This return to Neverland was suppose to be a small scale film that writer Nick Castle was going to direct himself. Spielberg came across the script and then proceeded to toss huge sums of money to get the right to direct it, and then to make one of the most wrong-headed films ever made.
The plot concerns a grown-up Peter Pan who has forgotten Neverland. Hook seeking to get a revenge on his enemy kidnaps his kids and forces Peter to try to remember who he was.
This is proof that with out real vision all of the money in the world won't help you. It also proves that Spielberg's is a limited director. I could rip this film to shreds but will restrain myself by only sighting one or two major mistakes. First are the lost boys, who are skateboarding punk kids from the early 1990's. This should be a timeless tale and Spielberg in order to go for the kid audience instantly dates the film. Spielberg is a pop culture junkie and all of his films are riffs on other films. That can only take you so far with out dating your films and here his need to be now badly wounds the film. Julia Roberts, while nice in theory, is completely wrong as Tinker Bell. Even with movie magic she just looks wrong as Peter's oldest friend. Worse the role as written isn't as feisty as she was in the original novel.
The best thing in the film, and probably the one thing they got right, was Dustin Hoffman as Hook. He chews the scenery and then some and should probably won the Oscar for his role.
Given the choice I would never watch this film again which left me crying in my seat as I became more and more heart broken with each missed chance to make a classic (or even a decent film.)
3 out of 10
See PJ Hogan's Peter Pan instead, thats a classic, this isn't.
The plot concerns a grown-up Peter Pan who has forgotten Neverland. Hook seeking to get a revenge on his enemy kidnaps his kids and forces Peter to try to remember who he was.
This is proof that with out real vision all of the money in the world won't help you. It also proves that Spielberg's is a limited director. I could rip this film to shreds but will restrain myself by only sighting one or two major mistakes. First are the lost boys, who are skateboarding punk kids from the early 1990's. This should be a timeless tale and Spielberg in order to go for the kid audience instantly dates the film. Spielberg is a pop culture junkie and all of his films are riffs on other films. That can only take you so far with out dating your films and here his need to be now badly wounds the film. Julia Roberts, while nice in theory, is completely wrong as Tinker Bell. Even with movie magic she just looks wrong as Peter's oldest friend. Worse the role as written isn't as feisty as she was in the original novel.
The best thing in the film, and probably the one thing they got right, was Dustin Hoffman as Hook. He chews the scenery and then some and should probably won the Oscar for his role.
Given the choice I would never watch this film again which left me crying in my seat as I became more and more heart broken with each missed chance to make a classic (or even a decent film.)
3 out of 10
See PJ Hogan's Peter Pan instead, thats a classic, this isn't.