Peter Pan has always been a personal favourite of mine since I was a child. It was the first movie I had seen that gave me a passion for adventure and visiting far off places. This is the Disney version of the Victorian classic about the boy who would never grow up. Wendy, Michael, and John Darling, three London children, meet Peter Pan, a boy who can fly. He has been drawn to their warm, comfortable home, and to Wendy's stories. He sprinkles them with fairy dust and they fly off past the "second star to the right," where he lives in a magical place called Neverland. There they rescue an Indian princess, and fight pirates led by Captain Hook, before returning home to wave goodbye as Peter returns to Neverland without them. The animation in Peter Pan is as lively as its energetic hero. The scenes set in Victorian London are beautiful, and the shift in perspective as the children round Big Ben and fly off to Neverland is sublimely vertiginous. Most children see Peter as that wonderful ideal, a child with the power to do whatever he pleases for as long as he pleases.
With a young Bobby Driscoll is the best Peter Pan we have. He’s a cocky spitfire that embodies the petulant child who never grew up. however there’s no denying that Wendy is a bland character. She’s the mother of the children for all intents and purposes. In spite of all that, Wendy is a good character, and yet she’s assaulted by other women the minute she steps into NeverLand. When Wendy finally escapes that in the Indian village scene, she’s reinforced with the domestic ideals of femininity when she is told she can't join in and has to simply collect firewood. In terms of the movies antagonist, although there is Captain Hook, the main instigator for violence seems to be Tinkerbelle. Tink is my least favourite part about the movie and let's face it she's kind of a bitch which is a far cry from the family friendly rebel with a heart of gold that she’s become in the Disney Fairies series. Tinkerbelle torments Wendy throughout the entire movie, and plots premeditated homicide when she tells the Lost Boys to “shoot her down.” Later on, she has no problems admitting to Peter that she wants to kill Wendy. I know she has grown a huge fan following over the years but I can't help but dislike her character, no matter how many fairy movies they bring out to make up for it.
One of the factors that makes the movie an animated icon is that Disney and his animators used real people as models. For instance, Bobby Driscoll posed for the drawings of Peter and his voice speaks for him. Kathryn Darling and Heather Angel’s voice is used for Mrs. Darling. Hans Conried’s gruff tones speak for the terrible Captain Hook and for the fussy Mr. Darling. I also find the songs, for the most part, to be consistently memorable, Sammy Fine and Sammy Cahn have written several catchy tunes for the picture, including “The elegant Captain Hook,” “What Makes the Red Man Red,” and “You Can Fly, You Can Fly.” Oliver Wallace and Erd Penner collaborated on “A Pirate’s Life,” and the late Frank Church wrote “Never Smile at a Crocodile,” to which Jack Lawrence added some clever lyrics. “Second Star to the Right” sets this up as a magical film that emphasizes key tenets of the Disney philosophy; such as magic, adventure, and family. So many writers, artists, directors, decorators and colors stylists worked on the film that there isn’t space enough to mention them all. Between them, however, they have created a delightful entertaining film that will appeal to the young and the not-so young alike.
Wendy is told to grow up by her father, so she runs away from the responsibility to be with Peter. Once she runs away, she discovers a cruel world where women compete for a man, and literally try to kill their competition. As much as I love the character of Peter Pan, this scene does make him unlikable as he lets Wendy take the abuse that he’s created. Walt Disney himself said he was dissatisfied by the final product because he found Pan to be cold and unlikable. I have to agree in some regards, because Pan never apologizes for his actions, or the actions of others that he’s created. By that same token, none of the women are written to be anything other than utterly catty, or matronly. I think the biggest blow to Peter Pan is with regards to women. I know you can make the argument that all Disney early works have issues with women, but I kept wondering why certain decisions are made through the female characters.
The story does have moments that are whimsical but also very odd just like any Disney movie although not as many odd moments as Alice in Wonderland. Some find this engaging, but a few find it troublesome, or question about what happened to Peter's parents and whether he will be all right without them. They may also be sad that the story ends with Peter bringing the Darling children home and then going back to Neverland without them. Although I think because Peter Pan symbolizes Disneyland; I feel that by watching it, a bit of the “pixie dust” rubs off on me. The songs are melodic and memorable, and I think the voice acting is the strongest we’ve seen. It may be a controversial movie that divides fans however there is no denying that it is beautifully animated and gives children the passion to dream.
Easter Eggs
#1 Goofy Holler
If you listen carefully you can hear the Goofy Holler, screamed as Mister Smee smacks Captain Hook's head with the oar.
#2 Tinkerbell
In stage productions of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell was usually depicted by a projected spot of light. Walt Disney's Peter Pan features the first time that the character Tinker Bell is personified.
#3 Peter Pan
When Walt Disney cast Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan, it marked the first time the title role was played by a male. In every mainstream production (stage and screen) of Peter Pan prior to Disney's, the role of Peter was always played by women.
#4 Captain Hook/ George Darling
Disney's Peter Pan followed stage tradition by having actor Hans Conried play both George Darling and Captain Hook.
#5 Hidden Mickey's
When Tinker Bell dusts herself off after falling, she makes a pair of Pixie Dust Hidden Mickeys. You can also see in Peter Pan's hideout, the Hangman's Tree, features a proportioned Hidden Mickey near the base of the trunk. The last one is an ornate Hidden Mickey design appears on Captain Hook's personal chair.
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