Peter Pan & Wendy Parent Guide

Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson) is heading to boarding school, as is expected for girls of her age and social class. She has mixed feelings about leaving her younger brothers John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe) and swapping childish play for formal schooling. On the eve of her departure, the Darling children are visited by Peter Pan (Alexander Molony), the hero of their mother’s bedtime stories. He whisks the children away to Neverland, where they meet the Lost Boys, Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatâhk), and a band of pirates led by the evil Captain Hook (Jude Law).

I have strong opinions about Disney’s live action remakes of their classic animated tales. The entire enterprise reeks of corporate greed and spits in the face of artistry and creativity. I have refused to watch most of them, but I was asked to watch this one for money, so I did. (My values only go so deep, apparently.)

Of the many remakes, this is possibly one of the least offensive. It’s well made and has a clear aesthetic. Though polished from a production standpoint, it is extremely bland creatively. This film has nothing original or exciting to add to the oft-adapted tale, which results in a product that just feels like it shouldn’t exist. I was terribly bored throughout the runtime, as I’ve seen this story a million times before. There are slight variations from the original source material and 1953 animated version, but not enough to hold my interest.

That said, I would much rather show this version to my child than the 1953 version for obvious reasons. The film deftly avoids the blatant racism found in both Barrie’s original novel and Disney’s 1953 animated production and makes Tiger Lily a much more active character without all the colonial stereotypes. This version also gives Wendy more complexity and shies away from strong gender stereotypes. I’m not a fan of Peter Pan in general, but I think this would be the version I’d most want my son to grow up with. Not because it’s fantastic, but because it’s a serviceable modern adaptation of a classic story.

The only content concern parents should be aware of is the violence. I’d say it’s on par with what you’d expect from any Peter Pan adaptation. There is some sword fighting and cannons and a crocodile, but never to a level that feels inappropriate for the intended audience, which is children. If you want to share this classic tale with your kids, Peter Pan & Wendy is probably the best adaptation. Just don’t expect anything magical, no matter how many happy thoughts you think.