| I thought the adult Wendy's family captured Barrie's spirit and British roots better than the original even though the time period was necessarily updated. By the way, the wartime relocation to the countryside, questioned by several reviewers, although not universal, was real, and affected a number of families. I thought the set-up was exceedingly well handled. The adult Wendy and daughter Jane both came off as much stronger and self-possessed than Wendy -- as one might expect in the differences between the early-war era and the turn of the nineteenth century. So far, so <more> good.Wendy's abduction was amusingly orchestrated, but the rationale for it subsequently evaporated as things proceeded. Most of the songs were uninspired time-killers. The Lost Boys lacked their original feistiness and spirit, relegated instead to clumsy comic relief. Consequently, from an adult perspective, I found myself agreeing with Jane -- wishing she had paid more attention to Mum's tall tales so she could figure out how to get away from the insufferable lads. On the other hand, even though it was by far the weakest third of the movie, the film's middle was far from a total loss. I thought the octopus was an interesting variation on the crock, though the song itself didn't work. I thought the pirates were even more amusing than in the original, most especially Hook and Smee. Most of all, I did enjoy the stronger and more independent character embodied by Jane. And, except for the songs, the movie's pacing was sharp with many amusing lines. From the time that Jane is nearly duped by Hook to the end turns out to be the strongest third of the film. The new mutually empowering relationship forged between Jane and Tink was inspired yes, it runs 100% counterculture to Barrie's conception of Tinkerbell, but this is not Barrie's turn-of-the-19th-century book; it is a 21st-century family film , and fit well into Jane's ambivalence at remaining a lost girl.The climactic scenes with Hook's crew were even better than in the original, and the animated sequences were extremely creative and impeccable technically. The final ending, back in England, is simply exquisite.Overall, I point mostly to drastically inferior songs in concluding that I still prefer the original, but as sequels go, this one is both entertaining and thoughtful enough for adults. As for the kids, if my three-and-one-half year old granddaughter and my friends nine year old daughter are at-all indicative, this is one they don't tire of watching again and again.If you're a purist or looking for strict consistency, skip Return to Never-Land because you won't enjoy it. For myself and others who wish to share movies with kids that both can enjoy, I rate it 8/10, certainly above-average for a sequel. <less> |
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