Though it’s a fun, exciting adventure in itself, Peter Pan is most successful because of its constantly beautiful picture. The fantastic cinematography (done by Donald McAlpine of The Time Machine and Moulin Rouge!) works especially well in Neverland, where the surreal CG backgrounds fit in well with the magically ethereal world which it is depicting. Constantly warm and bright, the visual aspects keep you engaged regardless of what else is going on.

That’s not to say that there’s nothing else that is. Traveling to Neverland is always an exciting trip. Afraid of growing up, Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) is taken away with her brothers, John (Harry Newell) and Michael (Freddie Popplewell), by Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter), who brings them to the world where children never grow old. The only danger in Neverland is Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs), who longs for Peter Pan’s death for some reason.

Among the sky flights and sword fights, however, are some currents that drive the story forward. One is the romantic tension between Wendy and Peter that Wendy pursues while Peter evades on claims of his innocence and youth. What’s strange is that Wendy pursues it at all, considering she came to Neverland precisely to avoid it. But it’s not nearly as strange as the fact that it’s Wendy’s very mature love that seems to give strength to Peter in the end. After all is said and done though, the romantic aspects feel more like a cuteness convention than part of an actual coming of age tale. But it’s pretty cute nonetheless.

What I like even more is the subtle story about storytelling. Peter brings Wendy to Neverland with hopes that she will tell him and his boys fairy tale stories. Then, when Wendy is captured by Captain Hook, he and his men are equally captivated by her stories. This is a fairly tale world where everyone wants to sit and hear fairy tales. Even the adults don’t want to grow up.

Are we resisting maturity watching Peter Pan? Is this just another fairy tale that keeps our imaginations occupied? It seems like it wants to tell us that it is. Peter Pan ends up telling us it’s just a story passed on from generation to generation. Maybe it is just a story that keeps us wrapped up in out youth. But maybe that’s they way we want it.

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