So last night I saw a screening of PJ Hogan's new live action version of PETER PAN. I had been skeptical. The trailers were kind of a bore. The film ended up being highly entertaining though. Most of the design is reminsicent of disney's peter pan, but much darker. The sets and costumes are fantastic... the production design will just make your jaw drop. Some scenes are just so vivid and alive you won't believe your eyes.

The movie has some very funny moments and a few touching ones. Jason Issacs is terrific as the scenery chewing Captain Hook. He breathes an evil life into the character that really makes him come to life. The Darling children are quite fine actors as well and do a decent job in their roles. Peter comes off a bit too ... uh... girly in some spots and Tinkerbell is extremely annoying (so it really undermines the emotional moments with her, because she's so obnoxious).

If you were a fan of the book or a fan of the Disney film, you will not be disappointed. There is enough here to feast your eyes on and warm your heart. I was skeptical, but in the end, I was happily entertained.

3 1/2 out of 5

MATT

I'll be there tomorrow.

Tinkerbell.

I'm seeing this one, too!

I'll be suprised if it beats Hook, in my opinion.

Beats it in what way, box-office or being a better movie? If it's the latter, how could it not? "Hook" SUCKED! (IMO)

Looks pretty good. I'll probably take my little sister to see it sometime this weekend.

Just came back from it. Wasn't very impressive. The production design and all that was pretty great, but it just didn't work for me. Maybe it was the mood I was in, but I just didn't enjoy it too much. The only thing that I enjoyed really was the smart ass comments my friends were making, (couldn't stop them).

And the actor who played Peter Pan, looked like a fairy himself, IMO.

I loved this movie and so did my five-year-old daughter. The design of the movie was gorgeous, Issacs simply owned as Captain Hook (nice turn as the kids' uptight father too) and just about everything was perfect for me. I actually want to see this again and might have to catch it again before it leaves the theaters. It might make me sound like a bit of a wuss, and I was suffering from a major cold the day I saw it so that might explain, but I actually got teary eyed toward the end when....I guess I better spoiler proof this....[spoiler]the Lost Boys get parents of their own.[/spoiler.] I must be getting to be a sentimental old sap or something.

But seriously, for me everything from the scenes of them flying, to the sword fights, right on down to the huge CGI crocodile worked perfectly for me. My only gripe had nothing to do with the movie itself, but the family who somehow decided to bring their 2-year-old along to see it. When the kid started bawling 30 minutes from the end of the film, they didn't do the sensible thing and get up and take the kid out of the theater, but instead passed him back and forth, back and forth and loudy shusshed him.

I mean c'mon people, just because a movie is a family movie doesn't mean that you can bring your babies in and be inconsiderate of others trying to enjoy the experience. My three-year-old cried at Finding Nemo although she had previously seen other movies and made it through all right. And when she started crying, it was time for me to miss the movie as I paced outside the theater with her so that my daughter and my wife could finish the film in peace along with everyone else watching the movie.

A similar thing happened to me. I took my eleven year old niece and her 8 year old cousin to this yesterday. It was the first show (10:35) and there were only about 20 people in the theatre. There was a woman with two very small children there. I'm guessing the youngest (a boy) was about 15 months. And the other (a girl) 3 years old. About 3/4 into the movie, the boy got bored I guess and started running back and forth in the aisle they were sitting in. Now, that wouldn't have been a problem had the kid been wearing sneakers. But he wasn't. I swear it sounded like the kid had on tap shoes. It was SO loud and annoying. My looking over my shoulder with the "Do you mind!??" face didn't do squat. I guess mom felt the money she dropped on going to see this gave her license to let her kids run wild in the theatre and dissrupting everyone else. I truly hate going to the theatre anymore.

But getting back to the subject at hand. Nice movie. The production design was beautiful. And is Oscar worthy. Although I'm sure "LOTR:ROTK" will probably win. I only have two small gripes with the film. The boy who played Peter Pan was a little dull. And it is strange how he was the only actor in the film who wasn't British. Also, although the actress who played Tinkerbell was quite pretty, it was "different" seeing her play it that way. all those goofy faces. The 8 year old I took leaned over and asked my niece "Is Tinkerbell retarded?". I had to laugh. Un-PC, I know.

I saw it and it was goregous to behold! A damn near perfect adaption of the book...and this is coming from a fan of Pan for his entire life! It exceeded my very high expectations!

interesting

first of all .. i loved this movie and I wonder what is wrong with all those reviews saying that it is close to kiddie pron ... I found it very entertaining ... refreshingly un-PC violent (for a kids movie ... a disney movie would never have a teddy bear behaeded or pirates just shot to shut up) .. and i am laughing at other's "there were those annoying kids" remarks .. because i had the vey same ... one family had a 2 - 3 year old ... and this kid must have over time somehow been motivated to addapt to the sound level of whatever movie ... as the action kicked in and the movie got loud, this kid started to scream and yell .. and it was not a toodler mind you ...

I can imagine parents who find this behaviour cute and are happy that their kid is so active and involved ... but do they know they are surely messing with other people's cinema experience ???

well .. this is what one gets for going to the morning 10:10 show

I think the reason why some people disliked the new version of Peter Pan is the fact the movie is very faithful to the original J. M. Barrie novel that came out at the end of the 19th Century. If you're a fan of the original novel then the movie makes a lot of sense; people whose expectations are based on the Disney animated feature and the famous Broadway production are going to be disappointed.

I dont know...the movies got some pretty good legs...doin pretty well...I know people are enjoying it...check the IMDB rating...

I'm about to go see this. Any other comments on how people liked it?

I know I raved about this elsewhere in this forum, but I loved this movie, it really really surprised me.

Yeah- I'm a sucker for Peter Pan; I just need to make time to go see it.

Out of curiosity, what are the big differences between Barrie's novel and play, and between the Broadway adaptation of his works?

It's been a few years since I saw the Broadway version, but this movie seemed very similar. I thought the B-way version was based on the play.

The only thing I noticed is at the end the narrator says she never saw Peter, again. I thought I remembered Peter kept coming back, year after year, in the B-way version. First time she had kids, then she got older and older. (Or am I confusing it with Hook?)

The book is much more serious in tone and darker...basically...

I saw it yesterday. It was fun. I liked it.

shaun3000:

Yes, they left out Peter coming back as Wendy got older; they only alluded to it in the conversation between the flying Hook and Peter: "when you see her she will have a HUSBAND!"


And I'll agree with QuiGonJosh - the book is darker and more about the fact that children are... well that's the last line of the book, and too excellent to spoil.

Just saw this with my wife on DVD and I was very impressed. Gorgeous Cinematography and Effects, great dialog, great acting, and the relationships between the characters made emotional sense.

I also understand how it didn't recoup the costs to make it (48M Domestic 122M Worldwide with a 125M production/marketing budget). The movie was filled with very adult themes and relationships (which I enjoyed) but the only reason I watched it was to see if it was OK for my 4yo to watch (which I don't think it is). In short, a wonderful film for grownups, but not a film most grownups would see.

5 of 5 stars

I rented it awhile back, and also thought it was a great movie. I'd easliy put it in the "family" movie category. I'll certainly be picking it up one day. (just sad my fianceé isn't the "family movie" type