Film Reviews

Peter Pan

• Rating:
• Director: P.J. Hogan.
• Starring: Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lynn Redgrave, Richard Briers, Olivia Williams, Geoffrey Palmer, Harry Newell, Ludivine Sagnier.
• Details: US / 105 mins / (G).

The first live-action version of the story with a little boy playing the lead role, 'Peter Pan' is a visually fresh retelling of the J.M. Barrie play, which, unlike say Hook (1991), remains refreshingly true to its source material. Last seen playing a sassy sexpot in 'Swimming Pool', Ludivine Sagnier tones it down to play Fairy Tinkerbell who accompanies Peter Pan (Sumpter) to visit the Darling children - John, Michael and Wendy. From here the gang returns with the boy who never grew up to the fabled Neverland where they are engaged in a vicious war with the evil Pirate Captain Hook (Isaacs). However, it isn't long before Wendy realises that if she and her brothers stay in Neverland for much longer, they'll never see their parents again. As enticing as that parent-free existence initially sounds, the nippers decide that they should really return, and formulate plans to do just that before the Hookmeister gets his spoke in. Resolutely old fashioned and bathed in a degree of innocence which is endearingly quaint, 'Peter Pan' is one of those films which young children will embrace, while accompanying adults should find enough to amuse themselves with the hamfisted porkiness of Isaacs, always on hand with a sly quip and the sort of clumsy delivery which appears to be mandatory for villainous sorts in these types of films. Although the story itself is timeless, the special effects can look a bit ropey - the flying sequences in particular leave something to be desired in terms of technical execution. Still if the kids are too young for 'Return of the King', try this on for size.

Review by Garreth Murphy