What movie did YOU just FINISH watching?

Great introduction to Wendy, John, Michael and Nana the nurse-dog. Firstly...these kids have some pretty morbid ideas of a 'fun game', talking about slicing bellies/gutting, but at the same time, it was kind of fun seeing Wendy playing Hook and getting totally into the story - scaring her brothers (and even making Nana back away - that dog was a treasure, such a good animal actor. I also have a soft spot for St. Bernards ever since first seeing the movie Beethoven...they just have such a sad face/eyes).

  
 

And the movie did an exceptional job with casting. The two brothers were a good likeness for (what I can remember of) the animated movie versions, but Rachel Hurd-Wood (whose name I always get mixed up with Evan Rachel Wood) was spot-on perfect casting. Those eyes were out of this world, and she just had a such a great look, plus she fully embodied the role/threw herself into the movie completely (as did everyone else).

Jeremy Sumpter as Peter was a good match for Hurd-Wood's Wendy. He was believable as this boy who could be immature at times, but also brave/fearless, fun, amusing, sometimes a bit twisted/dark, and he was very convincing when showing Peter's vulnerable side - we first see this during his fight with his shadow, when he can't reattach it to himself and Wendy catches him sitting on the ground, crying. Speaking of the fight with his shadow - I thought the movie did a real good job of portraying that (though I never understood the physics of it...or how exactly Wendy 'stitches' it back to Peter - though this probably isn't the movie to be wondering about the 'physics' of things/how stuff works).

Peter was a bit creepy hovering over Wendy's bed as she slept and was giving me serious Edward-watching-Bella vibes (and the moment when she wakes and he throws himself back against the wall especially reminded me of the first time Edward & Bella got too close).

One thing I've never understood in any versions of the story I've watched - what is the deal with the 'hidden kiss' at the corner of the mouth? This first comes up in regards to the kids' mother, and I still have no clue what they're on about. It was nice seeing Olivia Williams as Mrs. Darling (I've liked her since I think I first saw her in the movie Rushmore) and she made the most with what she was given, telling her stories to the kids and especially after they seemingly vanished.

I had to laugh at just how 'evil' the messenger boy seemed (the one who was given the letter addressed to Wendy's parents about her drawing of the 'dream' she'd had with creepy winged Peter floating over her bed). The teacher was mean, but that messenger boy had an evil grin - which made it all the more satisfying/amusing when he seemed to be crapping his pants as Wendy (and Nana) chased after him and they all bowled into her father and the men he was trying to impress (but couldn't get a word out to). Speaking of Mr. Darling, it was so interesting to see Jason Isaacs playing this very different sort of character to the one I'm used to seeing him play (ie. the villain - though he gets to play that here too). He was actually very convincing as this man who was (mostly) decent, but also stumbled over his words and could be a bit 'goofy' at times while also being prone to losing his temper.



He also acted a lot like Robin Williams did at the start of Hook, with his being angry and telling the kids to grow up. I could've forgiven all of that...but pulling poor Nana outside by her collar and tying her up out in the cold was just horrible. And to make things worse...he yanked off her nurse's cap! Everyone's reactions to that amused me, though. Such shock/horror (Mrs. Darling gasping was great).

 


I felt so sorry for Nana stuck out there in the snow and looking up at the window sadly. Mr. Darling wasn't very nice at all (I was glad when she broke free later and yet again ran into him, making him look not so good in the eyes of those he was trying to impress. Served him right for tying her up and leaving her out in the cold!). Also not nice? Tinkerbell. Actually, she was slightly psychotic in some ways. First time we meet her and she trashes the room Wendy's sleeping in, then she becomes easily jealous of Wendy when she sees Peter interacting with her, then she starts pulling her by the hair, bashing her head against the bed and threatening to KILL HER. Talk about not being your 'typical fairy', which usually all seem to be sweetness and light.



In a way...I kind of appreciated this 'different' interpretation of Tinkerbell/a fairy character, in that she could be downright nasty. Also, she made me think she was to Peter what Navi was to Link in The Legend of Zelda games - ie. that pesky fairy who he'd want to swat away when she got too annoying (though Link was never able to do that). At least Tink wasn't constantly saying "Hey!". Though she did express herself in mostly reactions/facial expressions, movements and sounds/noises. The actress did a good job with that, I thought, as there wasn't really any dialogue from her.

  

At the same time, I was constantly shaking my head at Tink's unhinged behaviour and wishing Peter would sort her out. I thought Sumpter and Hurd-Wood had great chemistry for two actors who were quite young. They played well off each other and I could believe Wendy wanting to go with him. 

 

Another thing I found weird was the whole 'kiss' business with the thimble she gives him and acorn button he gives her (I had to look that up to find out what the heck it was he was giving her exactly), then she tells him that she's going to give him a thimble when in actuality she's about to give him a proper kiss...way to be confusing (kisses are thimbles, acorns are kisses, thimbles are kisses - just call things what they are!). I thought the flying scenes were really well done. They made them look as wondrous/fun as I think kids would imagine them to be, and again the music was used to great effect as they were all sweeping/soaring around. It was a very magical sequence (and not just because of the fairy dust used to help them fly).



Jason Isaacs was in his element as Captain Hook, who we're introduced to here as a shirtless, somewhat heavy drinker, whose stump we get to see where his hand used to be and who talks about sticking his hook into people. I'm glad they didn't shy away from showing what a nasty piece of work he was, as we get to see him shoot/stab his men multiple times (and there's even a morbidly amusing bit later in the film where he says the dreaded "There's no such thing as fairies." to a random fairy...who promptly dies and then gets flicked away by Hook). If there's one negative to the movie, it's that I wasn't overly fond of the actor they got to play Mr. Smee. I much preferred Bob Hoskins in the role - which he'd played *twice* in two different versions (one being the movie Hook, the other being the TV mini-series Neverland - I wish they hadn't wasted him on that mini-series and had instead gotten him for this film).

I know the voice-over offered a 'reason' for Tink's behaviour - that she 'not all bad' and sometimes she could be 'all good', but fairies only had room for one feeling at a time - but that still didn't excuse her having Wendy almost killed. It was only through sheer luck (the arrow hitting the acorn button Peter had given her) that Wendy survived. Tink definitely went too far with that. And talk about punishment - one of the Lost Boys, who took responsibility for the arrow shooting, was ready for Peter to decapitate him? They're evidently hardcore in Neverland. 

It amused me that the Lost Boys referred to Wendy as 'the Wendy Bird' and 'Wendy Lady'. Tink's scream when one of them said "The Wendy lives!" also amused me. Another amusing part was when Peter and the Lost Boys all huddled around Wendy and were going to carry her to their treehouse or wherever...until they examined their own hands and realised they were too dirty, so then decided building a house around her would be easier (?). I will admit to feeling a twinge of sympathy for Tink when Peter got mad at her, grabbed her and tossed her away before banishing her...but she really brought it on herself for having murderous tendencies. She pretended to be innocent at first with the halo above her head, but then admitted her truly evil self with the turning red and devil horns.



Peter and the Lost Boys had some 'extreme' games going on. Firstly, Peter had them calling him 'Father' and Wendy 'Mother' (which was rather weird), and then there were instances where it looked like he was really going after them with his sword. It did amuse me when Wendy convinced Peter to spare them, and instead described in detail the horribleness of 'medicine' - which, after they heard about it, made them decide they preferred death (can't say I blamed them - I hated medicine as a kid too). Also extreme were the mermaids which populated Neverland - as evidenced by Wendy asking "Are mermaids not sweet?" and "They'll sweetly drown you if you get too close." being Peter's response/warning.

I liked that Michael's Teddy had his own adventure - first he gets stuck in the water for the mermaids like the other kids did, then he gets decapitated, eventually has his head put back on, then is all 'pirated up' by Smee. 

As I said before, the actors playing Peter and Wendy worked really well together. I liked their whole flying dance sequence with the fairies. 



 

It was an interesting development to see Wendy taken by the pirates, telling them happily ever after stories and almost wanting to join Hook. I'm glad Peter was able to forgive her for that momentary lapse in judgement. I think she totally had his number when she said that him always wanting to be a boy/not wanting to grow up was his "biggest pretend". 

I thought it was interesting that Hook had a moment's silence for Peter Pan when he thought he was dead.

Tinkerbell managed to redeem herself when she dived in front of Peter's poisoned medicine he was about to consume and she drank it to save him, which consequently killed her. It was quite sad seeing him react to her dying, asking why her light was going out and her being cold. 



The "I do believe in fairies! I do, I do!" could've been super-cheesy...but I think all the actors involved in repeating that line over and over committed fully to it and made it believable. Jeremy Sumpter was especially good, considering how many times he had to say it. It was actually a very well-done sequence, I thought - and I liked seeing absolutely everyone (even the Darlings) contributing to bringing Tinkerbell back. It was a very emotional scene, well-played by all.

 

It was such a joy-filled moment when Tink returned to the land of the living and was back to being Peter's best friend.

Of course, the happy moment didn't last for too long due to Wendy and everyone being kidnapped by Hook and his pirates. On the plus side, I liked seeing that Wendy could fight/use a sword (which she'd already had some experience with). And it was a neat move when she and one of her brothers tricked two pirates into stabbing each other. I was actually surprised by the sight of some blood on Peter (but, again, I'm glad this movie didn't shy away from such things).

I really thought Jeremy Sumpter was good at playing Peter's cocky side, how he'd laugh at Hook, trade jabs with him (not just with the point of a sword, but also verbally. Plus, he was pretty calm about the prospect of dying, saying "To die would be an awfully big adventure." - not many people are that accepting) and be a much better flier...which made the moment when he was brought down by unhappy thoughts, that Hook planted in his head about Wendy, all the more sad/upsetting to witness.


 

However, Wendy managed to get through to him and FINALLY gave him a kiss that was an actual kiss (none of this thimble rubbish) - no wonder that brought him back and managed to make him smile this (somewhat creepy) smile...

 

The build-up of the music as Peter returned to his usual self was very effective, I thought. Also effective was the way everyone brought down Hook (literally) with chanting "Old, alone, done for!", thereby making him think unhappy thoughts as he sank towards the waiting hungry crocodile. I didn't really catch all of Hook's 'happy thoughts' he said to himself in the hope of rising away from the croc...but after finding them, they're quite humourous (in a dark/morbid sort of way):

Hook: [to self] "Happy thoughts! Happy thoughts! Ripping! Killing! Killing! Choking! Child Abuse! Dentists! Pus! Uh...children's blood! Puppies' blood! Disease! Scabs! Kittens dashed on spikes!" [realising he's fighting a losing battle] "No! White death! Black death! ANY DEATH! A nice cup of tea!" [finally accepting] "Old, alone...done for." *dies*

That^ was quite hilarious (and I'm surprised they got away with some of the things he included), but it was a very satisfying end to his character as he got swallowed whole by the croc. It was also good to see Peter back to his usual self and Wendy echoing his words from earlier back to him.



I think it was a testament to Jason Isaacs' acting - that we could go from his horribly evil Captain Hook back to his Mr. Darling and actually *care* about him when he finally broke down at the return of his children.



Probably the hardest thing to accept in this movie was everyone being totally fine with adopting the Lost Boys who came out of nowhere - but I think I saw Tink sprinkling some fairy dust at one point, so I'll just chalk up everyone's easy acceptance of this rather major development thanks to her fairy influence. 

It was a bit sad at the end, seeing Peter looking in on the whole big happy family...but not being a part of it. At least he still had Tink. The reveal of older Wendy being the voice-over was not something I'd really thought about...though I probably should've guessed it before she came right out and said it.