Rating: 
Summary: Peter Pan Again?
Review: I took my children to see Peter Pan at the theater and was not excited because I have seen the Peter Pan story in so many variations. The quality of this movie blew me away. It was captivating and a very fresh telling of a timeless story. The casting was excellent and the cinematography was wonderful to view. Watching this movie at home makes you want to buy a HD TV. My family also loved the instrumental soundtrack. This is, in my opinion, the best movie of the year AND I can enjoy it with my children.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and surprisingly funny
Review: I was very impressed with this version of Peter Pan. My Aunt took my cousins to see it in the movie theater (which is probably the best place to see it due to the amazing special effects)and she loved it and they loved it. I rented it from my library and I really enjoyed it, I might even buy it. I am usually very sensitive to what could be inappropriate or scary for young viewers, for some reason this movie did not bother me even though it is very action packed (the happy and exciting scenes made up for some of the scary one's). The movie does get a little slow in the middle, which could loss some young viewers.
The movie's set is very lush and colorful and their are a lot of special effects that make a beautiful fantasy. The acting really pulled the movie together, the actors all had perfect comedic timing, even the young kids were great. It was also a movie you can watch over and over again (be warned parents), I hope it gets more attention now that it is available for purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty disappointing
Review: I was looking forward to seeing this film, as I love the story of Peter Pan, but this version just didn't work for me. First of all, while staying true to Barrie's original story, the first 30 minutes almost appeared to be a remake of Spielberg's "Hook" than a novelization of the story. Even the music sounded similar to John Williams' 1991 score. I found myself immediately disliking the actor who portrayed Pan, and most especially, his horrible grin that he felt the need to show every 30 seconds. I wouldn't say he was a bad actor, but he definitely was guilty of overacting during MANY instances of this film, and he just wasn't a very likeable kid in general. The only actor who I disliked more is Ludivine Sagnier as Tinkerbell. I really wish they would have killed her off in the first few minutes because she became VERY annoying. She is a fairly odd-looking person, which I guess fairies are supposed to be, but if anyone on this film was guilty of overacting it's definitely her. All of her ridiculous facial expressions were just plain annoying rather than cute. I really hated seeing her onscreen, and I didn't buy her love for Pan like I did with Julia Roberts in "Hook." She didn't seem to have any remorse about trying to have Wendy killed, so it was hard to like this character. The film also contains some ridiculous action sequences that came off looking absurd. At one point there's two children riding on the back of a dog, while lying on their backs. In another, a child is flipped through the air and looks like he's doing cartwheels in space or something. In the opening scene, Pan is trying to catch his shadow in Wendy's room, and breaks or knocks over half of the furniture in his attempt. 10 minutes later, and after the room is destroyed, we're shown that Wendy's brothers are in the same room asleep! I don't know if they were on drugs or what but there's no way they could have slept through that. Cinematography on this film is excellent however. The film makes an excellent audio and video transfer to disc. This is one of the most phenomenal visual representations I've seen of a movie on home video and the colors really stand out, especially during the flight to Neverland. The extras are where the DVD falls flat. No audio commentary, which I feel really would have been nice for such a fantastically visually represented film. Instead, there are about 25 very short video featurettes, averaging 1-2 minutes in length. While interesting, they're all just crammed in there, with no real organization. Some featurettes are organized under the "Captain Hook" or "Neverland Forest" section, but then have nothing really to do with these and are basically just a bunch of behind the scenes clips. I think they definitely should have spent some more time with this and organized 5 or 6 decent featurettes in a cohesive manner rather than throw a bunch of small clips on there to make it look like there were more extras. Overall, I wouldn't say this is a bad movie, and most likely it will be enjoyed by a younger audience. However, it failed to catch my attention as an adult, and it seems like this is something that could have been accomplished with a few small changes and different casting decisions. The original DVD release presents a beautiful transfer of the film, but if you really enjoyed this movie, I'd lobby for a better edition than the one they currently have out.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Enchantment and Happy Thoughts
Review: I'm a huge fan of fantasy films, and this one is just right. When I saw the trailer, I thought yet again another remake of Peter Pan with super special effects and screaming kids off to Neverland. But as they say, never judge a movie by its trailer. I was pleasantly surprised with this film! Peter Pan for the first time is played by a child actor of suitable age, Jeremy Sumpter. He pulls off the portrayal excellently. Every smirk, movement of the eyebrow, and teasing laugh captures all the mischievous and adventurous charm that is Peter Pan. You cannot blame Wendy for falling for him. He fulfills just about everything that is in her heart's desire. However, Peter Pan is not just a crafty sprite who plays games and laughs all day. We discover throughout the movie that he's a lot more three dimensional. He does have feelings, he's flawed, he cries and when he fights, he actually gets beat around a good few times. He does not always think happy thoughts when it comes to bad news about Wendy. That's what is very special about this film. It slows down enough to explore the feelings Peter Pan and Wendy have for one another since both of them are on the brink of puberty. This is captured in a tender and sweet Dance of the Fairies. I have never seen such an enchanting moment pictured on film. It's a scene so memorably delicate, it often brings tears to my eyes. It makes you want to go awwwwwwww! It was at this point in the movie I realized the film was going to be more than just a game of Pirates versus Peter Pan and the kids. There's another one of those endearing moments between Wendy and Peter Pan later in the film, but why spoil the fun of it? Might it involve a thimble? I'm a big fan of Jason Isaacs so his version of Capt Hook is by far the best, putting past Hooks to shame. The man is entirely dashing with amazing outfits (not just red). This Capt Hook has taste, culture and cunning. Isaacs is brilliant at striking the right balance of humour and malice in Hook without making him a caricature. He's somewhat chivalrous and still manages to shows respect for his enemy. And he worries. He is constantly reminded of his mortality by the ticking clock in the belly of that menacing crocodile. What a loss to die old, alone and done for. He hates the endless youthful carefree nature of Peter Pan; when he discovers Pan and Wendy's budding relationship, Hook is both fascinated and depressed.
Smee is a delightful comic relief but never a stooge. The banter between him and Hook is humorous yet balanced enough to show that Hook is still in charge and not a man to be crossed. In Spielberg's "Hook" too much time was spent on the comic episodes between Smee and Hook that you sometimes wondered if they were staying focused on the task of finding Peter Pan. The Darling children were absolutely darling without being over the top. Just as Peter Pan is played first time by a boy, we get to see the first girl Wendy. Rachel and Jeremy have great on-screen chemistry which adds to the magic of the film. And the Lost Boys were sepctaular. They were far more realistic than those obnoxiously annoying brats in Spielberg's version. No cheesy lines like Rufiioooo or Bangerang, thank goodness. However, one of my favorite lines in this flim is when Hook rolls his eyes at Wendy wanting to give Pan a gift and bawks, "How like a girl!" Best of all is Tinkerbell. Ludivine Sagnier is perfectly cast. She is such an expressive actress, giving Tinkerbell an adoringly playful and mischievous charm suitable for a fairy jealous of Wendy's affections for Pan. She's much closer to the Disney version of Tinkerbell except slightly less graceful. Julia Roberts made for a boring chatty lovelorn Tinkerbell, waiting for that moment when Peter Pan will show up at her doorstep to give him a real kiss or hoping he'll call. A pretty boring and desparate version of Tinkerbell really. This is a great film that'll be loved by all ages with memorable scenes full of adventure and enchantment enchanced by a brilliant score. Congratualtions, PJ Hogan, you've created a masterpiece. This is definitely one movie to add to your video library.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent stuff!
Review: Now, the only reason I saw this movie in the first place was because my friend wanted to see it. I saw the previews, and was skeptical. I thought it would be really childish. Was I wrong. And, mind, this is coming from a 20 year old. ^_~ The film was excellent, and followed the book better than any of the previous adaptations did (a great majority of quotes can be found, word for word, in the book). Also, unlike previous adaptations, it was actually deep. It showed the similarities between Peter Pan and Hook, that they were both connected by lonliness, and the film just generally dared to explore the much neglected dark side of the tale. I also liked how the relationship between Peter and Wendy was developed and brought to light, and I liked how the ending was not all happiness and fluff--it was bittersweet, and true to life in that way. The acting itself was great! Jeremy Sumpter was the Peter Pan I had always envisioned while reading the book--egotistical, cocky, confident, and yet endearing (and yes, people, he does sometimes have a lisp...but come on! He's playing a 13-year-old. It fits the part)--and Jason Isaacs played the perfect Hook! Menacing, intimidating, yet somehow charming, in a very twisted Hook fashion. The Lost Boys were also great, and all the other actors and actresses did wonderful jobs! As for the special effects...also excellent. The flying scenes were really well pulled off, and the sword-fighting (especially the aerial sword fight!) was memorable and convincing. Neverland itself was just as I imagined, beautiful, ethereal and sometimes eerie. The only complaint I have with the entire film is a scene near the end, the "I do believe in faeries" scene. To me, that scene seemed to last a *little* too long, but in all honesty, it doesn't detract from the film, and the more I watch it, the more I have come to appreciate that scene. All in all, Peter Pan is an excellent and imaginative adaptation of a classic novel and play, and it is one I can easily watch over and over again, and I, personally, don't view it as a child's film, though I can understand how people can easily assume it is.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking.
Review: I've watched this film a 100th time now and I still get teary-eyed over it! This is the kind of film you'd want to watch over and OVER again. Tons of people do, by the way. :P
Rating:
Summary: "There is a boy here who is to teach us to fly!"
Review: I never got a chance to see this when it opened in theaters (my folks wanted to see The Return Of The King instead), so I ordered it on DVD the very day it came out. It was spectacular from beggining to end. This movie seriously kicked @$$! I liked it even better than the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Whoa! I never thought I'd say that)! If you have already seen the Disney version, you probably already know what's going on here. A magical boy known as Peter Pan takes Wendy Darling and her two brothers off to the Neverland, a mystical land inhabited by faries, Indians, the Lost Boys, etc. And of course, that well-known, one handed S.O.B. Captain James Hook, a pirate whose time is nearly up against a really big, ticking crocodile. The sets and scerny are incredible. The Neverland has sort of a "dark" feel to it. The mermaids look like Chinese versions of the creature from the Black Lagoon. The crocodile wasn't nearly as scary as the guys on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) said, though. I always pictured it to be similar to the croc from Lake Placid. It looks a bit cartoony, but the way the CGI is done fits in perfectly with the "dark" surrondings. Which reminds me, when Hook screams for Mr. smee to help him when the croc's after him, he ALMOST sounds exactly like the Disney version of Captian Hook! It's hilarious! The fianl battle between Hook and Pan is priceless! Captain Hook sprinkling himself with pixie dust in an attempt to murder Peter! HA! And ending up in the crocodile's jaws at the end, pure genious! Now if only I can get my brother to watch this.......
Rating:
Summary: True to Barrie's Book, excellent film
Review: I believe that some of the critics of Hogan's new film, Peter Pan, likely never read the original literary work by J.M. Barrie. This film is quite true to the original story, and contains some of the darker bits, which earlier versions had sanitized. This is an exceptional film, with talented actors and beautiful cinematography. I enjoyed the film, my kids loved it both at the Theatre and on DVD. The DVD has a fair amount of extras and
seems like a good value. Buy this DVD, shelf the old cartoon version and enjoy this one over and over.
Rating:
Summary: Decent far from exceptional
Review: My wife was dying to see this movie so I recently purchased it for her. Unfortunetly I had to sit threw an hour and a half of boring story telling. For children, they might enjoy this movie. The littler audience 2-6 probably wouldnt enjoy this film. There wasnt enough interesting moments in the movie. Most kids would probably loose interest in the first five minutes and continue to be bored throughout the first 20 minutes. This film does have some enjoyable comedy. But for peter pan, I would much rather watch hook a couple dozen times. But if you really enjoy the peter pan story you may very well love this move as my wife did. But if you loved hook you will not enjoy this movie because it is not as funny nor as interesting. All I can reccomend is rent it before you buy it.
Rating:
Summary: The Feel Good Fantasy of the Millennium
Review: I can't stop watching this movie! Everything about it is visually stunning and entertaining. The story and acting warm the heart. There is a child in everyone one of us that does not grow up. This movie will bring it out in you. Fabulous! Fabulous! Fabulous! Fabulous! Fabulous! C'mon now mate, be a child again......
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