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Peter Pan
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| Editorial Reviews: | | |  | | Peter Pan has a special place in the realm of classic animated Disney films: it instills an element of childlike wonder. The 1953 version of James M. Barrie's story is colorfully told and keeps on the straight and narrow of the book. Barrie's wondrous focus on child's play is the key to its longevity: kids who don't grow up, shadows that run away from their owners, pirates, a fairy, and the magic ability to fly. In short, you can't help wishing the adventure would happen to you. Fueled by a few memorable songs (the stunner being "You Can Fly") and the strong impression of the pixie fairy Tinkerbell and the goofy Captain Hook, Disney's version of this story neither supplants nor lessens the Broadway version with Mary Martin that was produced for television the same decade. Unlike some classics, Peter Pan never ages along the way. --Doug Thomas | | | | How "special" is the Special Edition? Very, especially if you consider the initial edition of the Disney animated film contained only one extra: a French soundtrack. This new edition packs some background on the story, plus two games for the kids. Roy Disney hosts the excellent commentary track, which combines archival recordings of Walt Disney along with new commentaries from some of the "Nine Old Men" of Disney animation, as well as other experts and talents. The "restored picture" doesn't add much from the original fine quality of the first DVD, but the soundtrack has been remastered for Dolby 5.1, giving the movie an overall kick. --Doug Thomas | |
| Custom Reviews: | |
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| The Plantinum Edition for Disney's "Peter Pan" lives up to its title | |
| | I never considered Disney's "Peter Pan" to be one of their best animated classics up there with "Bambi" and "Pinocchio," and it was while watching all of the extras that come with this Platinum Edition that I figured out why this is the case. Much is made of Walt Disney's affection for the J.M. Barrie's story of the boy who would not grow up, and it dawned on me that I always identified more with Tom Swift, the boy inventor, than with Peter Pan. Consequently I have developed a hypothesis that there is a choice to be made between Peter Pan and Tom Swift, similar to those we make between Superman and Batman, Elvis and the Beatles, Ginger and Mary Ann, etc., as part of our pop culture consciousness. However, that being said, even those of us who were in a hurry to grow up can still enjoy Disney's unique take on Peter Pan in this 1953 version.
As most of us know from "Finding Neverland" or our own familiarity with the story of the story, "Peter Pan" was originally a stage production with actors being hoisted on wires to fly, Tinker Bell being created by a flashlight, an actor playing Nana and a young woman as Peter. Disney's animated version has great fun making the characters fly, turns Tinker Bell into a pantomime pixie who would become the icon of the Disney studio, and for the first time had the boy who never grew up being modeled and voiced by an actual boy (Bobby Driscoll). Wendy is voiced by Kathryn Beaumont, who had just done the title character Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," by vocally the show is stolen by the great Hans Conreid as both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, and Bill Thompson as the memorable Mr. Smee.
One of the things that proves the immortality of "Peter Pan" is how many different versions of it work, each providing its own twist on the tale (my favorite is director P.J. Hogan's 2003 film version, which I think is far and away the best version for adults). Here the emphasis is on Neverland as the greatest playground ever, where Captain Hook and Tinker Bell take turns stealing the film. Peter Pan is a bit more of an imp here than elsewhere, but that is balanced by the gravitas that Wendy brings to the proceedings. The only serious flaw here is the depiction of the Indians, although a consideration of the song "What Makes the Red Man Red?" from the perspective of contemporary political correctness may still find the racism more silly than anything else. It goes without saying that these attitudes are true to the times, and my preference has always been for pointing out these flaws rather than editing or ignoring them.
I might not consider this a top tier Disney film, but the DVD extras more than make up the difference, because once again we the studio treating its classic film the way all classic films should be treated on a 2-disc DVD set (which includes a new digital restoration). On Disc 1 there is a sneak peak for the upcoming "Tinker Bell" computer animated movie, an opportunity to sing along with the movie's song, and a storybook of "Peter's Playful Prank." Then there is the audio commentary track is a compilation of interview clips "hosted" by Roy Disney. The commentary bears no relation to what is happening on screen so it really is just to be listened to and you will find that several of the bits appear in the featurettes on Disc 2. It is fascinating to listen to the likes of film critic/historian Leonard Malting, animators Marc Davis (Tinker Bell), Frank Thomas (Captain Hook), and Ollie Johnston, along with actresses Beaumont and Margaret Kerry (model for Tinker Bell), and others.
On Disc 2 you get to the Backstage Disney section, which includes Walt Disney's own explanation for "Why I Made 'Peter Pan,'" a mini-documentary on "The Making of 'Peter Pan,'" and one of the highlights of the extra features, "The 'Peter Pan' That Almost Was," that looks at the evolution of the Disney version over the course of more than a decade. There is also a 1952 featurette on the film and Art Galleries considering hundreds of gorgeous pieces of original artwork done for the production. The Music & More section includes the deleted song "The Pirate Song" and the lost song "Never Land" performed by Paige O'Hara, along with a music video of "The Second Star to the Right" performed by T-Square. For Games & Activities there is an Read-Along version of the entire film, "Camp Never Land: Train To Be A Lost Boy," "Smee's Sudoku Challenge," "Tarrrget Practice," and "Tink's Fantasy Flight," all of which will appeal to the wee folk who are not familiar with playing computer games on an actual computer. Finally there is "Peter Pan's Virtual Flight," which I assume takes us over a computer generated London prepared for the upcoming "Tinker Bell" movie.
| | Poor adaptation of Barrie's play misses the point. | |
| | | "The Disney version" of "Peter Pan" clearly demonstrates what is so wrong with "The Disney version" of too many classic stories. It turns Barrie's play into a simple adventure tale, in which the dramatic and (dare I say it?) psycho-sexual elements at the center of Barrie's fantasy are discarded wholesale. There are defensible reasons for this, I suppose. Drama requires talking, but characters who stand around gabbing bring an animated film to a dead stop. I also suspect that Disney simply didn't understand the story in the first place. It wasn't until the Ashman/Menken era that Disney films finally developed any dramatic focus. It's unfortunate, because "Peter Pan" starts off well enough. The late Sammy Fain's "Second Star from the Right," played over the title cards, has one of the most-ravishing melodies in the history of American popular music. (Look for the albums "Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach" and "Heigh-Ho! Mozart" for superb "classical" arrangements of Disney tunes.) The "You Can Fly" sequence is inspired (and can you name any other pop song with an accelerando passage?). But everything quickly bogs down thereafter, with Captain Hook's machinations providing the only fun. There just aren't enough good things in the Disney "Peter Pan" to make up for its failure to treat the source material in an honest and serious fashion.
| | A great cartoon classic, one of Disney's best | |
| | | This wonderful Disney production offers flights of fancy that appeal directly to children's fertile imaginations. The ability to fly, to be a devil-may-care youngster and never grow up, to engage in derring-do with pirates, never having to bother with school, and exploring fantasy worlds of islands, mermaids, Indians and mysterious caves is a powerful magnetic pull for young dreamers. The lush color lensing of this animated adventure is superb, and the characters and catchy tunes add to the pleasure of watching this film, for young and old alike. Peter Pan, the title character, is a spry, charming lad who loves his carefree existence. He is, however, upstaged by his companion, the delightfully naughty Tinker Bell, a temperamental pixie who literally sees red when Wendy accompanies Peter Pan to Never Land. Captain Hook and his shadow, the crocodile, the sniveling Smee, the beautiful mermaids, and the stoic Tiger Lily are the characters who stand out in this movie. Wendy and her brothers, John and Michael are okay and basically come along for the ride. The sprightly song "You Can Fly!-You Can Fly!-You Can Fly!" is just one of the memorable tunes for which Peter Pan is fondly remembered.
| | A quick, enjoyable Disney viewing. | |
| | | This movie animates one of the most imaginative plays ever written, albeit with a little 'Disneyfication.' It's by far my favorite; there is an enjoyably long spectrum of characters. Every time I watch this movie, it takes me back to those times I wish I was in Never-Never-Land. P.S. The claim that this movie is an allegory to the JFK years is easily refutable, since this movie was made in 1953, while the play is over a century old.
| | Lousy Movie, but Great Symbolism! | |
| | | I won't lie. It's been over six years since I have actually seen this movie. Back then I didn't like it. I still don't. But now, I have realized something: there is symbolism in this movie. You see, Peter Pan represents a certain someone. Who, you ask? Come closer. Now, we all know that the character Tinkerbell was modeled after, (or at least drawn to the likeness of), Marilyn Monroe. Coincidence? I don't think so. Can you guess who Pan is yet? Oh-kay, Peter Pan stands for John F. Kennedy- you know, irresponsible, young, womanizing, etc. Don't believe me? Look at Pan! He's dressed in green, the color of the Irish. He associates with not one, not two, but three women in this film. Sounds like JFK to me. Wendy stands as the voice of reason, Jackie. Captain Hook, of course, is Lee Harvey Oswald, and that alligator... or crocodile... thing, is Jack Ruby. Odd, isn't it? Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little essay... or review... or... ah, whatever.
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