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Adam_S · 01-05-2004, 09:23 PM

out of four

Give me a great family movie and you've made me a very happy person. This is a great family movie. PJ Hogan has stayed close to the JM Barrie original and shows us that there is still magic and wonder to be had in a powerful story told to perfection. The acting by the children was especially exceptional. And the adults were wonderful as well (the mother's brief role, and Hook/Mr. Darling). But truly extraordinary is the performance that Wendy and Pan give. They seem all to real, even in a fantasy land there is a ineffable sadness to their relationship.

There was something special to Wendy and Peter dancing in the air, while every adult in the audience mirrored the awe in Hooks face at the beauty and perfect innocence of the moment. For that moment, it is both Hook watching Wendy and Mr. Darling realizing his daughter has become a young woman, it's a brilliant bit of understated acting.

There are so many lovely, small touches to the film. the way neverland is shaped by Peter's moods and abscence--it's so quietly done, never overtly, but everyone knows it. The look and stylized magic of neverland was perfect. Neverland is the way children understand things before science tells them 'the truth': clouds can be bounced on, you can fall from terribly high but you're okay if you fall in water, there's nothing worser than a girl seeing you naked, a stuffed animal deserves as much sympathy and respect and the same treatment as a person, adults want the same things as kids, and there is nothing (absolutely nothing) as wonderful as a good story--except maybe a good storyteller.

There is truth and magic in this story, and the movie conveys it wonderfully. When other family films and adaptations (like Holes) have done a good job, Peter Pan exceeds them to make a truly incredible and powerful film. One of the best of the year. An absolute delight.

Adam

01-05-2004, 09:23 PM	#6 of 9
Adam_S *Adam_S* Member Location: Marina del Rey, CA Join Date: Feb 2001 Local Time: 09:49 PM Local Date: 12-03-2008 Posts: 5,068	out of four Give me a great family movie and you've made me a very happy person. This is a great family movie. PJ Hogan has stayed close to the JM Barrie original and shows us that there is still magic and wonder to be had in a powerful story told to perfection. The acting by the children was especially exceptional. And the adults were wonderful as well (the mother's brief role, and Hook/Mr. Darling). But truly extraordinary is the performance that Wendy and Pan give. They seem all to real, even in a fantasy land there is a ineffable sadness to their relationship. There was something special to Wendy and Peter dancing in the air, while every adult in the audience mirrored the awe in Hooks face at the beauty and perfect innocence of the moment. For that moment, it is both Hook watching Wendy and Mr. Darling realizing his daughter has become a young woman, it's a brilliant bit of understated acting. There are so many lovely, small touches to the film. the way neverland is shaped by Peter's moods and abscence--it's so quietly done, never overtly, but everyone knows it. The look and stylized magic of neverland was perfect. Neverland is the way children understand things before science tells them 'the truth': clouds can be bounced on, you can fall from terribly high but you're okay if you fall in water, there's nothing worser than a girl seeing you naked, a stuffed animal deserves as much sympathy and respect and the same treatment as a person, adults want the same things as kids, and there is nothing (absolutely nothing) as wonderful as a good story--except maybe a good storyteller. There is truth and magic in this story, and the movie conveys it wonderfully. When other family films and adaptations (like Holes) have done a good job, Peter Pan exceeds them to make a truly incredible and powerful film. One of the best of the year. An absolute delight. Adam top 20 films 2008 film list My DVDs; S&S List 62...212 AFI lists: - DONE!