Now we come to the end of this fascinating series. This movie version is my favorite adaptation of Peter Pan. I know this will date me, but I was a kid when I watched the DVD from either Blockbuster or a very early version of Netflix. Here’s a bit of housekeeping. As we have one week before October, next week we will dip our toes into Discworld, looking at the book Equal Rites before we go on to Dracula for Halloween.

“The 2003 live-action film Peter Pan follows the Darling children (Wendy, John, and Michael) as they are invited to Neverland by Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up. Once there, they join Peter and the Lost Boys but are soon kidnapped by the fearsome Captain Hook. With help from the fairy Tinkerbell, Peter must battle Hook and rescue the Darlings. The story also explores the relationship between Peter and Wendy, highlighting the complexities of emotions and the contrast between childish imagination and the responsibilities of growing up.”

This movie is almost perfect. It will break your heart and put it back together. There are so many lines on this movie that I have remembered from when I saw it as a child. Also, for anyone who is trying to find this movie, good Luck, because when I was looking for a copy, I couldn’t find it on any streaming services. In the end, I needed to visit a second-hand store chain for DVDs, games, and electronics; it’s called CEX, if you are in the UK.

I have 4 thoughts I would like to talk about.

Firstly, the costuming, specifically for Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. From my previous movie review in the Disney cartoon, the costuming in that one gets under my skin, because in the book, Peter is described as being clad in leaves, and the Lost Boys are wearing fur. This movie did this right. I love the look of the Lost Boys’ outfits. They look like a mismatch of fur and clothing that I can believe they stole from the pirates. Also, it is fun how all of the boys are the right level of dirty. After all, there is no one to tell them to take a bath.

Secondly, the whole thing with the importance of a hidden kiss. This used to bug me. In the book, there is a part that recounts how Mr. Darling proposed to Mrs. Darling. It says that all the boys realized that they loved her and ran to propose, except for Mr. Darling, who took a cab and got there first; he got all of her except for a kiss in the corner of her mouth. In this movie, Wendy having a secret kiss is a sign that she is growing into a woman. There are two different times when giving a kiss to a boy will make someone turn bright pink, and that boy is suddenly stronger.

Thirdly, the flying in this movie. While every version of Peter Pan has the idea that happy thoughts make you float, this is the first time with the idea that bad feelings bring you down. This is interesting because it lets Hook use Peter’s own insecurities to almost defeat him. Also, this is the only adaptation where Hook flies, which leads to Hook and Peter being able to fight on an equal footing.

Fourthly, Wendy. It is fun that she is so tough. From when we first see her, she is acting out the story of Cinderella with her brothers. But this story involves Cinderella fighting Hook and all his pirates. This sets the scene for how tough Wendy is. We had a Wendy that actually uses a sword and isn’t just a mother to the lost boys. Also, it is interesting that we have Hook’s interactions with Wendy, specifically Hook offering Wendy a chance to be a pirate. This is interesting because in the book, Hook makes this offer to the Lost Boys. This leads to Wendy telling the pirates a story, and no matter what Hook’s plan is, all the pirates generally enjoy listening to the story. I guess everyone loves stories.

Thank you for joining me for this journey, and until next week.

Happy reading to all, and to all a good night.