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New ‘Pan’ is Really a Revisionist Peter Pan
By Sandra Olmsted
Even though James M. Barrie’s Peter Pan has a timeless quality, transporting the story to the WWII era raises serious questions regarding director Joe Wright’s film, Pan, ability to function as the prequel is it advertised to be. The story opens with a baby named Peter being left on the doorstep of an orphanage. Several years later, the orphans go hungry while Mother Barnabas (Kathy Burke), a frighteningly cruel caregiver, grows fat. During the Blitz, Peter (Levi Miller) and his best friend, Nibs (Lewis MacDougall) decide to explore her office for evidence she is taking their food. Peter is also suspicious of why other boys in their dormitory are disappearing at night. Although told the boys have been evacuated to Canada for safety, Peter rightly doesn’t trust Barnabas.
Soon enough they discover the truth, which involves Pirates with a flying galleon that can outmaneuver the British aces and German bombers. Then, Peter and Nib are separated, and Peter is whisked off to Neverland and put to work in Blackbeard’s (Hugh Jackman) mine. The mine workers are almost all children “from all over the world.” A few are older, like Hook (Garrett Hedlund), who eventually befriends Peter for opportunistic reasons, and Sam Smiegel (Adeel Akhtar), the obsequious toady for Blackbeard.
In Neverland, there is a long running battle between Blackbeard, who is mining the fairy dust for his own benefit, and the native tribes of fairies and possibly escaped child slave laborers. There is also a legend that a boy who can fly will come and free the fairy tribes from the evil dictatorship of Blackbeard. Soon, Peter is revealed to be the boy who can lead the fairy tribes to victory, and Hook steals flying galleon in hope of reach “home” even though Peter still hopes to find his mother. Quickly, the fairy tribes, led by Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), capture Peter, Hook, and Sam, who tagged along. If Peter, who is afraid of heights, can fly again, they will all be spared. In the meantime, Blackbeard searches for Peter and hopes to be led to the hidden, invisible kingdom of the fairy tribes. Eventually, a battle ensues.
Since much of Barrie’s original story is anchored in transition from the Victorian Era to Edwardian Era, circa 1901, some of screenwriter Jason Fuchs’ choices for this “prequel” make sense because the setting evokes the earlier time and society. Wonderfully old-fashioned, Pan evokes Hugo with Steampunk design, a young orphan in danger, and the dark plot twists with humor. The special effects are technically as cutting edge as any big budget action adventure and keep the pace and excitement going.
Although the themes of Britain’s fading Empire, America as the land of opportunity, and Neverland as the afterlife are raised early in the film, these are abandoned for images of child and slave labor, directorships, multicultural harmony, and battles for independence and freedom. Although the images are not unrelated, the original themes are not brought to resolution, leaving a hole in the film’s heart, which is amply filled with exciting scenes and technically stunning special effects. The acting also helps to keep the film interesting and moving. Miller and the featured child actors do a great job, and the veteran actors deliver powerful performances as fantasy characters, especially Mara.
Pan, a Warner Bros. release, is an exciting film that will entertain children who are old enough to deal with the themes of death that are very much a part of Barrie’s work. How it all relates to Barrie’s Peter Pan can only be answered with another prequel, which must include time travel since this Peter lives after the Darling children on Barrie’s story. Rated PG for fantasy action violence, language and some thematic material and running 111 (sometimes long) minutes, Pan opens in theaters Oct. 9.
