Peter Pan & Diversity

It’s back; the movie that made kids believe that, if they wished hard enough and found the perfect launch point, they could fly – for a brief second before breaking a bone. Peter Pan was one of my favourite Disney movies growing up because it valued youth and adventure over wedding bells and social obligations. And it encouraged kids to roll in glitter before jumping off the highest structure they could access. Weee! No one denies that the original animated Peter Pan comes with some cringy cultural legacies – the “red men,” to name just one. But don’t worry, it’s 2023 and Disney’s fixed it. Again. They threw Peter Pan through a gender-based analysis tumble dry and out popped Peter Pan & Wendy. See? A notable change already and we’ve barely begun.

It’s the same story: a magical boy kidnaps three children and deposits them on an island full of pirates, fairies, and Indians where they fend off the obsessive Captain Hook (Jude Law) and make it back home in time for breakfast. Peter Pan & Wendy sticks to the original animated formula like scaffolding on a building, dropping only a few side quests in the interest of time. Other than being live-action, the most obvious difference from the original recipe is how it wedges inclusion and empowerment into every scene. On the one hand, great job trying to represent your audience. On the other…

For some inexplicable reason, by trying to be as inclusive as possible, Peter Pan & Wendy loses something. That’s the trap with remakes; no matter how lovely they look, they aren’t the original, and my nostalgic heart has trouble loving a CGI-coated substitute. But let’s be fair and try to dissect Peter Pan & Wendy for the movie it is, not the one it’s trying to replace.

Diversity – great. Peter Pan & Wendy has people of colour, with disabilities, of all ages, and it’s nice to see. Points for representation. The biggest win for this entire movie, without question, is Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatâhk), not because she’s actually indigenous (we’d be rioting if she wasn’t) but because she’s the only character with legitimate survival skills. I can’t think of a single situation that doesn’t end with Tiger Lily swooping in, sometimes literally, to save the day. She fights, she heals, she shares the wisdom of her people, she shines with all the authority of the morning sun. Why the lost boys follow Peter instead of this natural goddess is a riddle. I demand a Tiger Lily movie.

Inclusion – a solid effort. The lost boys aren’t all boys. Imagine. This is one of the many changes that Disney made to the story that doesn’t change the story whatsoever. The lost boys are a haggling band of spectators.

Sadly, they’re also about as exciting as Peter (Alexander Molony). Looking closer, I think this is the gravel upon which Peter Pan & Wendy stumbles; it tries to make every character redeemable starting with the snootiest of little snots. Pan is a prankster who famously forgets that people have feelings and actions have consequences. His epic feuds never grow old because Peter can’t grow. At all. In any shape or metaphor. Peter Pan & Wendy ignores this cornerstone of the story – the thing that makes Neverland Neverland – and tries to teach Peter to care about others. Even worse, it wants him to consider his own feelings. An introspective Peter Pan? Outrageous. The idea of a Peter Pan who grows in any way, physical, emotional, or psychological, is blasphemy. This new Peter tries to fix the villains in his life instead of recognizing that he’s a hamster on a wheel chasing after a hamster on a neighbouring wheel named Hook. This trouble-making little pixie – I can’t even say it – J.M. Barrie, cover your ears – this forever-child has… empathy.

Mental health – does it belong in Peter Pan? Because it exists in this one. Peter Pan & Wendy decided to give Captain Hook a heart. A shriveled, dusty old thing, but a heart nonetheless. It becomes the core mission of the film to tap into Hook’s feelings, find out why he’s a codfish, and then map out a path to healing. No. Leave the grumpy villain to his self-destruction.

In trying to “fix” Peter Pan for the modern audience, Disney went too far and robbed our characters of what made them iconic: the wild child, the mean grownup, the saviour maiden – all gone and replaced with characters who have *I shudder* depth. In most movies, yes, great, character development is nice. But in a story that survives on the fantasy that every day is playtime, the heroes and villains never change, and everything tomorrow will be exactly as it was today? Try again. Peter Pan & Wendy had a steep mountain to climb and did it with too much gear. We wanted a simple, outlandish adventure and instead got a lesson in female empowerment – there’s a time and a setting and Peter Pan isn’t it. Peter Pan & Wendy is on a shallow rock in a tidal pool at a 4/10.