2003’s
PETER PAN ($27) is a sumptuous adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s
classic fantasy work about the adventures of mischievous young boy, who
can not only fly, but also battles pirates, and above all else, refuses to
grow up. Set in the Victorian period, PETER PAN opens in the London
household of the Darling family; where young Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood)
likes to tell adventurous stories to her two brothers John (Harry Newell)
and Michael (Freddie Popplewell). Unbeknownst to the Darling children is
the fact that Wendy’s stories have caught the ear of the adventure
loving Peter Pan, who likes to listen to Wendy’s tales while hovering
outside the nursery window. However, when Darling children are faced with
change and the prospect of growing up, Peter offers to take all three of
them to Neverland, where Wendy can serve mother figure and chief
storyteller to Peter’s band of Lost Boys. Of course, things aren’t
completely rosy in Neverland, with Peter and the Lost Boys repeatedly
facing off against Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs) and his pirate crew.
This
superior adaptation of PETER PAN is certainly no Disney movie, as
it carries a great deal of emotional depth and doesn’t shy away from the
darker aspects of the story. I should also point out that this film is
also a marvel of production design, which not only beautifully recreates
Victorian London; it also brings a very dreamlike quality to its version
of Neverland. Additionally, the acting is really first rate, with Jason
Isaacs shining not only in the broad villainous role of Captain Hook, but
also as Wendy’s loving father Mr. Darling. Rachel Hurd-Wood also
provides another terrific performance as Wendy and displays good chemistry
Jeremy Sumpter’s delightful Peter Pan. The cast of PETER PAN also
features Ludivine Sagnier (who makes a marvelous Tinkerbelle), Lynn
Redgrave, Richard Briers, Olivia Williams, Geoffrey Palmer, Theodore
Chester, Rupert Simonian, George MacKay, Harry Eden, Patrick Gooch,
Lachlan Gooch, Carsen Gray and Bruce Spence.
Universal
Studios Home Video has made PETER PAN available on DVD in a 2.35:1
widescreen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on 16:9
displays. The transfer is really terrific; reproducing the visual splendor
of the movie as best accomplished under NTSC resolution. Sharpness and
detail are pretty much excellent, with only the odd shot appearing a hair
less detailed than the vast majority of the film. Colors are absolutely
gorgeous; appearing vivid and richly saturated, which is occasionally
taken to the extreme. Flesh tones maintain a very appealing quality, even
when the rest of the palette pushes into the surreal. Black appear
velvety, whites are crisp and the contrast is just fine. Shadow detail is
very good for the darker sequences and picture generally produces a nice
dimensional quality. The film elements are very clean and there is very
little appreciable grain. Digital compression artifacts are very well
concealed.
PETER
PAN comes with an excellent sounding Dolby Digital 5.1 channel
soundtrack that is a perfect complement to the film’s wonderful visuals.
Aggressively mixed, all of the discrete channels are used to full
advantage to bring the entire soundstage to life. Sound effects, both big
and small, pan effortlessly between channels, while maintaining the
cohesiveness of the film’s sonic environments. Action sequences are
totally engaging and one really has to love the moments on the pirate ship
with clanking swords and the blaring cannons that try unsuccessfully to
hit the film’s rapidly flying hero. The bass channel is punchy, plus it
produces a goodly amount of low rumble, which enhances the appearances of
a certain reptile with a taste for Captain Hook. Musical fidelity is also
terrific, with the film’s delightful score coming across in a full, rich
manner. Dialogue is always completely understandable and the voices have a
terrific sense of character. A French 5.1 channel track is also encoded
onto the DVD, as are English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD's interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as some nice extras. In terms of supplemental
programming, the DVD contains more than its share of brief programs broken
up into four sections. The Darling House section features a
rather bittersweet Alternate Ending, a well as an amusing Deleted
Scene. Me & My Shadow looks at the sequence with
Peter and his shadow was created, while In The Dog House With Nana
introduces the canines behind the Darling family "nurse." The Neverland
Forest section features Explore the Forest, which is
a brief look at the creation of one of the film’s primary sets. Tinkerbell:
Behind the Fairy Dust provides an introduction to actress Ludivine
Sagnier and how her performance was augmented with a CGI double, while I
Do Believe in Fairies looks at how the other fairies in the film
were created. Princess Tiger Lily provides a brief
introduction to actress Carsen Gray.
The
Black Castle section features Enter the Castle,
which looks at the creation of the film’s creepiest set. Learning
to Fly looks at the flying rigs and training that the actors
underwent for the film’s flying sequences. The Mermaids Tale
looks at the makeup and costumes applied to one the aquatic dangers of
Neverland. Prompting for the DVD-ROM features can also be found in this
section. The Pirates' Ship section features Board The
Pirate Ship, a look at the pirate ship set. Through The Eyes
Of Captain Hook is behind the scenes with Jason Isaacs. The
Pirates vs. The Lost Boys provides a glimpse at the actors in
these roles. The Lost Pirate Song features the prerecording
of a song that was ultimately not filmed.
The
Home Under The Ground section features Dig Under the
Home, a look at the creation of Peter’s underground lair. The
Legacy of Pan is the longest program, which happens to be hosted
by Sarah Ferguson, who discuses the history of J.M. Barrie’s classic
fantasy work. The Duchess's Outtakes are a couple of minutes
worth royal grade flubbing from the previous featurette. Lost Boys
On The Set offers a brief glimpse of the actors portraying Peter’s
Neverland compatriots. A couple of bonus trailers close out the extras.
As
I stated above, 2003’s PETER PAN is a rather sumptuous adaptation
of the classic fantasy, which brings a deeper and darker edge to the
material than has been seen in previous screen incarnations. The
widescreen DVD looks and sounds marvelous, plus it includes some enjoyable
extras. If you are a fan of PETER PAN, then this is a DVD well
worth acquiring. Recommended.
2003’s
PETER PAN ($27) is a sumptuous adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s
classic fantasy work about the adventures of mischievous young boy, who
can not only fly, but also battles pirates, and above all else, refuses to
grow up. Set in the Victorian period, PETER PAN opens in the London
household of the Darling family; where young Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood)
likes to tell adventurous stories to her two brothers John (Harry Newell)
and Michael (Freddie Popplewell). Unbeknownst to the Darling children is
the fact that Wendy’s stories have caught the ear of the adventure
loving Peter Pan, who likes to listen to Wendy’s tales while hovering
outside the nursery window. However, when Darling children are faced with
change and the prospect of growing up, Peter offers to take all three of
them to Neverland, where Wendy can serve mother figure and chief
storyteller to Peter’s band of Lost Boys. Of course, things aren’t
completely rosy in Neverland, with Peter and the Lost Boys repeatedly
facing off against Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs) and his pirate crew.
This
superior adaptation of PETER PAN is certainly no Disney movie, as
it carries a great deal of emotional depth and doesn’t shy away from the
darker aspects of the story. I should also point out that this film is
also a marvel of production design, which not only beautifully recreates
Victorian London; it also brings a very dreamlike quality to its version
of Neverland. Additionally, the acting is really first rate, with Jason
Isaacs shining not only in the broad villainous role of Captain Hook, but
also as Wendy’s loving father Mr. Darling. Rachel Hurd-Wood also
provides another terrific performance as Wendy and displays good chemistry
Jeremy Sumpter’s delightful Peter Pan. The cast of PETER PAN also
features Ludivine Sagnier (who makes a marvelous Tinkerbelle), Lynn
Redgrave, Richard Briers, Olivia Williams, Geoffrey Palmer, Theodore
Chester, Rupert Simonian, George MacKay, Harry Eden, Patrick Gooch,
Lachlan Gooch, Carsen Gray and Bruce Spence.
Universal
Studios Home Video has made PETER PAN available on DVD in a 2.35:1
widescreen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on 16:9
displays. The transfer is really terrific; reproducing the visual splendor
of the movie as best accomplished under NTSC resolution. Sharpness and
detail are pretty much excellent, with only the odd shot appearing a hair
less detailed than the vast majority of the film. Colors are absolutely
gorgeous; appearing vivid and richly saturated, which is occasionally
taken to the extreme. Flesh tones maintain a very appealing quality, even
when the rest of the palette pushes into the surreal. Black appear
velvety, whites are crisp and the contrast is just fine. Shadow detail is
very good for the darker sequences and picture generally produces a nice
dimensional quality. The film elements are very clean and there is very
little appreciable grain. Digital compression artifacts are very well
concealed.
PETER
PAN comes with an excellent sounding Dolby Digital 5.1 channel
soundtrack that is a perfect complement to the film’s wonderful visuals.
Aggressively mixed, all of the discrete channels are used to full
advantage to bring the entire soundstage to life. Sound effects, both big
and small, pan effortlessly between channels, while maintaining the
cohesiveness of the film’s sonic environments. Action sequences are
totally engaging and one really has to love the moments on the pirate ship
with clanking swords and the blaring cannons that try unsuccessfully to
hit the film’s rapidly flying hero. The bass channel is punchy, plus it
produces a goodly amount of low rumble, which enhances the appearances of
a certain reptile with a taste for Captain Hook. Musical fidelity is also
terrific, with the film’s delightful score coming across in a full, rich
manner. Dialogue is always completely understandable and the voices have a
terrific sense of character. A French 5.1 channel track is also encoded
onto the DVD, as are English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD's interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as some nice extras. In terms of supplemental
programming, the DVD contains more than its share of brief programs broken
up into four sections. The Darling House section features a
rather bittersweet Alternate Ending, a well as an amusing Deleted
Scene. Me & My Shadow looks at the sequence with
Peter and his shadow was created, while In The Dog House With Nana
introduces the canines behind the Darling family "nurse." The Neverland
Forest section features Explore the Forest, which is
a brief look at the creation of one of the film’s primary sets. Tinkerbell:
Behind the Fairy Dust provides an introduction to actress Ludivine
Sagnier and how her performance was augmented with a CGI double, while I
Do Believe in Fairies looks at how the other fairies in the film
were created. Princess Tiger Lily provides a brief
introduction to actress Carsen Gray.
The
Black Castle section features Enter the Castle,
which looks at the creation of the film’s creepiest set. Learning
to Fly looks at the flying rigs and training that the actors
underwent for the film’s flying sequences. The Mermaids Tale
looks at the makeup and costumes applied to one the aquatic dangers of
Neverland. Prompting for the DVD-ROM features can also be found in this
section. The Pirates' Ship section features Board The
Pirate Ship, a look at the pirate ship set. Through The Eyes
Of Captain Hook is behind the scenes with Jason Isaacs. The
Pirates vs. The Lost Boys provides a glimpse at the actors in
these roles. The Lost Pirate Song features the prerecording
of a song that was ultimately not filmed. 
The
Home Under The Ground section features Dig Under the
Home, a look at the creation of Peter’s underground lair. The
Legacy of Pan is the longest program, which happens to be hosted
by Sarah Ferguson, who discuses the history of J.M. Barrie’s classic
fantasy work. The Duchess's Outtakes are a couple of minutes
worth royal grade flubbing from the previous featurette. Lost Boys
On The Set offers a brief glimpse of the actors portraying Peter’s
Neverland compatriots. A couple of bonus trailers close out the extras.
As
I stated above, 2003’s PETER PAN is a rather sumptuous adaptation
of the classic fantasy, which brings a deeper and darker edge to the
material than has been seen in previous screen incarnations. The
widescreen DVD looks and sounds marvelous, plus it includes some enjoyable
extras. If you are a fan of PETER PAN, then this is a DVD well
worth acquiring. Recommended.
