Can Peter Pan & Wendy Live Up To The Former Stories?

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Disney remakes are here to stay. While they have earned millions at the box office and seen huge stars bring beloved characters back to life, they have also left some wondering why a good thing can’t be left in the past. Do we really need to see these fairytales come back to life? Apparently so.

‘Peter Pan’ is a fantasy story that’s been told time and time again, with plenty looking to put their own spin on each new tale. Now, Disney is back with its brand new take on it all once again. Can ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ live up to former stories? It’s a worry that plenty of people certainly seem to share.

Peter Pan & Wendy is far from another remake

The remake era is in full swing, with plenty of Disney’s latest additions not doing so well. Perhaps that’s part of the reason that the fantasy movie ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ is far from another retelling? Instead, it throws the origin story - like 2015’s ‘Pan’ - or a remake of the animated classic - 1953’s ‘Peter Pan’ - out the window. ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ isn’t even a word-for-word adaptation from JM Barrie’s original story. 2023’s film creates a brand new script and instead focuses on a simple adventure story with some pretty impressive special effects.

Captain Hook steals just about every scene in the movie

Just 20 minutes in, we get our first introduction to the man of the hour: Captain Hook (played by Jude Law). If ever you want to see how to steal every scene, you want to take a look at this performance, as everything immediately gets better as soon as Hook enters the scene. Here, there are no pantomime performances or dark and sinister twists to the character, with the audience quickly learning Hook is bad because he is really just sad. Somehow, it makes him even more lovable, with his scenes with first mate Smee (played by Jim Gaffigan) offering all the comedy we need.

Wendy and her brothers are immediately separated in Neverland

Shortly before seeing Hook in all his glory, we learn where this version of ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ is heading. Wendy (played by Ever Anderson) is about to head to boarding school when Peter Pan (played by Alexander Molony) flies into the Darling’s home and tempts Wendy and her two brothers - Michael and John (played by Jacobi Jupe and Joshua Pickering, respectively) - away to Neverland. We quickly get to meet Tinkerbell (played by Yara Shahidi), but things aren’t as they seem. This time, Neverland is a lot darker, largely thanks to director and writer David Lowery’s input, as Wendy is whisked off to meet the Lost Boys and Tiger Lily (played by Alyssa Wapanatâhk) and her brothers are captured by Captain Hook.

Some fans aren’t happy with some of Peter Pan & Wendy’s changes

The story continues much the way people will probably expect, with some epic sword fights and the famous crocodile making his appearance. However, it’s the changes and things that are missing that upset so many people. For one, we have said goodbye to the stereotypes that came with the Lost Boys in other iterations of the movies, with ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ instead featuring First Nation Actress Alyssa Wapanatâhk and seeing girls in the Lost Boys. In the original tale, Peter Pan would only take boys to Neverland when they fell from their strollers and were left for a week, saying girls were too clever to fall in the first place.

Wendy is given a modern twist, while Peter Pan struggles to keep up

Another thing that really changes from the original to ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ is how important Wendy Darling is in it all. Before, Peter Pan wanted her in Neverland to act as a mother to the Lost Boys. Now? She is merely there for a huge adventure, even telling the others that she’s not sure if she ever wants to become a mother. Her prominent part in it all means scenes between Wendy and Hook are pretty perfect, but the same can’t be said for Pan. While Alexander Molony does his best to bring the boy who never grew up to life, it’s tough to make a character who’s known to be extremely selfish and pout at everything likable, leading plenty to want Hook to win over the titular character.

Peter Pan & Wendy is certainly enough to divide fans

While some are in love with ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ others have had enough of the same stories coming back time and time again. Peter is far from likable in it all, while the changes to the main cast have upset others. Then we have the fact Jude Law seems to be the only redeeming feature. In a way, differing from other tales is what lets this movie down. If you want an easy view, it could be for you, but a serious sit-down family movie this is not.

Can ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ live up to the former stories? For some, yes. For others? It might be the movie to miss this summer.