What Every Disney Live-Action Remake Should Aspire To Be

Walt Disney famously said, “I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or 60.” This creative ethos has been the key to Disney’s success and what is the ideal everyone imagines from their films. Ones that can be enjoyed by children, but also that can be enjoyed by those who have grown up but still remember the spark of childhood. The best Disney movies are the ones that capture a sense of wonder. Peter Pan & Wendy, by director David Lowery, perfectly captures that magic and is what everyone wants from a Disney movie.

Peter Pan & Wendy is another in a long line of Disney live-action remakes of their animated classics, but it soars above many of them thanks to a combination of a strong vision from the director, a great cast to bring the story to life, and a real understanding of the themes at the heart of Peter Pan and why this story has enchanted audiences for so many years. This is the story audiences remember but visualized like never before.

We’re Off to Neverland

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Based on the J.M. Barrie play and 1955’s animated classic Peter Pan, Lowery’s new film takes the broad elements of the story everyone remembers. Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson) and her two brothers, John and Michael, are brought to Neverland by Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) and his fairy friend Tinkerbell (Yara Shahidi). In Neverland, the Darling family meets The Lost Boys, Tiger Lily, and encounters a villainous pirate crew led by Captain Hook (Jude Law). Wendy Darling goes on a journey of self-discovery in a dangerous adventure that will change her outlook on life forever.

While it keeps the bones of the original, what sets Peter Pan & Wendy apart is how it decides to fill in the details of this story. It rightfully gets rid of many of Disney’s harmful Indigenous stereotypes, and also removes some of the original film’s misogyny where all the female characters are jealous of one another over Peter Pan. It also gives a backstory for Captain Hook that ties nicely in as both a counterpoint to Peter Pan and a mirror for Wendy’s journey for her fears of growing up. The film’s aesthetic and tone are, pardon the pun, the hook of this retelling.

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In contrast to live-action remakes like The Lion King and Pinocchio, which tried to replicate the look of the originals down to every detail, Peter Pan & Wendy instead opts to visualize the story in profound new ways. It might not faithfully recreate the aesthetic of the Disney film, but it perfectly remakes its spirit of it. It captures the same sense of magic that the original animated version did without needing to recreate exact sets or recreate shots.

Similar to Lowery’s previous Disney live-action remake, Pete’s Dragon, Peter Pan & Wendy employs a grounded naturalistic aesthetic. It doesn’t go for realism per se, but a world that feels tangible. In contrast to the forest and jungle aesthetics found in most adaptations of Neverland, this one is an island with massive open fields, ones that feel ideal for play.

This is a Neverland where childhood imagination is key. It allows a simple stick to become a telescope or makes a fight scene where if you hurt somebodies shadow you can knock them down. Neverland is, fittingly, a world that operates off of rules that a child imagines while playing. It is the perfect playground to get lost in, but also one that can be lonely after a while.

Stories Are Worth Retelling When Something New Can Be Offered

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Peter Pan is one of the foundational Disney classics that make up the company’s identity. Yet unlike Snow White or Cinderella, Disney has been less sacred with Peter Pan. The company has been more open to creatives playing around with the character. He was turned into a sinister villain for the television series Once Upon a Time and was reimagined as a washed-up adult criminal in last year’s Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers. That willingness to invite bold takes on the character is one of the many factors that make Peter Pan & Wendy soar so high. It perfectly balances what audiences remember but also is Lowery’s unique interpretation of the story.

David Lowery in many ways is the perfect filmmaker to tackle Peter Pan & Wendy. Not only is his 2016 film Pete’s Dragon the best of Disney’s live-action remakes, but the filmmaker has been fascinated with the nature of stories. Many of his films, such as The Old Man & The Gun, The Green Knight, and A Ghost Story, tackle the nature of the stories that people pass down from one another, as both folktales and myths. Peter Pan is a classic bedtime story, and in Peter Pan & Wendy, Lowery digs into what has made the story such an enduring tale.

Time has always been an idea at the heart of the Peter Pan story, from landing on the Big Ben clock to Hook’s old pocket watch inside Tick-Tock Croc. Peter Pan & Wendy expands on time as a theme, as time is the true enemy at the heart of this film. Wendy’s fear of growing up triggers Peter Pan’s arrival and allows her and her brothers to be whisked away to Neverland. She quickly understands that the idea of remaining a kid forever eventually loses its charm. Yet when confronted with Hook, she sees the dangers of what one does when one grows up and forgets the fun of youth. Wendy finds her heroism in accepting that she cannot stop time, but that does not mean she has to lose a part of herself.

A Great Cast Reimagines Peter Pan for a New Audience

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Despite receiving top billing, Peter Pan & Wendy wisely does not put the focus on Peter but instead on Wendy Darling. This is her story, and both Peter Pan and Captain Hook embody her desires and fears. Ever Anderson is perfectly cast as Wendy. She is the daughter of Mila Jovovich and filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson and previously played young Natasha Romanoff in the opening scene of Black Widow. Her performance as Wendy is filled with wide-eyed wonder, as well as a maturity beyond her years.

Alexander Molony is Peter Pan, and the young actor finds a great mix of mischief and smugness in his character. Peter Pan is actually a difficult character to pull off. Notably, Walt Disney was never happy with the animated version, as he found Peter unlikable. Peter Pan needs to be fun and adventurous but childish and immature enough that he reminds Wendy that it isn’t always a good idea to stay young forever.

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Many versions of Peter end up having him come off as selfish and mean-spirited, but Molony’s depiction is very much a child. One who is full of energy and wants to have fun, but also one who is oblivious to others’ wants and desires because he hasn’t emotionally matured. He is self-absorbed but not in a mean way, just in a realistic kid way.

Jude Law steps into the role of Captain Hook and finds the perfect mix of the original animated versions over the top attitude but also a subdued pirate that makes sense within the grounded aesthetic Lowery has created. Law’s Hook can be menacing, but there is also a sadness that motivates him. This version delves into Hook’s backstory and answers the question of why Peter Pan and Captain Hook are arch-enemies. The final product has a nuanced take on each character, one that explores how both the act of growing up and choosing to stay forever young can transform someone in both the literal and figurative meaning of the word.

Peter Pan & Wendy Is What Audiences Want From Disney

The Disney remakes have been celebrated and controversial additions to the studio’s recent output. When the films fall back on recreating iconic moments, it can feel like a calculated bet to cash in on nostalgia. Yet the best versions offer a unique perspective on these stories, much like Walt Disney’s original animated versions did for the source material. The remakes are never designed to replace the original but serve as complementary pieces. Peter Pan & Wendy sits comfortably alongside The Jungle Book, Christopher Robin, and Lowery’s own Pete’s Dragon as a Disney live-action remake that not only holds its own to the original but has something new to say.

Peter Pan & Wendy is a great swashbuckling adventure with plenty of heart that the whole family can enjoy. Kids can get lost in the imagination of Neverland. Lowery’s film also offers adult viewers something special, as the tone and design of the movie recapture a sensory memory of what it feels like to be a kid, to go outside and create an adventure. Lowery’s film might as well be an adaptation of a line from the original J.M. Barie story — “Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting.” One can grow up, but that does not mean one has to forget.

Peter Pan & Wendy arrives on Disney+ on April 28, 2023.

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