Peter Pan
2003 · Directed by P.J. Hogan
Original language: English
- adventure
- fantasy
- family
The story
In stifling Edwardian London, Wendy Darling mesmerizes her brothers every night with bedtime tales of swordplay, swashbuckling and the fearsome Captain Hook. But the children become the heroes of an even greater story, when Peter Pan flies into their nursery one night and leads them over moonlit rooftops through a galaxy of stars and to the lush jungles of Neverland.
What it’s like
Lush, saturated Neverland greenery sits against soft, hazy Edwardian London interiors, and the film moves between the two with a sense of wonder that never feels sugary. Flying sequences are shot with sweeping camera moves over moonlit rooftops and through a starry sky, while the nursery scenes have warm lamplight and cramped, dusty textures that make the escape feel earned. The score is orchestral and swelling, with bright, playful brass for the pirate sections and tender strings for quieter moments. The pace is brisk and episodic, with a gentle rhythm of play, peril and reconciliation rather than sustained tension. Its emotional register is nostalgic and bittersweet, following a young girl who slowly learns that growing up is a loss as well as a gain. Violence is mild and cartoonish: sword fights, a crocodile chase and pirate skirmishes with no gore, though some scenes of menace and a few frightening moments with Hook will unsettle very young children. It suits a family afternoon, a comfort rewatch on a quiet evening, or anyone who wants a storybook adventure with an old-fashioned sense of longing.
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