Peter Pan in Return to Never Land (Walt Disney Pictures Presents)
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VHS Movie Reviews of Peter Pan in Return to Never Land (Walt Disney Pictures Presents)
Movie Review: Worth seeing..
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't believe Disney has ever made a sequel that lived up to the magic of the original film. That said, some sequels are better than others and this is one of the better ones. I think this movie was very good mainly because it didn't "re-do" the original story in reverse (like Lady & the Tranp 2 or Little Mermaid 2) or try to lamely continue the old one (Cinderella 2, Jungle Book 2). This is a new story with a new heroine, and stands on its own merits.
Wendy's daughter doesn't believe. She has had to grow up fast in a world where her father is off to war and London is under seige. So when Captain Hook kidnaps her thinking she is Wendy, she needs to learn how to believe again. And that belief will give her family hope. An uplifting story, filled with adventure and familiar characters. It's not as good as the original, but is definitely worth watching.
Movie Review: Great for the grandkids
Summary: 4 Stars
I have quite a Disney collection, including animated and live movies. I grew up with Disney. "Return to Never Land" is a cute little follow-up to Peter Pan although it doesn't stand up to the original. It involves the spunky daughter of Wendy, Peter's heartthrob from umpteen years ago. I missed the crocodile, but the kids got a big kick out of the octopus. My wife and I saw it in the theater when it was first released. At first, I thought we'd be surrounded by screaming brats. There was a surprising number of kidless adults there, and the kids present gave no problems once the movie started. I figured that any movie that can appeal to that wide an age range must be worth getting for the home collection. Four stars, one less for almost too much cute factor and no croc.Movie Review: Peter Pan Return to Neverland Movie Review
Summary: 4 Stars
As good as the original if not better, Peter Pan in Return to Neverland is a surprisingly befitting sequel to one of the most popular of Disney's animated features. Featuring familiar faces and a touch of more mature themes, including a setting of war-torn London, this more thrilling adventure finds the daughter of Wendy being kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Captain James Hook (we always wanted to know his first name). Astounding animation and excellent voice acting provides for a highly entertaining sequel - which is certainly a rarity when it comes to animated features.
Wendy is all grown up and now has a family of her own. Her husband is away at war, and her young daughter Jane is supposed to look after the family, which also consists of little brother Daniel and the dog, Nana 2 (apparently Nana didn't live long enough to make the sequel). When a government decree is ordered to ship all the children off to the countryside for safekeeping, Jane is distraught at having to leave the family and annoyed at continually hearing about the adventures of Peter Pan. The stories from Wendy sooth little Daniel, but Jane is far too mature for such nonsense. When Captain Hook appears in London, he kidnaps Jane, mistaking her for Wendy, and brings her to Neverland to lure Pan. The high-flying adventurer quickly rescues her, only to realize that she's a bit too adult to have much fun in Neverland. Hook doesn't give up easily and returns to trick Jane into helping him capture Peter Pan and the Lost Boys once and for all.
It's an interesting and perhaps risky decision for the creators to choose a setting of presumably World War II in wartime London as bombs rattle homes and streets. It's a choice that actually works quite well to complement Jane's decidedly mature outlook on life and the fictitious Peter Pan. Things as childish as Peter Pan are discarded by Jane, although she secretly seems to wish she could be as carefree and fun-loving as both Daniel and Wendy and the stories they dwell on. And until Hook actually shows up, they are indeed just stories, of which she believes to be completely fabricated for Daniel's benefit. The first portion of the film would make a fine beginning for a live-action movie, as would much of the swashbuckling events later on.
Once again the animation is of the highest quality. Although shadows are typically done with less detail on animated films that don't go to theaters (this film was created by Disney's TV animation team), the character designs, movements and especially squash and scratch secondary movements are nearly unequaled. Some CG animation makes an appearance early on, primarily with Captain Hook's ship The Jolly Roger, but as with most of Disney's later feature-length films, they do a satisfactory job of blending it into the traditional.
The chirpy songs of the original are curiously absent, save for a single tune from the Lost Boys, and are instead replaced with somber melodies and music played in the background. This actually creates a more refreshingly serious tone - perhaps Return to Neverland's strongest feature is its unexpected seriousness. In the original film, everyone took Peter Pan and his existence for granted - here it is more emotional and realistic to see Jane struggling to believe in the fairytale world (and fairies at all, which causes Tinkerbell's light to dim) even as she interacts with its many amazing wonders.
The story is actually better crafted than the original, although J.M. Barrie's timeless tale will doubtlessly always win over the general vote, and Return to Neverland measures up to its predecessor admirably in every other aspect. Having all the elements that make a great animated feature, Peter Pan in Return to Neverland is one of the finest projects to come from the overabundance of sequels from Disney.
- Mike Massie
Movie Review: A favorite movie in our house!
Summary: 5 Stars
We have been big fans of Peter Pan and The Return to Neverland for several years. My daughter is now 6 and when she was 1 or 2 she received a hand-me-down figurine of Jane (Wendy's daughter from the Return to Neverland) and didn't let go of it for years...it was the one toy she wanted to take with her everywhere and luckily we managed to find a few more of them online and from family (came in handy when we lost one.) When her brother came along (he's now 3), he grabbed onto the love of Peter Pan and The Return to Neverland as well and even wanted to hold the Jane figurine a lot as well (we were amazed as he's much more into boy things but still loves Jane.) They have really enjoyed The Return to Neverland and my husband and I find that it is one movie we don't mind watching with them sometimes. We think it's a cute movie and love reading the storybook of Return to Neverland at bedtime too (we have watched the movie so many times that we have some of the dialogue down pat.) And we like a couple of the songs in the movie (I think one is called "I Try.") Others may not see the point to this sequel but I certainly do...it has brought so many smiles to my little ones and that's worth everything to me!Movie Review: Review for Pixie Powered Edition
Summary: 3 Stars
I put this movie in the DVD player fully expecting the piece of crap movie that many of the reviews here talk about. After watching it ALL THE WAY THROUGH, I wonder if these reviewers actually watched the whole thing? Granted, it's not the caliber of the original, but it is definitely a more than pleasant family film to enjoy together with the children. The positives: the animation and backgrounds really amazed me; the characterization of Tinker Bell is especially faithful to the original. At times, the backgrounds slip into an almost too-perfect computer generated look, but overall, the animation is very good and better than what you normally see. Kudos also to the voices, especially the one of Captain Hook, who (again) is very faithful to the original. The story is also quite good; somewhat predictable, but definitely different enough to separate it from the original. I enjoyed the homage to the Mary Martin TV series (believing in Fairies/Tinkerbell getting weak) and the feistiness of the Jane character. The beginning of the film owes a little to the Narnia series, as it is set during the war when children were being shipped off for their own protection. Once in Neverland, it is back to fantasy and the realities of the war are not really dealt with again. The negatives are few; my biggest gripe is the potty/gross-out humor that I feel mars the film. The powers that be seem to be fascinated with snot; I could definitely do without the constant visual reference to this body fluid. In general, what this film really lacks is a strong plot-mover. It is entertaining, but not riveting; at no time would it be difficult to stop the movie and get a snack, makting this a great DVD to watch, but definitely not a movie to run to the theater to watch. The DVD itself has some nice extras; a few deleted scenes with commentary by the show's production team. There are also a few sneak peaks for the upcoming Tinkerbell movie (Tink looks better in traditional animation; not too swift in computer 3D style) and the obligatory game, "Quest for the Light." Overall, a good film to watch with the kids that is above the level of most of what's out there; if you are attempting to compare it to the original though, you will be slightly disappointed.