Movie Review

Return to Never Land (G)

Stephanie N. Marcucci

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Hollywood.com Says

Giving a timeless classic a fresh perspective for a new generation, this sequel fares well--it'll make you open your heart to "faith, trust and pixie dust."

Story

Now a grown-up, Wendy (voiced by Kath Soucie) has two children of her own, Jane (voiced by Harriet Owen) and Danny (voiced by Andrew McDonough), who are in desperate need of the fantastic and magical world of Peter Pan (voiced by Blayne Weaver). As the small family deals with the tragedy and terror of World War II London, Wendy tries to spread hope and cheer to her children by recounting her own childhood adventures with everlasting boy Peter Pan, the fairy Tinker Bell and the unsuccessful-but-still-dangerous pirate Captain Hook (voiced by Corey Burton). While toddler Danny is captivated, pre-teen Jane refuses to believe in "faith, trust and pixie dust" until one night when Captain Hook's great pirate ship flies through her bedroom window and kidnaps her--thinking she is Wendy--in an effort to trap Peter Pan. The story unfolds as Jane must learn to believe in this whimsical world if she ever wants to return from Never Land.

Acting

The voices match their characters well: 25-year-old animation newbie Blayne Weaver makes Peter Pan "all boy" as he coyly tells Jane of Tinker Bell's jealousy, "all girls get like that around me." He also leads the clan of six "lost boys" (dressed as twin raccoons, a bear, a skunk, a rabbit and a fox) with great diligence. The boys offer silly, childlike comic relief like when they make pacts to "stick" together by way of spitting in their hands and slapping them together. The real treat, though, is animation veteran Jeff Bennett, who voices the small role of Smee, Hook's "left"-hand man. His lack of faith in Hook's plots against Pan have him mumbling funny one-liners and singing songs that predict Hook will "bumble and fumble" every time.

Direction

Jane's trip from her bedroom window to Never Land includes a fly-by right past the clock face of Big Ben. Co-directors Robin Budd and Donovan Cook set the stage with this great London symbol as they remind us that time is of the essence. The harsh realities of war threaten to make Jane hard-edged and uncaring, and she must truly believe in the world of Never Land before her childhood innocence is lost forever. Shadows play into the time theme as well. From the beginning credits and throughout the film, whenever Peter Pan and company fly, their shadows leave impressions in the clouds that remind us Never Land is not so far away; rather, it lingers just beyond the shadows in our own world. The humor in the film is kid-friendly, clean and often subtle; the only scene even coming close to "potty humor" is when an octopus rips the pants off Captain Hook. When Hook's white boxers are revealed, dotted with big, red hearts, the kids are sure to laugh aloud. (It's also a nice touch considering the film sports a Valentine's Day opening.)

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