griz-259-175100
One gets the feeling that writers and producer have a great respect for JM Barrie's original work. They've exercised their personal artistic vision well (the crocs, possible logistics of the power of flight and how Peter came by them, the hooded figure, "Captain Bonnie", friends becoming enemies, Peter's life before "Pan"); while paying a kind of homage to the original work by taking the time to fold elements of it into their story. Things like the possible origin and depths of the animosity between Hook and Pan; what happened to Hook's hand and how the croc got a "taste for him"; why Peter can have such fits of forgetfulness and lack of concern with his past -- remain "forever child-like and innocent; why he had to return to the real world to eventually encounter Wendy and her brothers (I LOVE how they fold this in at the end!). Everywhere one looks, one sees respect for the original story. It was also a pleasure to see Bob Hoskins once again -- and for the last time -- revive the character of Smee as only he can. Well acted, well written, well conceived. Most of the negative reviews seem to hinge upon the story or characters not being what the reviewer wanted them to be. One of the essentials of watching this kind of movie is the ability to put one's expectations on hold for long enough to see just what the writers and producer have in mind and respect that this COULD be a valid prequel to a well-loved story.
NeverNeverland24
I absolutely loved this miniseries! It's amazing, from the script and dialogue, to the actual plot of the movie. The characters are well written and their actions are believable and reasonable. I think this movie did an excellent job in telling the story behind Peter Pan. They did not do something wildly stupid that it seems like it barely fit the original story of Peter Pan. This movie did such an amazing job of breathing life into his background, and as it explains some events that J.M. Barrie left unknown (like how Captain Hook got his hand cut off), I would gasp and say, "SO THAT'S WHY!". The plot is wonderfully written! :) It was gripping and enchanting from the beginning to the end. The very first scene which was a sort of prologue was really cool, because it left you wondering what happened to the ship that disappeared, but at the same time you wouldn't forget that it happened. Very cool. And I love how the Lost Boys were originally orphans on the street. It fit them so well, and I loved how they worked together to create mischief and things like that. The whole idea of the "orb" (if that's how u spell it?) I always wondered where the heck IS Neverland? Peter always says "It's the second star to the right, and straight on till morning" but as romantic and pretty as that sounds, I never understood it. The "orb" doesn't fit that description about stars, but is just as interesting. Once you strike or shoot the orb, you are immediately transported into the world of Neverland. What I also love about this is that this miniseries also explains why a person in Neverland never ages! They explain that it is in the center of the universe or something, and that time stops in Neverland. I'm not TOTALLY sure how, but it does sound very cool. :) The adventures in Neverland is spellbinding from the beginning to end. Everything the boys face, and every time they fight the pirates is so much fun! There's not a boring minute in this movie, which I love. The "lady-friend" (Bonny) is a really cool addition. I don't know how to explain it, but it made the movie very fun, and I just love her character! Her desire to rule Neverland by finding this "mineral" that allows a person to fly is so cool. It's similar to Peter and the Starcatchers, but no offense, but that book series is terrible. This...far surpasses it. Sorry. getting off topic. Anyways, once Peter acquires the mineral, he is able to fly! The whole idea of being able to go back and forth through the orb is my favorite invention of this miniseries. The actors of this movie are superb :) I wouldn't wish for any other cast. The man who plays James Hook is marvelous! He's handsome, but he's also brings a very cool angle to Hook. In the beginning, "Jimmy" is a friend and father like figure to Peter, which is SO interesting. It's a very nice twist. But as the story goes on, his greed and lust for power drives away his morals and kindness, and he turns into a cold hearted man who is eventually Peter's enemy. I loved what they did with the character of Hook. It was phenomenal. Charlie was a very nice Peter Pan in my opinion :) He has intelligent eyes, and he's handsome. He also has spirit, which is not EXACTLY Peter, but as the movie goes on, I think he does better. By the end, I'm convinced that he is the perfect Peter :] Tinkerbell was a bit weakly written, because although we learn her love and bond with Peter Pan, there's not much about her. But with all the action and events going on, they barely had time for her. Although I understand why she was underdeveloped, I feel like they could have put more effort and created a twist for her as well. Her back story with Peter should have been stronger and more gripping. I also think Smee could have been a MUCH stronger character, as he is such a familiar character. I mean seriously, the crocodile had more action in this movie than him. On the other hand, I really loved the portrayal of the Indians. It was strong and you can see their kindness to the boys. The whole idea of the crocodile eating Hook's hand ALONG with the very watch that held Peter's mother AND Hooks ex-lover's picture...was fantastic. WONDERFUL. As someone else mentioned, whenever the croc came ticking for Hook, he was also a sort of ghost from the past, come to haunt him. Very interesting twist :)People have complained about the scenery and effects, but seriously? It was more than tolerable for me. I loved it a lot. It did not do one bit of harm to the movie's "amazing-ness".As you can probably guess, this is my first review on this website, so forgive me! I went off topic a lot, and I just pretty much rambled about which parts I loved the best ;) But yes, I think this movie is absolutely amazing. Not only was the action thrilling and the actors wonderful, it had a lot of emotional impact in it which I thought was perfect. Awesome script, lovely cast, amazing characters. Any true Peter Pan fan would fall in love with this miniseries. This is my favorite Peter Pan spin off, whether in books or in movies :) It did J.M. Barrie's original Peter Pan the justice it deserves. <3 Thank you, Syfy for making this!
