whose favorite movie growing up was the live-action 2003 remake of “Peter Pan” starring Jeremy Sumpter and whose favorite Disneyland ride is Peter Pan’s Flight, I had soaring expectations as I sat down to watch Lowery’s charming adaptation.

Molony rose to the occasion in his film debut as Peter Pan, with his childish charisma and innocent charm bringing life to the role. His co-star Anderson also dazzled me as Wendy, convincing me that she really did believe in the magic that surrounded her.

But Law, who is best known for his roles in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “The Holiday,” stole the show as Captain Hook. Upon his first appearance on the screen, I did a double-take and truly wouldn’t have even known it was him if I hadn’t skimmed the cast list beforehand. Hook has long, stringy hair, two different colored eyes and scars covering his face, making Law almost unrecognizable. Law has a fun time with the role, making Captain Hook his own with twisted facial expressions and a threatening voice.

Unfortunately, the acting was not enough to make the film even comparable to my beloved 2003 rendition. With cringey computer-generated imagery of the characters flying and dull cinematography of what is supposed to be a beautiful island, the film is nothing but a lesser version of the original.

“Peter Pan and Wendy” has received only 18% on Rotten Tomatoes from the audience so far, accompanied by a below-average rating of 4.4/10 on IMDb, and a 2.7/5 average on the movie reviewing app Letterboxd, with more than just a handful of harsh reviews, berating the movie for being “unnecessary” and “bland.”

“They took the color out of one of the most colorful children’s stories there is,” one reviewer wrote. “A dry looking color filter, almost reminiscent of the old 2-strip color technique. Interesting choice, but not a good one. They did the same with the actual feel of the story, trying a more mature mood, and both decisions directly affected my enjoyment of this film.” 

This isn’t the first time Disney has decided to imitate and reimagine one of their most popular movies. With recent adaptations such as the 2022 “Pinocchio,” which received a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes and the 2016 “Pete’s Dragon,” also directed by Lowery, receiving a 72%, it’s clear fans have mixed emotions about these money-grab remakes.

Without the nostalgia I have attached to Peter Pan as a character, I probably would not have enjoyed this movie. But the sweet memories of being a kid and making my best friend rewind the scene of Wendy and Peter kissing on Hook’s ship made me smile whilst watching this shaky version.

“Peter Pan & Wendy” is only an enjoyable watch if you go in with low expectations and a sprinkle of a little, or a whole bucket full of pixie dust.