Review: Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

On the night before she is due to leave home for boarding school, teenager Wendy Darling is in her bedroom with brothers, John and Michael, when the trio are visited by a young boy and a magical fairy. The boy introduces himself as Peter Pan, a character from a children’s storybook, before he and his companion, Tinkerbell, whisk the Darlings away from their home and off to Neverland.

From here, Wendy and Co. are introduced to Peter’s friends, Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys, who show them the wonders that Neverland has to offer. However, they also cross paths with the wicked Captain Hook and his rag-tag bunch of pirates, who have a big vendetta against all children.

As Wendy and her brothers navigate their way through this strange and occasionally treacherous land, they learn more about Peter and his fractious relationship with Captain Hook. Wendy also gets the opportunity to think about her own direction in life, now that she has reached an age where things are about to change.

Directed by David Lowery, and starring Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, and Jude Law, Peter Pan & Wendy is new to stream on Disney+ from today. The live-action movie, based on the novel Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, as well as the classic Walt Disney animated movie, Peter Pan, is the latest entry in Disney’s ‘remake’ series, which looks to rework the Disney back catalogue of classic pictures.

To date, Disney has remade many of its animated features into live-action pictures, including Aladdin, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, and The Jungle Book, amongst others. This summer will also see the debut of a live-action version of The Little Mermaid, but before we get to that, we are first being given this new version of Peter Pan to tide us over.

Did anyone ask for it? No, of course not; but it is here regardless. Disney is intent on remaking all of its classic movies, and it was only a matter of time before Peter Pan got the same treatment.

The good news is, Peter Pan & Wendy is pretty decent, and it is certainly not the life-sucking travesty that last year’s remake of Pinocchio turned out to be. Sure, Peter Pan & Wendy does feel a bit uneventful at times, and seeing the same old story wheeled out once again is less than exciting, but it really does try to offer something new.

To be fair to Disney, if you’re going to remake any animated movie then Peter Pan is certainly the one to opt for. The 1953 version has not aged very well, largely due to some outdated terminology, so it makes sense to spruce things up and bring it in-line with the 21^st Century.

And to be fair again, Disney has certainly done this with Peter Pan & Wendy. The cast are far more diverse (the Lost Boys now include girls too), the character of Tiger Lily works much better, and Captain Hook is a more rounded foe.

All of these things are certainly plus points and the they aren’t the only positives in the film. The movie also has some great casting, with Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson excellent leads as Peter and Wendy respectively, and Jude Law is practically unrecognisable as the dastardly Hook.

So, if you were to run through a checklist of all the things Peter Pan & Wendy does right, then there is certainly enough to warrant its existence. Sure, this movie doesn’t hold a candle to the excellent 2003 version, with Jeremy Sumpter and Jason Isaacs, but it does have plenty going for it.

However, the big sticking point is, that whatever it gets right, you just can’t shake the feeling that it all feels kind of redundant. There are now countless versions of the Peter Pan story in existence, via film and television, so you have to ask the question: Do we really need another?

I’d argue we don’t, and this is why I find it difficult to get entirely on board with this latest offering. I’m getting tired of seeing the same old thing wheeled out with a fresh coat of paint, and this is sadly how I view Peter Pan & Wendy.

But I’m going to park these feelings for the moment, to give the film a fair go. As noted above, Peter Pan & Wendy does do plenty of things right, with director David Lowery bringing it altogether quite nicely, and I don’t want my personal feelings to cloud this.

As with other versions of the Peter Pan story, Peter Pan & Wendy tells a tale about growing up and embracing change. But unlike other versions, this film tells that story in a more effective way.

Whereas most adaptations focus squarely on Peter’s reluctance to grow older, this version switches its gaze more toward Wendy. A key element of this story is about her desire to remain a child, against the backdrop of her impending move to boarding school, and this offers something new to focus on.

Peter Pan & Wendy also fleshes out Captain Hook’s story a bit more, while still maintaining his status as a pantomime villain. This isn’t some new, radically altered version of Hook, it’s just a better one.

Add to all this the usual action, drama, and spectacle you would expect to find in a Peter Pan movie, and this film definitely has enough power to entertain. Peter and Wendy are also very likeable characters, and there is a constant sense of adventure weaved into every frame.  

I believe young audiences will enjoy Peter Pan & Wendy more than adults will, but this largely comes down to younger audiences being less familiar with any previous adaptation. Put simply: If this is the first version of Peter Pan you have ever seen, then it sure will delight.

And I guess this is why this story keeps getting remade. If directors can keep bringing the fun to the characters, and they can keep finding ways to maintain the spirit of the original story, then it has a place on the big and small screen.

Personally, I’m not excited by seeing any more Peter Pan stories, but I’m also not the target audience for this film. This movie is attempting to capture the imaginations of the next generation, and in all honesty, it stands a very good chance of doing this.

While I am getting a bit fed-up of seeing all these constant remakes, and my interest in Peter Pan is pretty low in general, Peter Pan & Wendy is absolutely fine for what it is, and in fairness, better than I expected. Unlike other Disney remakes, which add endless minutes of padding to extend the running time, Peter Pan & Wendy adds material which enhances the story and more than pays for its inclusion.

It’s also worth noting that Disney’s original animated version celebrates its 70^th anniversary this year, and while this is a fine achievement, the film does feel outdated in places, so having a live-action alternative on this occasion isn’t a bad thing. And to have a live-action version that is arguably better than the original is also pretty good too.

Peter Pan & Wendy has enough punch and bravado to entertain Neverland newbies, and older audiences will find it perfectly fine to watch. It didn’t thrill me or convince me that Disney should be spending money on this type of picture, but it didn’t bore me either, and amongst a sea of Disney remakes this is easily an acceptable result all round.

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