Jude Law’s Captain Hook Steals the Show in David Lowery’s Whimsical ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ Adaptation | Review

David Lowery is no stranger to bringing his own unique vision to beloved and age-old tales like Peter Pan & Wendy. With The Green Knight, he showcased his ability to reinvent a piece of classical literature with a keen eye for allusion and metaphor, while Pete's Dragon allowed him to explore the whimsy and wonder of bringing a well-known animated feature into live-action. 

Rather than completely reinventing the story of Peter Pan (which has been done a dozen times over, with varying degrees of success), Lowery simply approaches it with fresh eyes and a healthy dose of pixie dust. The only thing sacrificed in this adaptation is time, which is ironic considering how a ticking clock is a rather large aspect of the film’s auditory landscape. Once audiences feel at home within Neverland, it’s ripped away far too quickly—and perhaps that’s an unintended metaphor for growing up. As soon as you grow confident in your adolescence, you’re forced to grow up and shed the skin you’ve grown comfortable in. But still, as a Disney+ release, Peter Pan & Wendy falls victim to the trope that was consistent throughout Disney’s DCOM days. The character growth and plot are both rushed, in favor of a neat 106-minute runtime. The film could’ve benefited from at least twenty more minutes of development to help flush out the vibrant and magical world Lowery has crafted.  

Image via Disney+

Peter Pan & Wendy does feature a handful of much-needed updates to J. M. Barrie’s story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up, particularly with how Wendy (Ever Anderson) and Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatahk) are portrayed. Wendy is still very much the “mother” of the group, but she is given far more agency in how her story plays out. It’s aided by the fact that Anderson is just as gifted as her mother at portraying characters who are uniquely delicate and powerful at the same time. With Tiger Lily, Lowery smartly veers away from playing into tired stereotypes by casting a Cree actress to play the role and allowing her to speak Cree in the film. Unfortunately, the truncated runtime does limit how much Tiger Lily is in the film, but she demands the audience’s attention every time she is on the screen. Lowery manages neatly to balance how female characters like Wendy, Tiger Lily, and Tinkerbell (Yara Shahidi) are used as props to Peter Pan's (Alexander Molony) boyish pursuits.  

While Peter Pan is still ever the prideful and grating boy that he always is, Molony manages to make him rather endearing. The script allows you to see him as a forever child, who hasn’t yet learned that actions have consequences. Through Wendy’s firm, steady, and unwavering friendship and the revelations of the latter half of the film, Lowery explores Peter through a more engaging lens than past adaptations. 

With Peter Pan & Wendy, Lowery presents a much more heartfelt approach to the antagonistic relationship between Peter and the sinister Captain Hook (Jude Law). This revised dynamic is further underscored by the way Law chooses to play the infamous hook-handed pirate. He may still be hell-bent on ridding Neverland of children, by whatever means necessary, but he is also world-weary and the chip on his shoulder extends far beyond the mishap that cost him his hand. While the script undoubtedly delivers this nuance, especially as the story plays out across the final act, it is Law’s performance that elevates it. From his first appearance to his last, it is quite clear that Law is having a blast with the role, and his magnetic chemistry with the camera makes the film exceedingly rewatchable. 

Image via Disney+

It would have been quite easy for Lowery and his fellow scribe Toby Halbrooks to present Hook as a straightforward villain, but Peter Pan & Wendy smartly avoids that well-tread path, opting instead to underscore the film’s core thesis of friendship through the history between Peter and James. It then flows through the remainder of the film, shifting Peter Pan from a child-snatching menace who lures them away into a magical realm where they never have to grow up, to a boy who learns from his mistakes. It’s a rather inspired adaptation in this regard, crafting something familiar, yet unique at the same time. 

The runtime is ultimately what holds Peter Pan & Wendy back. Some of the most compelling aspects of the film are barely touched upon and others are left to just skim the surface of their full potential. Judging it as an adaptation of the 70-year-old animated Peter Pan, rather than comparing it to films like Hook or the early aughts Peter Pan, ensures that audiences come into it with fewer expectations and a heart ready to take the second star to the right and set sail to Neverland with this delightful cast of characters. 

Final Verdict: B+ 

Peter Pan & Wendy is streaming now on Disney+.