Peter Pan (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

P.J. Hogan

Writers (WGA):

J.M. Barrie (play)
P.J. Hogan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Living would be an awfully big adventure.

Plot:

The Darling family children receive a visit from Peter Pan, who takes them to Never Never Land where an ongoing war with the evil Pirate Captain Hook is taking place.

Plot Keywords:

Pirate | Peter Pan | Captain | Boy | Family Relationships

Awards:

3 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Jason Isaacs	...	Mr. Darling / Captain Hook
Jeremy Sumpter	...	Peter Pan
Rachel Hurd-Wood	...	Wendy Darling
Lynn Redgrave	...	Aunt Millicent
Richard Briers	...	Smee
Olivia Williams	...	Mrs. Darling
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Sir Edward Quiller Couch
Harry Newell	...	John Darling
Freddie Popplewell	...	Michael Darling
Ludivine Sagnier	...	Tink
Theodore Chester	...	Slightly
Rupert Simonian	...	Tootles
George MacKay	...	Curly
Harry Eden	...	Nibs
Patrick Gooch	...	Twin

MPAA:

Rated PG for adventure action sequences and peril.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

Australia | USA | UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Switzerland:8 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:L | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Czech Republic:U | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:12 | India:U | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:11 (original rating) | Norway:7 (re-rating on appeal) | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:6 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG (certificate #39544)

Filming Locations:

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

"Nana" was a Newfoundland, a breed particularly good with children, not a St. Bernard as used in the film. J. M. Barrie modeled Nana after his own dog, a Landseer Newf. Newfoundland dogs were very popular in Victorian England and were actually used to supervise children.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the final duel between Hook and Peter in the air, Hook strikes Peter but his hook is on his left hand instead of his usual right.

Quotes:

Slightly: Wendy lady, for you we built this house, with a door knocker.
Tootles: And a chimney.
Slightly: [whispers] 1, 2, 3...
The Lost Boys: Please be our mother!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Happy Birthday, Peter Pan (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Woman's Healing Song

The best Peter Pan to date, unfortunately at the wrong time.

Up front I will say it: this is the best Peter Pan adaptation yet, and in what follows I will tell you why. Despite the film's quality, it failed at the box office, and for good reason. Insight into that shall be revealed as well. Such sage wisdom ye shall not find in other reviews. Read on.

The main thing that sets this adaptation apart from previous attempts is sexual tension. Yes, sexual tension. If you've read other reviews, no doubt it has been mentioned. Many people seem to take offense at said tension. Such people seem to forget what it was like to be in the age bracket of 12 - 14. The makers of this film don't dance around the fact that Wendy has just met the boy of her dreams, and he is ready to whisk her off to fantasy land. Much is made of the fact that they meet in the bedroom and play father and mother to the lost boys. The relationship of these two pre-teens is as complex as any two adults in any other movies. And the young actors handle the relationship with grace and authenticity.

The production itself is beautiful, albeit stylized. The filmmakers do not mask that neverland is a fantasy world, and it stays that from beginning to end. Every frame in this movie is beautiful. There are some moments that are literally breathtaking.

Ultimately what makes this film excellent is that it tells a story. And this story is centered on Wendy, and the boy of her dreams: Peter Pan. Except he cannot be the man of her dreams, and that is truly tragic. Captain Hook is the opposite: a man who cannot be young. A man who is "old, alone, and done-for" according to Pan. We end up exploring Wendy's psyche throughout the film, and it is almost perfectly achieved.

But why did this film fail at the box office? Competetion. Who can possibly defeat Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, two bigger and much more commercial adaptations of fantasy books? This film deserves to be a classic and is one of the best fantasy movies to date. All should see it, young and old. It is rich, beautiful, and exciting.

9/10