We all know the story of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, thanks to Disney's 1953 movie. Peter Pan is the young boy from Neverland that never grows up and the main antagonist is Captain Hook, an obnoxious pirate who is constantly looking for ways to get back at Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to a crocodile.
However, if you're anything like me, you wonder how Peter and Captain Hook came to live in Neverland in the first place. Obviously, there's nothing stopping the characters from leaving, as Peter travels to London, England, for Wendy Darling in the Disney movie. Joe Wright's "Pan" serves as a prequel to the beloved Peter Pan story, showing the audience how Peter and Hook ended up in Neverland in the first place.
Even though the timelines are a little messed up (the original Peter Pan was set in 1904 and "Pan" is World War II era), "Pan" does provide an interesting perspective of Peter and Hook's relationship prior to Peter taking Hook's hand. The 2015 movie creates a new villain through Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman), a pirate who kidnaps children who are then sent to mine for fairy dust.
When orphan Peter (Levi Miller) is kidnapped and sent to the mines of Neverland, he meets the young James Hook (Garrett Hedlund). When Peter is sentenced to walk the plank for theft, he demonstrates his ability to fly. Later, Blackbeard tells Peter of a prophecy that states that only the boy with the ability to fly can bring about an uprising against Blackbeard. Peter escapes Blackbeard's clutches with the help of Hook and Mr. Smee (Adeel Akhtar), hoping to find his mother in Neverland. Peter seeks out the help of the tribal people where he learns that he's "the chosen one," the boy with the ability to bring down Blackbeard and the boy with fairy blood. As the movie progresses, Peter's ability to believe in himself is challenged, and it is only when he accepts who he really is that he is able to fly freely.
As far as Peter Pan's origin stories go (the only other origin story I know being "Once Upon a Time"), it's an interesting idea. As a lost boy himself, Peter has trouble believing that he's someone special. When he finally accepts that idea, he's able to help other lost boys as shown in the end of the movie when Peter travels back to the orphanage to save all the boys and take them back to Neverland. However, Wright's desire to end "Pan" on a high note leaves the audience hanging with the question: Why did Peter and Hook become enemies? After all, some of the last words we hear are Peter's declaration of everlasting friendship with Hook.
Regardless of timeline issues and the disappointment of an unfinished story, Joe Wright's "Pan" does not deserve the hatred that so many reviewers are sending its way. It's enjoyable enough if you're looking for something lighthearted and, at times, funny, but I can't help but feel that many reviewers are asking the important question when they ask, "Was the prequel really necessary?"
