“Sometimes to truly understand how things end, we must know how they begin.” This perfect opening line from director Joe Wright’s “Pan” prefaces an intricately created, new backstory of Peter Pan and the life he lived before he was a lost boy in Neverland.
The film stars several major actors playing antiquated characters from the original story: Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard, Levi Miller as Peter, Garrett Hedlund as Hook, and Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily. Each character has a pre-Peter backstory, but the writing still focuses on Peter at all times.
Characters’ roles are also slightly switched around from their original portrayals in “Peter Pan.” Blackbeard is still the ultimate enemy with dark and selfish desires, and Hook maintains the role of protagonist and friend to Peter, but the characters’ backgrounds simply add to the prequel and fill in acute gaps you may have never noticed before.
Nearly every major question about Peter is answered in a creative fashion, fulfilling a long-lasting, nostalgic inquiry for what’s behind one of the most magical fairytales. A couple of questions remain unanswered. Hook’s backstory, for example, is never fully revealed, leaving viewers hungry for more. I would not be surprised if another Peter Pan prequel is released. A sequel to “Pan,” perhaps called “Hook,” the next time around.
There is never too much information given away at once. We learn a bit about Peter’s home life, or lack thereof, in the first few minutes of the film. Peter is immediately aligned as the protagonist and is presented as a young, imaginative boy with curious intellect. His vivid plans to cause mischief exhibit that he is destined to make a difference in some way or another.
With 3-D glasses, we set sail upon a flying pirate ship, seeing the world through Peter’s eyes. There is a brief moment that makes the viewer wonder whether or not this whole adventure to Neverland is just part of being inside Peter’s wildly creative mind. But as the story continues, it becomes clear that Neverland is Peter’s reality, not just the culprit of his wild imagination.
Fantastically designed, “Pan” steps up the quota of what Neverland is meant to look like. This world is complete with fish floating in the sky, huge quarries of precious gems, interesting music choices — Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop — fused into the Neverland context, beautifully designed graphics, and immense racial diversity.
Prior to the release of this film, there had been a large controversy associated with the casting choice of Rooney Mara playing Tiger Lily — the native princess in Neverland. The concern was related to Mara being white, when this could have been a role for a Native American actress.
I may have agreed if this had been any other film, but the entire casting of “Pan” makes this controversy irrelevant. The cast incorporates people of many different ethnicities playing all different parts; both the Neverland natives and the pirates are played by people of many races. The ethnically diverse cast absolutely contributes to the portrayal of a unique society.
Additionally, Mara was cast for this role because she was meant to play this role. Her strong and bold, yet dainty and innocent acting perfectly constitute the qualities Tiger Lily would have.
There were some frustratingly cheesy lines spoken in the film, but this had to do with the film being created for a wide range of ages. The language is simple enough for children to be enthused by, but was powerful enough to bring a single tear down my cheek as I watched Peter fulfill the destiny that had been waiting for him all along.
The verdict: Prepare for your jaw to drop when you put on your 3-D glasses and go see “Pan.”
Reach writer Rebecca Gross at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @becsgross
