Peter Pan
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Universal Studios Home Video / 2003 / 116 Minutes / Rated PG
Street Date: May 4, 2004 
This is the film that Steven Spielberg should have made. Hook was an attempt at bringing the Pan legend up to date; P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan is the first serious attempt to bring to the screen J.M. Barrie's allegory about avoiding growing up and assuming adult responsibilities. Peter Pan is alive with childish enthusiasm, unbridled energy, and humor, and yet, there is an unmistakable melancholy that underlies the story of a boy who masks with unrelenting fun and adventure his longing for deeper emotional relationships. Spielberg should have been right at home. All the familiar aspects of the Pan tale are here, but conveyed with a sense of seriousness previously unseen onscreen. The scenes in Victorian England smack of authenticity in the CGI reproductions of London, and in the fine set designs of both the Darling home and the bank in which Mr. Darling (Jason Isaacs) works as a clerk. His attractive and nurturing wife (Olivia Williams) tends to the children - young Michael (Freddie Popplewell), John (Harry Newell), and, of course, Wendy (Rachel Hurd-Wood) - even as stuffy and disapproving Aunt Millicent (Lynn Redgrave) criticizes their childrearing choices. Nana, a vast St. Bernard, acts as a surrogate nanny; she has the unfortunate tendency of having more momentum than braking capacity. Wendy amuses her brothers with stories that frighten and amuse; pirates are frequently involved. Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) is attracted to these jolly tales and invites Wendy and her brothers back to Neverland. It's an offer they cannot refuse. With some help from fairy dust from a very reluctant Tinkerbell (Ludivine Sagnier), the group takes to the sky, streaking out of our atmosphere and into deep space. (Pan's world seems to be located at the other end of a wormhole - perhaps a nod to modern astrophysics. ) It's a world of surrealistic beauty, impossibly bright blue skies filled with dense pink clouds. Jungles are punctuated with colorful blossoms, dense foliage, and gurgling streams. Wendy meets the lost boys and readily agrees to become their mother as they plead for her attention; what isn't yet clear is their desperation to be found.
Across the island, anchored in a bay, sits the pirate ship commanded by Captain James Hook (also Jason Isaacs, and quite unrecognizable). Obsessed with destroying Pan in revenge for his right hand being fed to an unrelenting crocodile, Hook immediately goes on the offensive as Pan returns with his new friends. What follows are skirmishes and battles, and kidnappings and rescues, until the climactic duel between Hook and Pan. Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood are delightful in their respective roles. They seem to have a genuine chemistry onscreen. Jason Isaacs is a splendid Captain Hook; he's not the caricature created by Dustin Hoffman in Spielberg's Hook but a believable villain that may be a bit too fast on the draw when annoyed (he has a tendency to go through crew members; it's a wonder that his ship is manned at all). Richard Briers, perhaps best known for his Britcoms, appears as Hook's first mate Smee; he manages to walk a fine line between unctuous and self-serving, having developed a rare knack for handling his captain. A special mention must be made of Ludivine Sagnier's Tinkerbell. This lovely French actress is simultaneously sexy and silly, greatly exaggerating her performance to make it visible since her character is so small. Julia Roberts may be a fine actress, but Ludivine Sagnier is a most charming fairy. This lavish production runs rampant with special effects. Industrial Light and Magic, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and Digital Domain did a fabulous job, from the tiny fairies to the island that is Neverland. The flying work, whether in a wire harness or a gimbaled fixture, is superb. But what really sets this effort apart is that it does not shy away from the implications of sexual curiosity that begins to nag at the prepubescent. There is nothing sexual here, but it's clear that Wendy is maturing emotionally and physically in ways that Peter cannot accept or embrace. They share a kiss at a vital moment in the plot, and Peter responds without ever understanding the nature of his reaction. So determined to avoid adult responsibilities, he's cut himself off from the most meaningful aspects of human existence. And therein lies the ultimate poignancy of the film.
Video: How Does The Disc Look? The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1 is presented in anamorphic video. This is a wonderfully film-like presentation with one minor flaw; the chroma level is a tad too high, but it's not clear whether this may have been intentional. The visual presentation is dramatic and hyper-real. The vivid colors aren't that apparent in the early scenes in dreary London, but when Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael depart our world for Neverland, planets in startling colors whiz by. And as I mentioned in the body of my review, Neverland is colorful to the point of exaggeration. So while color hue seems right based on flesh tones, the intensity seems a bit intense. Shadow detail, particularly in Hook's black castle, is excellent. Edge halos have been banished, leaving small object detail intact and fine textures better than on most Universal DVDs (but not up to the level of detail found on the finest DVDs from Warner or Fox). I noticed no compression flaws. A fine transfer, worthy of praise, but not good enough to earn a top score. Audio: How Does The Disc Sound? The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is excellent. There is no indication on the keepcase or on the disc's menu screen that this is an official EX mix, but it is listed on the Dolby website as having been released to the motion picture theaters in EX. I can assure you that this DVD decodes perfectly with EX decoding enabled. For example, the ticking crocodile frequently is heard approaching from directly in between the left and center surrounds. Many discrete sound effects are placed in the very active surround channels to great dramatic effect. Exceptionally deep bass may be heard from the growling croc, an effect similar to the growling Tyrannosaurus Rex in Jurassic Park. Cannons also plumb the depths of the audio spectrum. The sound effects are nicely conveyed with fast attack times, broad frequency response, and minimal dynamic range compression. James Newton Howard's excellent orchestral score is conveyed with a pleasing sense of fidelity across a broad soundstage. The dialog remains crystal clear throughout. The alternative language is in French, also presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are provided in Spanish, French, and English.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? The video supplements are organized in an unusual fashion. They are divided into many little shorts that run for as little as a minute, so as you move from one to another, you'll never know whether it's worth putting down the remote control or not. I'd recommend holding on to it. The shorts are spread out among five subgroups: The Pirates; Neverland Forest; Home Under The Ground; Darling House; and, Black Castle. The good news is that you don't have to return to the Bonus Features menu to move on to the next section, a considerate touch. The first featurette in the Pirate Ship section is Board the Pirate Ship (1:02), a narration-free short that gives us a glimpse of the pirate ship in various forms, from miniatures to a vast full sized set mounted on pneumatic pistons. Through the Eyes of Captain Hook (6:22) is a lighthearted video journal of the shoot as seen by Jason Isaacs, who seems to enjoy teasing his fellow players. He takes us behind the scenes to reveal weapons and flight training. This can't be mistaken for a technical, making-of featurette; it's a humorous little short made with tongue in cheek. The Pirates vs. The Lost Boys (2:09) gives each group of players a chance to characterize their onscreen rivals. The Lost Pirates' Song (1:20) is best left lost. The pirate crew was asked to learn a song that would have had the unfortunate effect of lightening the mood and making the band of cutthroats seem less threatening. Kudos to director P.J. Hogan for leaving it on the cutting room floor. Moving on to Darling House, there is an Alternate Ending (4:31) in which Pan returns to the Darling House for a visit only to find an adult Wendy with a child of her own. I have mixed feelings about this sequence. It certainly would have added a melancholy note to the film, but it does emphasize the psychological trap in which Pan has put himself. And Wendy is entirely too trusting of her immature friend. See what you think. Mr. Darling in the Dog House (3:51) is a rather silly Deleted Scene in which the children's father has decided to punish himself by confining himself to Nana's doghouse until his children return. Me and My Shadow (1:21) is a brief explanation by Jeremy Sumpter and Lynne Redgrave of how they did the shadow scenes and how tricky they were. In the Dog House with Nana (2:49) introduces us to the three dogs that played Nana and their trainers. This is an interesting glimpse into the art of editing as well, for the editor may be credited for creating the illusion of Nana's clever behavior.
Next is Neverland Forest. Explore the Forest (0:59) is another narration-free short that provides a few clues as to how the impressive forest set was constructed and shot. Tinkerbell: Behind the Fairy Dust (4:40) introduces us to the charming Ludivine Sagnier. We learn about her bringing the fairy to life, how her live action work was integrated with CGI, and see her perform wirework. She and several of the filmmakers weigh in on her contributions. I Do Believe in Fairies (1:33) is an exceptionally brief glimpse of the creation of the other fairies in the film and the wirework associated with the fairy dance. Princess Tiger Lily (1:02) barely introduces us to Native-American Carsen Gray, who briefly speaks Iroquois in the film to great affect. The penultimate section is called The Black Castle and its first short is named Enter the Castle (1:13). This is yet another narration-free short; this one provides glimpses into the construction and filming of the Black Castle set. Learning to Fly (6:08) is a pleasingly informative featurette showing us how the players were trained to fly in rigs and on wires. The Mermaids' Tale (2:11) simply provides a look into the application of makeup and costumes for the mermaids. We see them carted off to the set where they take to the water. We also see a bit of filming. The last feature on this page invites us to insert the DVD into our computer for access to the web features. The last section is Home Under The Ground. Dig Under the Home (0:55) is similar to several other shorts on this disc; it is narration-free and provides a look at the construction and filming of the lost boys' underground home beneath a huge tree. The Legacy of Pan, Hosted by Sarah Ferguson (11:03) is the longest of the tiny shorts. She leads us through the historical background of the original novel written by J.M. Barrie. We learn of his inspiration and the ultimate fate of the film rights. In addition to a few folks attached to the film, several people related to Barrie are interviewed. This is the most informative and perhaps the most interesting of the lot. Sarah Ferguson's piece is followed by The Duchess' Outtakes (2:08). Here you'll find a droll little collection of cock-ups; several seem to be promos for television appearances on behalf of the film. Lost Boys on the Set (2:06) gives the lost boy players a chance to discuss their characters. We see a bit of table reading and the boys do offer an anecdote or two, but this feature is no more valuable than the mermaid sequence. The last feature in this section is a scrolling list of DVD Credits.
The 114-minute feature film is organized into twenty-eight chapters. DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC? After the Universal skin loads atop your InterActual player, clicking on the Universal logo will take you to the Universal Pictures website, from which you can maneuver to every aspect of the company's entertainments, from DVD to motion picture production. Parting Thoughts Peter Pan is a film that transcends age; there is entertainment value here for everyone in the family from youngsters to adults. It may be enjoyed on several levels, but just surrendering yourself to the wonderful images and the first sincere attempt to do justice to Barrie's book is the best course. A fine transfer, a very fine EX soundtrack, an odd collection of very short supplements, and a highly entertaining film make this an easy recommendation. |
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