7/5/2023 0 Comments Sorcery of the spectacle![]() ![]() Peter and his friends – the erstwhile “Lost Boys” serve as Hook’s criminal crew, and of course none can imagine the life-altering journey they’re about to embark on.Īmong the villains they encounter is Elizabeth Bonny (Anna Friel), captain of an avaricious band of swashbuckling cutthroats. Peter’s caretaker is one Jimmy Hook (a snarling Rhys Ifans), a shadowy Faganesque toff, ostracized from cafe society, and eager for revenge. Shades of Pirates of The Caribbean, Harry Potter, The Lost World, Avatar, Star Wars and The Lord of The Rings are all in evidence here, as if the filmmakers felt it necessary to toss in the entire kitchen sink of tweener-friendly fantasy elements. And the Dickens novel isn’t the only source writer/director Nick Willing borrows from. Peter (Charlie Rowe), no longer the wholesome, effervescent imp, is recast as a Dickensian street urchin and petty thief, in a nod to Oliver Twist, prowling the alleyways and rooftops of a luxuriant CGI replica of Edwardian London. No longer content to follow the Ed Wood cinematic playbook, the network is gentrifying, and Neverland exploits this shift with style and depth. Producer Robert Halmi is well-known for his elaborate semi-historical television movies with above-average production values, but here eschewed the idea of a literal Pan remake, instead fashioning a colorful prequel to Barrie’s immortal tale, titled Neverland.Īmazingly, Halmi’s latest opus premiered on the SyFy Channel, home of such “classics” like Rock Monster and Sharktopus. Could James Matthew Barrie have ever envisioned, as he began writing a play about a magical boy in Victorian England, that his story would remain a fountain of drama over a century later? Known by various titles, Peter Pan soon evolved into a novel, but most alive today best recall the several film and TV adaptations, particularly Disney’s vivid 1953 theatrical cartoon, which lives forever in home video and a popular theme park ride. ![]()
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