Movie Review: "Peter Pan" (1953)

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Movie: "Peter Pan"
Director: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson
Year: 1953
Rating: G
Running Time: 1 hour, 17 minutes

The Darling children Wendy (Katherine Beaumont), Michael (Tommy Luske), and John (Paul Collins) spend their time playing in their nursery. Wendy often tells the boys stories of the adventures of Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll) and his battles with Captain Hook (Hans Conried) and the Pirates. One night when their over-rambunctious playing upsets Mr. Darling and he accidentally ruins his tuxedo, he declares that Wendy has grown too old for such nonsense and says it is her last night in the nursery. That night, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell sneak into their house try and find his shadow, which he lost there few nights ago while listening to Wendy's stories. The children eventually awaken and Wendy helps Peter reattach his shadow; she also tells him that it is her final night in the nursery because she's too old now. He offers to take them to Neverland, a place where they will stay young forever and where they can join him on his adventures with the lost boys. They agree, and with the help of some happy thoughts and fairy dust, they all fly to Neverland. The children must then decide if they want to stay in Neverland forever with Peter for fun and excitement, or go home to their parents where they will grow old and lead normal lives.  

OH, to be a lost boy!

For a story that seems to be adapted quite a bit, Disney manages to do a good job with their take on this classic children's story. It remains one of our favorite adaptations to this day. A big part of any Disney animated film is, of course, the music, and Peter Pan has some very memorable and catchy songs that we find ourselves singing from time to time. Tinkerbell became so memorable, in fact, that she was a mainstay for the opening logo of Disney films, and garnered her own spin-off film series. It doesn't get much better than that! Of course, upon watching this as adults, there are parts in that now seem derogatory and insensitive, one in particular BigJ is almost embarrassed to say was one of his favorite songs as a child, but then again, it was 1953 when this movie was released.

The idea of the story as a whole, never growing up, is a simple one, but will have mass appeal for kids, as well as adults who are kids at heart. With adulthood comes responsibility and the drudgery of everyday life, HOW BORING!!! It's probably a huge fantasy of many people to be able to do whatever you want whenever you want with no worries, to always have fun, and to always have a stress-free life. That's what Peter Pan epitomizes, shirking responsibilities in lieu of fun and adventure and exploration and frolicking. He can fly, he can be anywhere whenever he wants to be without a care in the world. This movie runs the whole spectrum of emotions, from an innocent romance to jealousy, from adventure to peril, from being afraid of flying to overcoming your fears and embracing the magic wholeheartedly.

It seems like this movie often times gets passed up for other Disney classics from the 80's and 90's, but this is still a fantastic film for kids and adults alike to enjoy. It reminds us to try and focus on the positive, even when life seems stressful and hectic, but to also look inside ourselves to find our inner child every now and then.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 75%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!
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One year ago, we were watching: "Becket"