Who is Peter Pan? Why is it that he can fly? Was he born in Neverland? Who were his parents? All your questions will be answered—but you will not necessarily like them—in Pan, the reimagined origin story of J.M. Barrie’s beloved character.
Director Joe Wright (Atonement) and screenwriter Jason Fuchs’ Peter Pan backstory has all the familiar elements seen plenty of times in other mainstream origin stories, but this one takes us from World War II London to the bleak Neverland controlled by a narcissistic slave driver/concert king, Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman), whose mandatory singing of cover songs in a military fashion makes everyone uncomfortable—even Jackman himself.
There is an attempt to put a unique twist to Neverland and to Barrie’s classic characters, such as transforming Hook into an all-American Indiana Jones (Garrett Hedlund), assigning a white Rooney Mara to the role of Tiger Lilly (with a not-so-subtle flirtation between the two that would make even the most romantic person wince), but the effect is the opposite: instead of delight, you will ask Why?
Pan is forced, the humor feeble, and the characters are superficial; strange on the outside and underdeveloped on the inside. Only newcomer Levi Miller (Peter Pan) strikes it good, his beautifully expressive face and natural talent demands industry attention, the only bright star in this grim tale.
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| Garrett Hedlund as James Hook. |
The movie is a visual extravagance: full CGI bombardment, elaborate costumes, memorable headdresses, outer space, nature, glitter, all pomp and bright, colorful explosions—but not even the visuals can save the movie. There is also a misplaced and disturbing violence here (parental guidance!), and more Cara Delevigne than you can tolerate.
When Tinkerbell arrives, you feel a surge of hope…but before you can get a chance to get to know her, she abruptly disappears into a crowd of her pinlight kind psyched for a war only important to them. The child in me cried.
Pan feels like you were handed a colorful candy with no flavor, or being in a confetti-filled celebration with no festive air, or given passes to a spectacular-looking carnival devoid of thrilling rides.
Rated PG by the MTRCB, Pan opens across the Philippines on October 8, 2015
When Tinkerbell arrives, you feel a surge of hope…but before you can get a chance to get to know her, she abruptly disappears into a crowd of her pinlight kind psyched for a war only important to them. The child in me cried.
Pan feels like you were handed a colorful candy with no flavor, or being in a confetti-filled celebration with no festive air, or given passes to a spectacular-looking carnival devoid of thrilling rides.
Rated PG by the MTRCB, Pan opens across the Philippines on October 8, 2015
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