Blame Alice.
As much as anything, it was Tim Burton’s 2010 live-action adaptation of Walt Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland,” which rocketed to more than $1 billion in ticket sales, that convinced Disney brass that there is, indeed, gold in remakes of the studio’s classic animated fare.
That sent them down a cinematic rabbit hole that over the past decade-plus has brought us a handful of hits (2016’s “The Jungle Book”) alongside some lamentable misses (“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”).
Far and away, though, Disney’s live-action dalliances have been uneven affairs that are, paradoxically, both shiny and dull at the same time.
That is to say, they are often drop-dead gorgeous visually — but otherwise lifeless examples of storytelling, failing to capture the magic of what made their animated predecessors so wonderful to begin with.
That’s the group to which director David Lowery’s “Peter Pan & Wendy” belongs.
Pretty, but…
Based on Disney’s 1953 “Peter Pan,” in turn inspired by J.M. Barrie’s 1911 novel, it is an undeniably fetching film. That’s been Lowery’s stock in trade since his first major release, 2013’s Shreveport-shot “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.”
But even with pirates, a fairy, a Native American princess and a man-eating crocodile, it arrives as oddly unimaginative stuff.
Like Jude Law’s Captain Hook, the film’s piratical antagonist, “Peter Pan & Wendy” is filled with bluster and bombast, indulging in frequent action sequences that — with an overreliance on CG enhancements — are admittedly beautiful but on the whole boring.
In its third act, it also strives for a sense of sentimentality that bogs the story down, sapping it of much of its momentum and childhood wonder.
In short, this version of Barrie’s classic tale — which is all about the joy of childhood and the pitfalls of adulthood — feels awfully grown up at times.
Disney falls short
What’s really missing is a little more pixie dust, a little something special to distinguish it from the umpteen adaptations of Barrie’s tale we’ve gotten over the years.
In this case, it appears Disney was determined to do that by leaning into the visuals. That’s certainly why they put Lowery in charge of things. His work on its 2016 remake of the studio’s “Pete’s Dragon” — one of Disney’s live-action success stories — also didn’t hurt.
But the key differences are that “Pete’s Dragon,” while a nostalgic favorite of many 1970s kids, was never a true classic the way “Peter Pan” was. Consequently, Lowery had a little more leeway to tinker with the story.
With “Peter Pan & Wendy,” there’s only so much artistic license one can take before fans start levying accusations of cinematic malpractice.
As a result, the story fundamentals are mostly in place here. You know the basics: The Darling children — Wendy, John and Michael — are whisked away by Peter Pan to Neverland, a magical but perilous place where children never grow up, nothing ever changes and nonstop adventure beckons.
That narrative faithfulness might feel limiting to those looking for something fresh — like in Benh Zeitlin’s underappreciated 2020 fantasy “Wendy” — although Disney fans will appreciate the familiarity.
About the princess
As changes go, among the most welcome is the smoothing over of the problematic cultural insensitivities that marred the 1953 film, notably including the depiction of the native princess Tiger Lily. She’s still here, but those racist depictions of her father and other tribe members are gone.
Just as important is the fact that she’s played here by Alyssa Wapanatâhk, a member of the Cree nation who speaks her native tongue in the film, a smart answer to the white-washing controversy that followed the casting of Rooney Mara in the role in Warner Bros.’ 2015 live-action “Pan.”
The presence of Wapanatâhk, along with the casting of “Black-ish” actress Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell and the ethnically ambiguous Alexander Molony as Peter, is a commendable display of inclusion that required little effort or energy but which means a lot.
If only Lowery and company had been so dedicated when it came to weaving a memorable tale.
By my count, “Peter Pan & Wendy” is Disney’s 16th live-action reimagining of one of its classic animated films since “Alice in Wonderland.” It will not be the last, with work underway on a handful of others, including “The Little Mermaid,” “Snow White,” “Lilo and Stitch,” “The Aristocats” and more.
My fingers are crossed that one or more of those becomes a latter-day classic.
In this case, however, “Peter Pan & Wendy” is more likely to become a quickly forgotten footnote in both Neverland and Disney’s shared history.
Mike Scott can be reached at moviegoermike@gmail.com.
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