Movie review: ‘Pan,’ fantasy retelling of Peter Pan is an uneven, underwhelming mess
"Pan" is a prequel to the original Peter Pan story, telling of how Peter Pan arrived in Neverland.
Parents need to know that “Pan” is an action-fantasy retelling of the “Peter Pan” story, focusing on how the legendary character went from being a London orphan to the “Boy Who Could Fly.” Expect some intense scenes of brawls, sword fights, shootings, and explosions — some of which lead to off-camera/implied deaths — as well as a menacing crocodile. The body count, while notable, may go over the head of young viewers, since at least some of the departed turn into rainbow-colored chalk dust when they’re dispatched. Language includes insults and exclamations like “daft,” “imbeciles,” “bloody hell,” etc., and the romance is limited to a kissing scene shown in silhouette and some longing looks between Hook and Tiger Lily, who’s a strong female character. The movie promotes teamwork and friendship and has a strong message about believing in yourself and your capability for greatness.
WHAT’S THE STORY?
“Pan” is a retelling of the “Peter Pan” story that focuses on Peter’s transformation from a London orphan into the iconic savior of Neverland. Instead of the tale’s traditional Edwardian, turn-of-the-century England setting, the movie takes place a few decades later, during WWII. Stuck in a strict orphanage, 12-year-old Peter (Levi Miller) is among a group of boys kidnapped in the night by a pirate’s crew and taken via flying ship to a far-off land where the pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) forces them to mine for pixum, a magical crystal that serves as an elixir of youth. After Peter flies for the first time, Blackbeard jails both him and an American named Hook (Garrett Hedlund). The pair breaks out and encounters Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) and her tribe, who believe Peter could be Neverland’s savior from Blackbeard’s tyranny. But first, Peter has to believe in himself — a difficult feat when there are pirates out to kill him.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
Despite Jackman’s expert theatricality as Blackbeard and a few thrilling 3D scenes, Joe Wright’s interpretation of how Peter becomes Pan is an uneven mess that may impress kids but not parents. Hedlund does an almost note-for-note impression of John Huston-meets-Harrison Ford (as both Indiana Jones and Han Solo) to play the reimagined Hook, an American miner with a good sense of humor. He’s the cast’s standout, and Jackman also looks like he’s enjoying hamming it up as the Big Bad Blackbeard. So, yes, the acting is fine — but the script and the direction are confusing and off the mark.
At least there aren’t any insensitive depictions of “Indians” in this installment; instead, Wright goes for a pan-ethnic group of indigenous people from around the globe (with Mara presumably playing Tiger Lily as an indigenous Hiberno-Saxon with a posh English accent). Mara is quite luminous, but none of the actors can save “Pan” from the bland characterization and occasionally boring story line. That’s not to say young audiences won’t find it entertaining, but teens and adults will likely leave theaters underwhelmed.
RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 8 and older
Quality: 2 out of 5
Educational value: 2 out 5
Positive messages: 4 out of 5
Positive role models: 3 out of 5
Violence: 3 out of 5
Sex: 1 out of 5
Language: 2 out of 5
Drinking, drugs, and smoking: 0 out of 5
Consumerism: 0 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
MOVIE DETAILS
Theatrical release date: October 9, 2015
Director: Joe Wright
Studio: Warner Bros.
Genre: Fantasy
Run time: 111 minutes
MPAA rating: PG
