By Tanya Batson, Staff Reporter
Jason Issacs plays an occasionally, deliciously villainous Captain Hook in Peter Pan - Contributed
IT IS the story of a magical boy who refused to grow up. Shunning the responsibilities of adulthood, he exiles himself to a land where children play, and magic and mystery rule. No, it's not the biography of Michael Jackson, it's Peter Pan.
Whether because of the relationship between Wendy and Peter, or Peter and captain Hook, the story of Peter Pan is one which resounds in the imagination. This retelling, through the pen, or rather keyboard, and directional vision of P.J. Hogan, is a fair one. It brings nothing majestic to the classic story, but at least has the good grace to take from it neither.
Occasionally, Peter Pan sparkles beautifully, but far too soon the fairydust wears off and all you are left with is a story that could have captured your imagination and taken you to a far better place, but only got you half way there.
THE STARS
Peter Pan stars two enchanting youngsters, Jeremy Sumpter (Peter) and Rachel Hurd-Wood (Wendy Darling) who suit their roles perfectly. Hurd-Wood embodies the young girl who is about to engage in the last battle to retain girlhood but will ultimately embrace the responsibilities of womanhood.
Sumpter has a childlike smile which speaks of the brashness, and irrepressible irresponsibility of youth which is at the core of Peter Pan.
Jason Issacs gives a good turn as the evil Captain Hook. Occasionally Hogan gives him some lines which could have easily lifted him into the annals of villain history, but they are too few and far between. Even so, he is easily one of the most engaging things about this story, which has more bluster than fairy dust, and so occasionally lifts off but never soars.
Tinker Bell, or Tink as she is dubbed in this incarnation, is amazingly annoying. Rather than being charming, cute or even vicious, she simply brings the urge to swat the fairydust off her.
Peter Pan works when it does at all, because it stays true to the core of the original story, and whether you look at it through a child's or an adults eyes, it is an intriguing one.
On its most basic level, it has more to offer the young than it would adults. However, if one takes time to look beyond the unimpressive special effects used to create the magic, what is unveiled speaks to many of the problems that lay behind male female relationships. Honing in on this level ought to give adults something to entertain them, while the young ones get swept away in the thought of flight.
Like Peter, the story never runs out of happy thoughts, but like Hook, it can't really fly, especially when it counts.
