The live action remakes of Disney animated classics continues with Peter Pan & Wendy, which lands on Disney+ from today. So, was another adventure in Neverland worth it? Well, according to several reviews, yes it absolutely was.
We begin with Robbie Collin of The Telegraph, who adored director David Lowery’s take on the J. M. Barrie tale about a boy who wouldn’t grow up. Awarding Peter Pan & Wendy a perfect 5/5, Collin calls the movie “the most beautiful, moving children’s film of the year.”
“For all its updates and adjustments, Peter Pan & Wendy doesn’t feel remotely modern, and I mean that as a compliment. Lowery’s approach has a timelessness to it that fits the story perfectly – and at points it reminded me of Return to Oz, the animated fantasies of Studio Ghibli, and even Terrence Malick’s The New World.”
The praise continues courtesy of Collider’s Ross Bonaime, again applauding director David Lowery for demonstrating how Disney should be approaching these live action remakes.
“With both Pete’s Dragon and Peter Pan & Wendy, Lowery has shown the correct way to tell a time-honored story once more. Jon Favreau might have found the way to make these films profitable, but Lowery has shown exactly how Disney should be handling these projects.”
IGN’s Megha Murty meanwhile gives Peter Pan & Wendy a near-perfect 9/10 and calling the movie an “emotional rollercoaster” and “definitely a must-watch.”
“Peter Pan & Wendy is a beautiful take on the classic children’s story, retold for all of us who chose to grow up and continue to struggle with our decision.”
Deadline’s Pete Hammond found much to enjoy, particularly from Jude Law’s Captain Hook and Ever Anderson’s Wendy Darling.
“Kids will eat it all up, as they have been doing for well over a century, and Lowery’s not necessarily necessary retelling does nothing to harm the impact of a story that itself is forever young. Producer is Jim Whittaker.”
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Peter Pan & Wendy Takes Flight on Disney+ Today
Disney+
Unfortunately, things get a little more middling from here. Empire’s Ben Travis awards Peter Pan & Wendy a 3/5 and says…
“David Lowery’s second Disney reimagining is artfully constructed and full of interesting ideas. But for a film about the energy and imagination of youth, it often feels trapped in its own head.”
Another 3/5 comes courtesy of Total Film’s James Mottram, who concludes that the latest live action remake is “comfy and occasionally inspired.”
“And once in a while Lowery pulls something beautiful out of the bag, like a genuinely touching third-act montage. It doesn’t quite have the required depth for adults, but for kids, this Peter Pan flies.”
Taking the opposite position is THR’s Lovia Gyarkye, who felt that Peter Pan & Wendy “speaks more to the inner child of jaded adults than it does to actual kids” and questioned the central focus of the narrative.
“And as the film moves toward its dutiful finish, you may find yourself wondering why Lowery didn’t make a movie about Peter Pan and Hook instead of Peter Pan and Wendy.”
Finally, Variety’s Peter Debruge enjoyed some of the set pieces, especially a moment teased in the trailers involving Hook’s ship but felt the rest of the movie never lived up to these moments of promise.
“But the narrative never rises to the same level. In Disney’s haste to adapt more of its precious IP, the studio has sublimated another classic into mere “content,” to be swept downstream and forgotten.”
Directed by David Lowery (The Green Knight, Pete’s Dragon), Peter Pan & Wendy is a live-action reimagining of the J.M. Barrie novel and the 1953 animated classic, and introduces Wendy Darling, a young girl looking to avoid boarding school who meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Traveling with Peter to the magical world of Neverland, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure.
Starring Jude Law, Yara Shahidi, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe, Molly Parker, Alan Tudyk and Jim Gaffigan, Peter Pan & Wendy is available to stream on Disney+ from today.
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