{"id":33112,"date":"2014-04-22T08:40:18","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T12:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=33112"},"modified":"2022-02-06T00:06:44","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T05:06:44","slug":"movie-review-peter-pan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/movie-review-peter-pan\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: Peter Pan"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Peter<\/a>
DVD cover Copyright Disney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 14th<\/sup> full-length animated feature in Disney history, Peter Pan<\/i> was released on February 5, 1953. It is based on J. M. Barrie’s 1904 play Peter and Wendy<\/i> and is 76 minutes in length.<\/p>\n

Plot Summary<\/b><\/p>\n

Rushing to prepare for an evening in London with his wife, Mary, George Darling becomes frustrated with his children\u2019s belief in the legend of Peter Pan. This story exudes the virtues of childhood innocence, and George, an extremely grounded person, doesn\u2019t approve of it.<\/p>\n

After one accident too many, George finally snaps and declares that Wendy, the eldest of his three children, will have to leave the nursery for her own room the following night. It\u2019s time for her to grow up and commence a practical life.<\/p>\n

Unbeknownst to George and Mary, magic occurs after their departure. Peter Pan and his fairy Tinker Bell enter the nursery and take the children, Wendy, John, and Michael, to Neverland, a magical place where maturity is never required. Neverland has much excitement but also plenty of danger. Can the children survive the wrath of Captain Hook and his gang of pirates?<\/p>\n

Growing Up<\/b><\/p>\n

The film\u2019s main theme concerns the balance of childhood innocence with the practicality needed to succeed as an adult.<\/p>\n

Extremes dominate the beginning of the movie. Here, George is entirely practical, while Wendy wants to remain a child forever.<\/p>\n

Wendy changes her tune upon experiencing Peter Pan\u2019s dominion. She realizes that having fun and playing are fine, but limits have to be set. She wants neither herself nor her brothers to endure chaotic lives akin to those led by the Lost Boys of Neverland.<\/p>\n

Additionally, George concedes that he was too jaded. Maybe the story of Peter Pan isn\u2019t so bad for his children.<\/p>\n

Tinker Bell<\/b><\/p>\n

Though I often think of Tinker Bell as a charming and kindhearted creature, she\u2019s one of the most complex characters in Disney history.<\/p>\n

Until she valiantly redeems herself in the film\u2019s latter scenes, the fairy is perhaps the most dislikeable character in Peter Pan<\/i>. \u00a0I think she\u2019s even more unlikeable than Captain Hook because the pirate is at least funny. Jealous that Wendy is taking Peter Pan\u2019s attention away from her, Tinker Bell is just spiteful. Heck, had it not been for the title character\u2019s quick reflexes, Tinker Bell\u2019s antics would have killed Wendy!<\/p>\n

Humor<\/b><\/p>\n

Humor is inserted throughout Peter Pan<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The Darling family dog, Nana, serves as a nursemaid. She can make beds, carry drinks, and even alphabetize! Nana truly is \u201cman\u2019s best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

I find Peter to be amusing in his ignorance. He\u2019s unfamiliar with \u201cmothers\u201d and \u201ckisses,\u201d and don\u2019t get me started on his judicial practice. On Wendy\u2019s request, he lowers Tinker Bell\u2019s lifetime banishment to a week. If my sense of time is accurate, the fairy returned in about six hours, and Peter seemed neither surprised nor angry.<\/p>\n

Finally, I enjoyed Captain Hook\u2019s interactions with his assistant Mr. Smee and the Crocodile, respectively. Hook has a love-hate relationship with Smee, abruptly altering his tone with him throughout the movie. Smee is partly inept and partly unlucky.<\/p>\n

Hook has no love for the crocodile, though. The pirate literally cries and figuratively \u201cruns for the hills\u201d whenever he hears the reptile\u2019s distinctive \u201ctick tock\u201d sound.<\/p>\n

Music<\/b><\/p>\n

Although I don\u2019t find Peter Pan<\/i>\u2019s soundtrack to be especially memorable, the diverse songs solidly augment the plot.<\/p>\n

Played during the opening credits, \u201cThe Second Star to the Right\u201d is a beautiful, soothing number, which soundly sets up the first scene in nighttime London.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou Can Fly, You Can Fly, You Can Fly!\u201d is alternatively soothing and jarring. Corresponding visuals complement this tune and provide an adrenaline rush as the characters soar from London to Neverland.<\/p>\n

Led by John, \u201cFollowing the Leader\u201d is also enhanced by visuals. In this case, zany animals silently interfere with the boys\u2019 march.<\/p>\n

Finally, \u201cYour Mother and Mine\u201d is probably the film\u2019s most heartwarming song. It exudes the significance of a mother\u2019s role and shows Wendy to have a mature side.<\/p>\n

Changing Times<\/b><\/p>\n

Some elements of Peter Pan<\/i> wouldn\u2019t be suitable for inclusion in a contemporary children\u2019s movie.<\/p>\n

The portrayal, both visually and vocally, of the Indians as savages as well as the numerous displays of smoking are representative of the period during which the film was released.<\/p>\n

Relationship to Other Disney Films<\/b><\/p>\n

Smoking was also included in other early Disney films such as Pinocchio<\/i> (1940) and Alice in Wonderland <\/i>(1951).<\/p>\n

Fans of Alice in Wonderland<\/i> will hear a couple of familiar voices in Peter Pan<\/i>. Kathryn Beaumont, previously the voice of Alice, plays Wendy, and Bill Thompson, formerly the man behind the White Rabbit, plays Mr. Smee.<\/b><\/p>\n

In addition to the Lost Boys, the pirates, and the Indians, Neverland is home to a group of mermaids. The red-haired mermaid reminds me of Ariel from The Little Mermaid<\/i> (1989).<\/p>\n

In the Parks<\/b><\/p>\n

Guests at Walt Disney World and Disneyland can experience \u201cPeter Pan\u2019s Flight.\u201d This Fantasyland attraction transports riders over scenes from the movie in a suspended pirate ship.<\/p>\n

Disneyland\u2019s nighttime spectacular \u201cFantasmic\u201d incorporates a Peter Pan<\/i> scene.<\/p>\n

Peter Pan <\/i>characters, including Peter, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and Wendy, make regular appearances at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.<\/p>\n

At Walt Disney World, adults and children alike can embark on the \u201cPirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage.\u201d Following a pre-cruise reception at the Contemporary Resort, where guests can enjoy snacks and interact with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, partakers board a boat to view the Magic Kingdom\u2019s \u201cWishes\u201d firework show.<\/p>\n

Finally, children can enjoy \u201cThe Neverland Club\u201d at Walt Disney World. \u00a0Located at the Polynesian Resort, this Peter Pan<\/i>-themed locale serves as a supervised activity center for parents to comfortably leave their children while they enjoy adult-oriented activities.<\/p>\n

Overall<\/b><\/p>\n

Well balanced with action, humor, suspense, solid music, and heartwarming moments, Peter Pan<\/i> is among Disney\u2019s best films. It\u2019s a must watch if you haven\u2019t seen it.<\/p>\n

What do you think of Peter Pan? Let me know in a comment!<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sponsored Ad:<\/strong>\u00a0 Would you like to help support The Mouse For Less website in continuing their mission of being THE Disney vacation planning resource?\u00a0 You can do so by purchasing Peter Pan<\/em>\u00a0from our affiliate link through Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    The 14th full-length animated feature in Disney history, Peter Pan was released on February 5, 1953. It is based on J. M. Barrie’s 1904 play Peter and Wendy and is 76 minutes in length. Plot Summary Rushing to prepare for an evening in London with his wife, Mary, George Darling becomes frustrated with his children\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":33113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disney-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33112"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82624,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33112\/revisions\/82624"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}