There are very few people who aren’t acquainted with the tale of Peter Pan. J.M. Barrie’s beloved character has entertained children and adults alike for over a hundred years. I wanted to see a fresh take on this classic story, because I really love Peter Pan and ironically grew up with it. I went to watch Pan with the same excitement I had as a kid, expecting an enchanting story of the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Unfortunately, what I saw was a movie with hollow characters, a generic reluctant hero, a “chosen-one” plot, and none of the familiar wit.
Pan is directed by Joe Wright, known for Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, and written by Jason Fuchs. It stars Hugh Jackman (Blackbeard), Levi Miller (Peter Pan), Garrett Hedlund (Captain Hook) as well as Rooney Mara (Tiger Lily). In essence, Pan is the origin story of our familiar hero. The movie begins with Peter’s life at an orphanage. He’s terrorized by a cruel nun and is miserable. One night, the children at the orphanage are kidnapped by Blackbeard’s pirates and taken to Neverland. It turns out that Blackbeard is enslaving children to mine pixie dust for him. Peter meets James Hook and forms an unlikely friendship. He learns of a prophecy that says that he will be the one to end Blackbeard’s reign in Neverland and decides to escape to the Natives for help. Now, he has three days to learn to fly and prove that he is the chosen one who will save Neverland. The pace of this movie is all over the place. The introduction to Peter and his journey to Neverland goes at a steady pace, but then halfway into the movie you realize you’re still watching Peter stuck in Blackbeard’s mines. The rest of the movie just whizzes by, and is packed with technicolour explosions, chase scenes, and nonstop action that leaves little room for any character development or interesting dialogue.
It is a tragedy that most of the characters in this film are so poorly written. My biggest gripe lies with Hook and Tiger Lily. Pan tries to reinvent Hook as a hideous amalgam of Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Hook wants to be roguishly charming, but ends up spouting hilariously cheesy one-liners at every chance he gets. Every sentence uttered by him made me cringe. I could not wrap my head around Rooney Mara’s portrayal as Tiger Lily either. Most of the situations with Tiger Lily feel rather contrived, and Mara’s dull performance in this role does not help.
The visuals in Pan had great potential, but it was never realized. The film’s scenes seemed artificial, and it was rather easy to tell whether a shot was green screened or completely CGI. The most ridiculous part about Pan was Blackbeard’s slaves worshipping him through rock songs. The characters chant the lyrics to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the Ramones’ “Blitzkreig Bop” when Blackbeard addresses them.
The redeeming qualities of Pan have to be Jackman and Miller’s performances and the stunning costume design. It was refreshing to see Jackman in a role where he is allowed to have fun with an eccentric character. Levi Miller really does his best in this movie, but is constrained by the writing and direction of the film. The gorgeous costumes actually prevented me from leaving the theatre early. The juxtaposition between the drab clothes of 1940s England and the loud and colourful clothes of the people of Neverland really highlights the contrast between the characters and the different scenes of the movie.
What I really wanted to see in Pan was the tale of how Peter Pan and Hook turned from friends into mortal enemies. What turned Hook against Peter? How did Peter cut off Hook’s hand? Why did he do it? Sadly, the movie didn’t answer any of these questions. The movie ends with them as friends, with an unexplained romance between Hook and Tiger Lily, and foreshadowing for a sequel.
Overall, Pan is a different perspective on an old story that fails to capture any of the charm and humour of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale. If you have the urge to scratch that nostalgic itch, you would be better off picking up Peter Pan (2003), Finding Neverland, Hook, or the animated classic Peter Pan.