My least favorite business practice of Disney’s (other than buying up all of their competition) has always been their fondness for pumping out cheap sequels to their classic films. Usually, these sequels would release directly to DVD, but the company made an exception with this movie by giving it a theatrical release.
It still wasn’t treated like their other animated films. Production was entrusted to DisneyToon Studios, the outfit responsible for A Goofy Movie and The Tigger Movie. Needless to say, I did not go into this one with high expectations.
As everyone knows, the original Peter Pan cartoon was based on the stories of J.M. Barrie and followed the adventures of Wendy, John, and Michael Darling who traveled to Never Land in the company of perpetual youngster Peter and his best friend Tinkerbell, a fairy.
The sequel picks up with Wendy now an adult with three children of her own. Her oldest daughter Jane (Harriet Owen) is a practical sort and has little use for her mother’s stories of Lost Boys, pirates, and pixie dust. The girl could probably benefit from some childish distractions, as the story takes place during WWII in the midst of the London Blitz.
Jane’s already hazardous life is thrown further into disarray when she is kidnapped by Captain Hook (Corey Burton) who, mistaking her for Wendy, spirits her away to Never Land to be used as bait to lure Peter Pan (Blayne Weaver). Peter quickly effects a rescue, but finds that Wendy’s daughter has no interest in sticking around and playing games with him.
Jane actually makes for quite a likable and sympathetic hero in these scenes, as her well-planned attempts to escape the island never seem to work out. Peter tries to help her, but she balks at his insistence that she can fly home with the aid of some pixie dust. Jane informs him that she doesn’t even believe in fairies, and those of us who are well-versed in fairy lore know the effect that such a pronouncement could have on Tinkerbell’s health.
So the climax is set up as a race to see if Jane can discover how to have an imagination, while Hook simultaneously continues his efforts to finally do away with Peter for good.
The movie wasn’t as terrible as I feared going in, although I’d have a hard time recommending it to anyone but small children. Its saving graces are the scenes where Jane slowly acquaints herself with the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell. Despite her serious nature, she does have a playful side, and her casual flirtations with Peter enliven some of these early scenes. Her gradually thawing relationship with the jealous Tinkerbell also produces some nice moments.
Captain Hook is almost unwatchable, as the filmmakers took what was a humorous character in the original and attempted to crank up the comedy to an absurd degree. One of his first scenes is an extended slapstick sequence involving a giant octopus that goes on for several minutes too long.
The movie would’ve been a complete bore if not for some small, well-observed moments peppered throughout, especially a late reunion that was surprisingly touching.
⭐️⭐️1/2
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