Childhood can be a very confusing thing. When you’re young, parents and adults have a tendency to tell you that you should enjoy your childhood as much as possible and this lasts until that reality shattering moment when suddenly they inform you that you need to grow up. Some actually do this, abandoning every shred of their childhood and becoming an adult while others will cling to a small piece of their youth, refusing to ever truly grow up and having a strong connection with what many refer to as their inner child. The character of Peter Pan has been the embodiment of that connection with youth no matter what a person’s age might be.
Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up or Peter and Wendy was written by Scottish author J. M. Barrie and first appeared as a play back in 1904 before becoming a novel in 1911. In 1953 Disney would release their animated version which was adapted from the original work. The story is initially set in London in the Darling household where Wendy and her two brothers Michael and John enjoying telling stories of Peter Pan and his legendary battles against the dreaded pirate Captain Hook. Their father, having heard enough about Pan, decides that it’s time for Wendy to grow up and move out of the nursery. With one night left before having to move out, she’s convinced that Peter Pan will arrive because she’s found his shadow and in fact he does, being seen for the first time by the Darling children. After learning of her plight he decides to take all of them to Neverland where they won’t have to grow up although his fairy friend Tinker Bell isn’t happy about having another girl on the island.
Captain Hook attacks Pan and the children as soon as they arrive and Tinker Bell is instructed to take them to safety although she tries to convince the Lost Boys to kill her instead. Peter Pan banishes Tinker Bell for a short time and while he takes Wendy to show her more of the island, he instructs the Lost Boys along with Michael and John to find the Indians on the island so they can find Tiger Lilly. The Indians however think that the Lost Boys have Tiger Lilly and kidnap them. Captain Hook and his men are looking for Tiger Lilly as well hoping that she can lead the pirates to Peter Pan which eventually leads to a final confrontation between Peter Pan and his longtime nemesis.
Originally Peter Pan was intended to be the second full-length animated feature released by Walt Disney but instead was the second. It probably wouldn’t have mattered when Peter Pan was released because it was destined to become another of Disney’s classic films and when it was initially released it became one of the highest grossing films of the year. What is interesting however is that while the film itself has become a classic it has become Tinker Bell who has become the better known character. We’ve seen her time and time again as a part of animated introductions for Disney films and in 2005, over fifty years after the premier of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell debuted in the first novel intended for young, female readers. Tinker Bell had already become a hit and been featured on plenty of merchandise and the success of the novels paved the way for a series of animated, straight-to-video, computer animated films with at least one more in the works.
Disney of course made changes between the original work and what is presented in the feature film, something which is expected with virtually all of the animated films. Most of these aren’t necessarily important and don’t destroy the true vision although there is one which I feel would have been a great inclusion. The stage version of Peter Pan traditionally features the same actor in the role of Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. This helps to really work in the overall idea that Peter Pan is about keeping in touch with your youth. Mr. Darling is forcing Wendy to grow up while Captain Hook is trying to kill Peter Pan who is the representation of that inner child and never growing up. I feel that had Disney used the same character in both roles it would have added another layer of complexity to the movie in terms of the plot.
In terms of the movie, I’ve never really felt that the Darling children are nearly as important as most of the other characters, particularly Peter Pan and Captain Hook as the representations of childhood and adulthood although without the children much of the story probably wouldn’t work as well. Wendy ends up being the damsel in distress type of character. Hook is a very devious character, not quite as evil as one of the greatest Disney villains, Maleficent, but he ranks right up there especially as it is implied that he’s willing to kill members of his crew without remorse. Tinker Bell despite her popularity is really kind of a brat although there’s another word I’d prefer to use which also starts with “b.” She tries to kill Wendy, she throws tantrums, and eventually she shows Hook the location of Peter Pan just so she can get rid of Wendy. Unfortunately the Tinker Bell animated film series ended without much resolution as they were set prior to her meeting Peter Pan so there’s no real idea of what might have caused her drastic change in attitude. The Tink of the recent films seems to be a bit more compassionate and while she gets into trouble often, she never takes any actions which would lead her down the path to murder let alone siding with a pirate simply for the same of revenge.
As with many older Disney films, Peter Pan also has characterizations which might be considered to be racist. In this instance it’s the Indians who are very stereotypical of how Hollywood thought they should be portrayed in film. The difference however is that unlike other movies in their vaults, Disney never seems to receive any complaints about how the movie shouldn’t be released. Of course the film in question is Song of the South which always ends up having the NAACP upset when it makes it onto the release calendar although even some of them have stated the significance of the movie. Curiously, they never seem to be upset with something like Dumbo which also has stereotypes and it’s apparently acceptable when a modern African-American director or screenwriter works in stereotypes into their latest film.
If there is any single complaint that I have about Peter Pan it’s that unlike many other Disney features, I really don’t feel that the soundtrack is that memorable especially when it comes to the songs. “You Can Fly” is the one standout with the others being bland and often forgettable. Even the score itself which was composed by Oliver Wallace isn’t quite as good as some of Wallace’s other work on Disney films and over his career, he was involved in a number of notable animated features and he was involved with a number of Walt Disney’s animated films ever since the very beginning of the studio.
The anniversary edition of Peter Pan does include some new features which have not previously been seen on past releases of the movie. As listed in the press release you will find:
Stories from Walt’s Office: Walt & Flight – “Think of the happiest things, it’s the same as having wings”. One thing you’ll notice inside Walt Disney’s office are all of the models and pictures of airplanes. Walt loved planes and was an aficionado of flying. As a continuation of the “Stories from Walt’s Office” series, we’ll soar into the world of one of Walt’s favorite pastimes and look at the history behind the company airplane he used to scout Central Florida looking for the perfect place to build his second theme park.
- A “Darling” Conversation with Wendy & John: Kathryn Beaumont and Paul Collins – Join Disney Legend Kathryn Beaumont (the voice of Wendy) and Paul Collins (the voice of John) as they reunite for the first time in many years to reminisce and discuss their experiences working on Peter Pan, meeting Walt Disney and learning to fly … literally.
- You Can Fly” – A new “Oke” rendition and graphic look of the classic Disney song, “You Can Fly,” with fun lyrics on screen and lots of your favorite “Peter Pan” characters.
- “Never Smile at a Crocodile” – A new “Oke” rendition and graphic look of the deleted song, “Never Smile at a Crocodile”, with fun lyrics on screen and highlighting the relationship between Captain Hook and Tick- Tock the Crocodile.
The blu-ray also includes classic extras which have been part of past Peter Pan releases. DisneyView is still a part of the release as well as deleted scenes, deleted songs, a sing-a-long version of the film, an extra focusing on the Nine Old Men who, if you don’t already know, were the core Disney animation team for years. There is also audio commentary by Roy Disney, music videos, and a selection of Backstage Disney material. The release also has a DVD copy of the film and of course a digital HD code.
Peter Pan is just as timeless as that everlasting youth as Pan himself wants to bestow upon everyone. Just like with any of the classic Disney films, Peter Pan coming to blu-ray is a much appreciated addition to for any fan to add into their collection and if the movie hasn’t worn out its welcome after over sixty years, undoubtedly it will still be a favorite even after several more decades have passed and remain a timeless piece of Disney’s animated feature legacy.
Mike is the resident reviewer for Couponing to Disney and his own site Underland Online. He has a toddler daughter and is obsessed with Haunted Mansion and all things Disney. You can read Mike’s complete bio here.