I wasn't too sure about this movie when I first started seeing previews for it but I actually ended up enjoying it for the most part. It's a very strange movie. Honestly, it's probably better to come into the film with no preconceived expectations but it's a little hard to do that since it's a prequel to Peter Pan. The problem is that this film really doesn't fit together too well with its eventual sequel story and the film itself has quite a few plot holes, and we're not talking about nit-picky plot holes but the humongous kind that leave you scratching your head during the film. Despite these plot holes, the film is still enjoyable and it's directed beautifully by Joe Wright. Let's talk about the story first.
Peter (Levi Miller) is a young orphan that's trying to get by in a dingy orphanage during the London bombing raids of World War II. Peter believes that his mother is coming back to find him and he's determined to wait for her. He and a friend of his notice that more and more children are starting to disappear each night and become a bit suspicious. Unfortunately, Peter finds out exactly what's going on when pirates in a flying pirate ship (don't think about it too hard) capture the children to use as slave labor in a place called Neverland. It turns out the orphans are being used by the pirate leader Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) to cultivate a material made from fairies. Peter eventually escapes Blackbeard with the help of a man named Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and decides to look for a group of natives opposed to the pirates and ends up finding out that his destiny is inextricably linked to that of Neverland's.
The characters in this film are pretty likable and come off as cartoony yet still different from the Peter Pan that we know and love. Levi Miller is a very decent actor for his age and is completely believable considering all of the stuff this poor kid has to go through. He's much more unsure of himself than the Peter Pan from the animated movie but it makes sense since he's younger and inexperienced. Hugh Jackman has mastered the art of chewing the scenery in many of his films and this one is no exception. Despite that, I can't help but love this guy in everything he does. He brings so much enthusiasm to each and every role and he makes those characters fun to watch. Hedlund does an interesting Hook. He's not a villain in this film but is portrayed as more of an antihero, though I'm not sure what's up with his accent. I won't even try to describe it but it's goofy and fits perfectly with the mood of the film. Rooney Mara also plays in this movie as Tiger Lily. Her character is also very likable but she doesn't exactly scream 'Native American' to me. She's actually the whitest person in the whole of the tribal lands. Overall, the characters are likable and I can't complain about their performances.
Neverland itself is very diverse and we get to see quite a few locales during the film. Everything from desolate mountains, jungles, and swamps are all represented in Neverland. The world building is actually very enjoyable and the change of scenery helps to keep the movie interesting. The pirate ships are a little over the top but it works out fine since the whole movie requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. However, there are a few flaws that keep the film from being fantastic.
I'm going to be getting into spoiler territory here so be warned. The plot holes in this movie are very difficult to ignore. First, why are fairies useless unless Peter is controlling/commanding them? They seem incredibly incompetent at first and then are incredibly powerful and take on the pirates easily. Is Peter Pan a superhero with some kind of fairy power? He certainly comes off as a superhero at times in this film. Also, Neverland is hinted at being a place where orphans go when they die. If this is true, does that mean Peter Pan murders people when he brings them to Neverland? That makes Peter a much darker character. Third, why isn't Hook a pirate? He comes off as very heroic throughout the film and we don't see any sign of his eventual transformation into the villainous pirate captain. Why does every movie have to be set up to be a franchise? I actually enjoyed a lot of the film but there are some truly bizarre plot holes that left me scratching my head. I'm usually pretty good at ignoring tiny plot holes that don't really need to be answered to make a movie enjoyable but these are a bit different. They try to explain what Neverland actually is in this film but that makes Peter's future actions much more sadistic than they actually are, especially considering Peter and his friends can travel between the worlds at will. So Neverland isn't what Blackbeard said it was but in that case why would Blackbeard compare the place to death? What benefit could he possibly achieve from that? All in all, the movie is still really fun but the ending is a little hard to swallow and the plot holes start to pile up after a while. I would still recommend giving it a watch but don't expect master storytelling or anything like that. Just enjoy the visuals and the craziness and you'll be good.
Peter (Levi Miller) is a young orphan that's trying to get by in a dingy orphanage during the London bombing raids of World War II. Peter believes that his mother is coming back to find him and he's determined to wait for her. He and a friend of his notice that more and more children are starting to disappear each night and become a bit suspicious. Unfortunately, Peter finds out exactly what's going on when pirates in a flying pirate ship (don't think about it too hard) capture the children to use as slave labor in a place called Neverland. It turns out the orphans are being used by the pirate leader Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) to cultivate a material made from fairies. Peter eventually escapes Blackbeard with the help of a man named Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and decides to look for a group of natives opposed to the pirates and ends up finding out that his destiny is inextricably linked to that of Neverland's.
The characters in this film are pretty likable and come off as cartoony yet still different from the Peter Pan that we know and love. Levi Miller is a very decent actor for his age and is completely believable considering all of the stuff this poor kid has to go through. He's much more unsure of himself than the Peter Pan from the animated movie but it makes sense since he's younger and inexperienced. Hugh Jackman has mastered the art of chewing the scenery in many of his films and this one is no exception. Despite that, I can't help but love this guy in everything he does. He brings so much enthusiasm to each and every role and he makes those characters fun to watch. Hedlund does an interesting Hook. He's not a villain in this film but is portrayed as more of an antihero, though I'm not sure what's up with his accent. I won't even try to describe it but it's goofy and fits perfectly with the mood of the film. Rooney Mara also plays in this movie as Tiger Lily. Her character is also very likable but she doesn't exactly scream 'Native American' to me. She's actually the whitest person in the whole of the tribal lands. Overall, the characters are likable and I can't complain about their performances.
Neverland itself is very diverse and we get to see quite a few locales during the film. Everything from desolate mountains, jungles, and swamps are all represented in Neverland. The world building is actually very enjoyable and the change of scenery helps to keep the movie interesting. The pirate ships are a little over the top but it works out fine since the whole movie requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. However, there are a few flaws that keep the film from being fantastic.
I'm going to be getting into spoiler territory here so be warned. The plot holes in this movie are very difficult to ignore. First, why are fairies useless unless Peter is controlling/commanding them? They seem incredibly incompetent at first and then are incredibly powerful and take on the pirates easily. Is Peter Pan a superhero with some kind of fairy power? He certainly comes off as a superhero at times in this film. Also, Neverland is hinted at being a place where orphans go when they die. If this is true, does that mean Peter Pan murders people when he brings them to Neverland? That makes Peter a much darker character. Third, why isn't Hook a pirate? He comes off as very heroic throughout the film and we don't see any sign of his eventual transformation into the villainous pirate captain. Why does every movie have to be set up to be a franchise? I actually enjoyed a lot of the film but there are some truly bizarre plot holes that left me scratching my head. I'm usually pretty good at ignoring tiny plot holes that don't really need to be answered to make a movie enjoyable but these are a bit different. They try to explain what Neverland actually is in this film but that makes Peter's future actions much more sadistic than they actually are, especially considering Peter and his friends can travel between the worlds at will. So Neverland isn't what Blackbeard said it was but in that case why would Blackbeard compare the place to death? What benefit could he possibly achieve from that? All in all, the movie is still really fun but the ending is a little hard to swallow and the plot holes start to pile up after a while. I would still recommend giving it a watch but don't expect master storytelling or anything like that. Just enjoy the visuals and the craziness and you'll be good.