[yasr_overall_rating]
12-year-old orphan Peter is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland, where he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny — to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.
“Pan” is a surprisingly fun and fresh take on the worn-out childhood story. The movie is a visual masterpiece from start to finish with a rather large but diverse cast which introduces new characters and solidifies ties between the old. At times, the movie is complicated, in terms of what it signifies and characters that seem to convey one thing break apart in the later moments of the film only to imply something entirely different.
We follow a young Peter Pan, throughout his journey from World War II-era London to Neverland, in order to find his mother. Along the way we meet pirates, tyrants, and a very colorful group of natives as well as thousands upon thousands of fairies.
The cast is one to be reckoned with. From Hugh Jackman to Cara Delevigne, this movie is in the top tier of star studded appearances. The cast is quite large which dampens the story at times, making it seem to drag along but the advantage is having a strong batch of characters which provide the extra boost to move past that negative. The good natured Peter Pan (Levi Miller) is contrasted, as always, by the cynical and selfish James Hook (Garrett Hedlund). These two work well together and the relationship never seems forced. This relationship is supported visually as it is with all the other characters in the different factions. Weathered rock in the mines is surrounded by weathered children from all walks of life, each more ragged than the next. The barren landscapes presented while introducing Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman), pair perfectly with his tyrant like distinctions and actions. Dull colors were common in the start of the movie. They provided context to the adverse conditions that both Pan and his friends faced but long after they escaped from Blackbeard’s clutch the oppressive landscape seemed to stay within one character, James Hook.
Played by Garrett Hedlund, James Hook is what Peter would be if he weren’t as brave and selfless as he is shown to be. As stated earlier, character evolution is weak and some of the main characters cease to represent what they originally expressed. James Hook was not one of those. Maybe it was due to both him and Peter needing to be polar opposites or the fact that one would go into the film thinking that Hook would always be the darkness that Peter never ceases to fight but Hook’s evolution throughout the story was a strong and steady descent into what we know he will become later in his life. Hook and Pan’s relationship is peaceful at the closing of the film resulting in the question “How did they become such great enemies?” While this is a clever cliffhanger to draw in the crowd for the next installment it also angered viewers who had thought “Pan” would provide the answer to that same question.
Blackbeard (Jackman) was a strong character in the beginning of the film but seemed to fizzle out near the end and so did his signification. This wasn’t due to the acting as Jackman was strong all the way through. It was more due to his lack of presence in the second half of the movie. After its arc the film no longer had an oppressive aspect that was brought upon by Blackbeard but instead was replaced by nothingness. While both Pan and Hook give the story life, it doesn’t seem like an actual story unless Blackbeard is present. This is where the movie seems to lull. It is caught between fleshing out like it did in the first half of the film and rapid-fire scenes due to time constraints. The crocodile in the original story line could have been a well-crafted addition into the story given the correct use of time but all the creature was used for in the movie was what seemed to be an unwanted distraction from a redundant and useless scene.
The equal visual representation to this film would be that of the recent Tron movie. The visuals didn’t aid the film, they made it. A great idea from the production crew was to use colored powder to interpret violence. When a native would die they would burst into a colorful cloud of smoke instead of collapsing into a bloody heap. As a result, sighs of relief echoed throughout the screening during a battle scene for which many children were present. Violence was never really depicted in a way that it is in real life. There was never any blood and never any peril that a parent would not see fit for the eyes of the child and while not being a parent myself, I can see the positive aspect that will have. All of these small details convey the fact that this is still a children’s story and will always be just that. The small details also add to its appeal for parents wanting to see this with their children. It allows them to protect their children and still introduce them to a timeless story.
All in all, this is a good film and while there a small deficiencies within the story, the production is strong and really carries the weight. “Pan” is definitely a must see for the whole family.
In theaters October 9th
