My favorite Disney movie of all time would have to be "Peter Pan," as nothing is more exciting than flying over Neverland! "Peter Pan" came out on VHS and DVD this past week, and when you purchased either kind, you recieved a free movie ticket to see the Peter Pan Sequel, "Return to Neverland." It is good at more than 100 Cinemas, so it's a great deal!
Oh, I know what you're thinking, not another Disney sequel! It is amazing to me, the ultimate Disney fan, that they keep putting out so many sequels- some have failed miserabely, some have conquered over all, and some seem to have won the Olympic SILVER medal- this film would be that! Not miserable, but not "Beauty and the Beast" material either. Why? Read on!
Let's start with the story-line, the plot- the belly of the film. This belly must be filled with all sorts of goodies that tells us, the viewer, that your money and time were well spent to see this flick! Our story begins with a beautiful opening, as the puffy white clouds soar over London, each cloud takes the shape and song of characters from the past- the Lost Boys, Wendy, Michael and John, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, the Band of Pirates, the Mermaids from the Lagoon, and of course, Peter Pan! Peter Pan and Tinkerbell ride the "Jolly Roger" pirate ship into the clouds as the title of the film is whisked in and out in pixie dust.
The story goes as this in a nutshell: Wendy has grown into a lovely adult, who has married, miraculously lives in the same house as she did when she was a child, and has 2 small children, Jane and her baby brother. A war has broken out, and their father must leave to serve his Country, leaving the three remaining family members behind to fend for themselves. Things get ugly, and by decree from the government, they have ordered that all children residing in that area must be moved to a safer city until the war has ended. Wendy has the terrible task of having to tell her children that they will have to leave her the very next day to save their lives. As this happens, they had just been attacked and stayed safe in their homemade bunker across the street from their home. Wendy begins to tell of her adventures with Peter Pan to her children-her baby boy is delighted with each word that rolls of her tongue, while Jane decides that's silly nonsense and that she must be brave and mature in these times of war.
As the bombing silently takes it's final toll for the evening, Wendy takes her children to their home where bedtime has arrived. Her little brother tries to cheer her up with Peter Pan stories, Jane yells at him to give up these fairy tale nonsenses and to grow up! He retreats to his bedroom where Wendy holds him and comforts him with more tales about Pan, while Wendy weeps on her window sill and falls asleep.
Awoken from a nightmare, nope, it's only Captain Hook and his band of pirates visiting for a big taste of revenge! They kidnap Jane and use her has Peter Pan bait upon their return to Neverland. Pan comes out of his hiding, and after what I felt was a poorly written animated sequence, Pan recues who he thinks is Wendy, and finds out the truth as Captin Hook shoots cannon balls at them! He is delighted to see that his damsil in distress is Wendy's daughter, and gives her a tour or Neverland. She meets all of the mentioned above characters, and of course, comes face to face with that jealous fairy, Tinkerbell herself!
Here is where the storyline starts to twist and turn, so follow me. Jane tries to leave Neverland on a raft made of sticks, after it sinks 2 minutes after leaving the mainland, she surrenders to Pan and let's him try to teach her how to fly- flying is the only way she can get home!
After failed attempts, she gives up with a hateful speech about the Lost Boys, Pan, and finally insults the Grand Dame herself, Tink. She yells that she DOES NOT BELIEVE IN FAIRIES and with that Tink slumps to the ground, unable to move at all. Jane runs off, never seeing what harm she has done, and spends the night by herself in the pouring rain.
Hook happens to come across her, and finds out that she needs to get back home- he devises a plan to help Jane get his treasure back. Jane sees him crying in this open, odd spot in the forest, and asks him what's wrong. He tells her that he needs to get to his mother, who is very ill, but cannot because Pan has him trapped there until he can find his treasure to return home. The treasure for her freedom home- she agrees to it. Gee, what do you think happens next?
Tink, deathly ill because of the hurtful words by Jane, is on her last breath. Pan thinks fast and decides that they must make Jane the first Lost Girl so that she can see and truly believe that Tink is the real deal! Pan convinces her, and after she has earned their trust, accidentally has lead Hook to not only the treasure, but Pan as well!
Now she is stuck, Pan and the Lost Boys have been captured, and she is again alone. She then realizes that she holds the key to Tink's life, and runs only to find Tink has just died. She picks Tink up and sets her on Pan's bed, weeping beside her. Jane's sadness brings Tink back to life, and the duo go on to save Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, and she safely returns home where she wakes up as if the journey never took place.
And as every Disney ending, it is a truly happy one. Jane runs to her little brother's room where she hugs him and tells him how much she believes in all of that nonsense now, and they are overheard by Wendy. Wendy shakes her head in disbelief, could Pan be near by? As she looks out that famous window, she hears Pan whispering to Tink, and comes face to face with her childhood friend. Peter is shocked at how Wendy has aged, but realizes that Wendy is still inside the person before him, and that truly their friendship was still the same. As Pan and Tink fly past the second star to the right, Jane's father arrives home, signaling the end of the war, and a new beginning for their happy family.
Ok, where to begin on my thoughts. Let's start with the basics, the animation. I can honestly say that the beginning sequence of the clouds was quite beautiful, along with the scenery of Never Land when they first return, but that was about it- the rest looked quite flat and bland.
The plot I thought was reaching for anything they could find from the original Peter Pan. For instance, remember our good friend the Crocodile who swallowed a clock so every time he swam by, Hook would go insane with the "tick,tock?" They butchered the memory of that Croc by replacing him with an octopus that made the same sound with his suction cups- COMPLETELY tacky!! There were also MANY parts of the film that were slow. I am talking 5 minutes where Jane talks to Pan about virtually nothing!
Music? There is a beautiful song about growing up and not believing in pixie dust- I am sorry, but I do not know who sings it, was female and I am going to bet was made for the movie. The original Peter Pan theme song was also played in it, along with little song portions here and there that went along with the Lost Boys and the Pirates. You will recognize alot from the first film.
I will say that I did shed a tear when Tink died, it is a very hard scene for kids to see- my 8 year old was in tears, but she was ok once Tink was raised from the dead! Another tear jerking scene is the ending where Pan sees Wendy grown up, and accepts that, along with Jane's father coming home from the war.
The whole time I watched this film, I kept thinking WHERE HAVE I SEEN ALL OF THIS BEFORE? I know where, have you seen the movie "Hook?" Basically, if you haven't seen Hook, it is a live-action film that takes Robin Williams back to Neverland where he becomes Pan all over again. I love "Hook" but "Return to Neverland" almost felt like a small rip-off of that movie.
So do I recommend seeing this film? I would have to say that kids love anything that is animated, so they will LOVE it! Is it a movie for a couple? No. Can you wait to rent it at Blockbuster? Yes. I would also like to mention that there is a short Disney film that is all about Pluto and a little bird learning how to fly BEFORE Neverland starts- it was cute, but NOT as cute or as funny as the short Pixar films before "Monsters, Inc." and "Its a Bugs Life." We also had SIX previews before the film!! The only one that was worth seeing was the remake of "E.T."- that movie could NEVER get old!!
I hope I have helped you decide whether to see this or not. It is a fun, poofy film that will eat some time out of your day, but will not change your life or the way you look at it. Thanks for stopping by!
Walt Disney s original classic continues in this Pixie-Powered Special Edition of Peter Pan in Return to Never Land that s filled with wonder, imagina...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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