If you were to ask me, you can always turn to the 1953 animated and 2003 live action adaptations of Peter Pan if you want to watch the adventures of the famed boy who never grew up. Both are perfect in their own ways in adapting the J.M. Barrie play, with the former capturing the child-like whimsy and sense of adventure only Neverland can offer, and the latter deftly touching the topic of what it means to grow up for a boy who never intends to become a man.
But it’s always interesting to hear about new adaptations and it’s especially exciting if you find out about the stellar cast that they have assembled for their version.
Instead of once again introducing us to Wendy Darling and her siblings, Pan tackles how Peter Pan (Levi Miller) came to be. As an infant, Peter is left at an orphanage by his mother (Amanda Seyfried) with a letter and a pan flute pendant. On the same night Peter and his friend Nibs find food hoarded by nuns at their orphanage and the letter left behind by his mother, they are kidnapped from their beds by pirates and taken from the orphanage on board a flying ship. Nibs manages to escape, but Peter ends up in Neverland, where he joins a massive work force tasked to mine fairy dust for the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). All too soon, he manages to raise the ire of Blackbeard’s men and he is forced to walk the plank. But instead of falling, Peter ends up flying much to his surprise and to Blackbeard’s fear as he witnesses the unfolding of a prophecy that points to his eventual death at the hands of the boy who could fly. With the help of fellow miners James Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and Sam “Smee” Smiegel (Adeel Akhtar), they escape only to fall into the hands of Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) and her tribe.
When a beloved story has been adapated time and again, film outfits tend to revisit them in the form of reboots or re-imaginings. In the case of Pan, it’s in the form of re-imagining in the form of an origins story. Viewers get to witness how Peter ended up in Neverland, how he learned how to fly and how he would eventually lead the Lost Boys. They tackle Peter’s connection to the fairies, how Tiger Lily’s clan is connected to them, and what Pan really means in their world. Hook isn’t a pirate yet, Tiger Lily is obviously an adult and not the same age as Peter, all the mermaids look like Cara Delevigne, and, for some reason, Blackbeard has a penchant for relatively modern rock songs that sure weren’t around during the second World War.
Up front, I will tell you that Pan is an enjoyable film… if you don’t take it seriously or have a lot of expectations from it. It’s an ambitious attempt at creating a clever origins story for Peter. The characters are meant to be larger than life, the sets and costumes meant to evoke a world ripe with constant adventure, and they attempt at providing answers for some of the mythology that are part of the wonder of Peter Pan’s adventures. You will appreciate the effort that they put in. But liking it might be another matter.
The individual components of the film makes sense, but when put altogether, it all doesn’t quite fit together. There are details that would obviously contradict the storyline once Wendy Darling enters the picture in the future, primary to this is Tiger Lily’s age, who became a love interest for Hook. It was interesting when they established a more amicable relationship for Hook and Peter, which should have led viewers to ultimately be interested in what caused them to be enemies. But the chemistry between Levi Miller and Garrett Hedlund never quite jelled, and their relationship felt like one of convenience instead of actual affection. When the defining moment of their friendship finally showcased itself on screen, it didn’t strike a chord and felt half-baked.
Pan is an attempt to tell viewers the story of what makes Peter Pan special, shedding light to why he can fly and where he came from before he invited Wendy Darling on an adventure. In the end, though, it might have been better that it all remain a mystery.
Just okay viewing with this one.
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