Pan (C or 2/4 stars)
Okay, is it really TOO easy to "pan" a movie titled 'Pan'? Well, it sure seems to be for many a professional critic. But I will not do that. Hey, do I think this origin story of Peter Pan (directed by Joe Wright, Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Anna Karenina) is a good movie? No, I don't. It will be another in a long line of fantasy-adventure flops. But "pan" it, I won't do. 'Pan' focuses on Peter's transformation from a London orphan into the iconic {if heavy-handed} savior of that alternate universe known as Neverland. Instead of the story's traditional Edwardian, turn-of-the-century London setting, the film takes place during WWII. Following a brief prologue showing the infant Peter being left on the doorstep of an orphanage by his harried mother (Amanda Seyfried), the action jumps ahead in time.
Stuck in a strict {to say the LEAST} orphanage and, in the midst of a Luftwaffe bombing raid, 12 yr. old Peter (bright-eyed Levi Miller) is among a group of rambunctious boys kidnapped in the night by a pirate's crew & taken via flying ship to a faraway land where the maniacal pirate Blackbeard (a bizarrely adorned Hugh Jackman) forces them to mine for Pixite, a magical crystal/dust that serves as a youth elixir. When Blackbeard learns that Peter is "the boy who can fly" - and therefore, might fulfill a prophecy which pits faeries/natives against the dictatorial pirate - he jails him, as well as American adventurer, Jim 'Hook' (Garrett Hedlund, of One the Road). The two of them break out of jail & later encounters the Indian princess Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) & her tribe; who believe that Peter could be Neverland's "One Savior" from Blackbeard's tyranny. But 1st, Peter has to believe in himself {blah bla blahh} -- which is a difficult feat when there are deadly pirates out to kill him. Can Peter focus (always on the lookout for his mom), defeat his foes, & becomes the One Savior? Frenetic, hit-&-miss action/adventure ensues.
So we got great director Joe Wright, actors like Hugh Jackman, a top-notch crafts team, some interesting visual motifs, beloved source material, and yet ... what went wrong? Simply put, Joe Wright's interpretation of how Peter becomes Peter Pan is a bit of an uneven mess; a mess that kids probably won't fall in love with, and a mess that parents will leave the theater scratching their heads with. Newcomer Levi Miller is adorable and, while he's no great shakes, provides a decent range of emotions as our heroic Peter. Hugh Jackman looks like he enjoyed hamming it up as Blackbeard (hideous make-up/hair/costumes notwithstanding).
Garrett Hedlund brings a baritoned bravado & sly sense of humor to the seafaring adventurer role of Hook; though, many a critic did not care for his Daniel Plainview/Daniel Day-Lewis/Harrison Ford schticky line deliveries. As "Indian" {oy vey} princess Tiger Lily, Rooney Mara has her moments. She handles her fierce warrior princess/love interest of Hook character well enough. But none of the actors can save Pan from some other scattershot characterizations & bizarre story choices {hey, let's have Blackbeard blowtorch away those little faeries ... like, what!?!?}; yeah, it's the script/direction that feels off the mark. At a few points, Wright even tries to channel Baz Luhrmann (a la Moulin Rouge). I'm reminded of the scene in which Blackbeard's slaves sing-along to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ... like, really?? Other contemporary songs are used throughout and, these songs don't fit either plot-wise or thematically; it was just weird.
You know, while I pin-point all the problems with 'Pan', I didn't hate it, and I'm sure there will be those who highly enjoy it. The movie is bright, it's colorful, with armadas of flying ships, a HUGE crocodile, pendants, magical pixie dust, some mermaids, and good 'ole Tinkerbell (to the rescue). There are impressive special effects; though, as is usually the case with visual effects-driven extravaganzas of late ... the CGI is WAY overused. Though the movie promotes a nice message about believing in one's self & the importance of friendship, Pan's often-ludicrous script, campy performances, & chaotic swashbuckling action deadens the effect for all audiences to be consistently engaged throughout. It's hard to care 'deeply' about anything going on.
Stuck in a strict {to say the LEAST} orphanage and, in the midst of a Luftwaffe bombing raid, 12 yr. old Peter (bright-eyed Levi Miller) is among a group of rambunctious boys kidnapped in the night by a pirate's crew & taken via flying ship to a faraway land where the maniacal pirate Blackbeard (a bizarrely adorned Hugh Jackman) forces them to mine for Pixite, a magical crystal/dust that serves as a youth elixir. When Blackbeard learns that Peter is "the boy who can fly" - and therefore, might fulfill a prophecy which pits faeries/natives against the dictatorial pirate - he jails him, as well as American adventurer, Jim 'Hook' (Garrett Hedlund, of One the Road). The two of them break out of jail & later encounters the Indian princess Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) & her tribe; who believe that Peter could be Neverland's "One Savior" from Blackbeard's tyranny. But 1st, Peter has to believe in himself {blah bla blahh} -- which is a difficult feat when there are deadly pirates out to kill him. Can Peter focus (always on the lookout for his mom), defeat his foes, & becomes the One Savior? Frenetic, hit-&-miss action/adventure ensues.
So we got great director Joe Wright, actors like Hugh Jackman, a top-notch crafts team, some interesting visual motifs, beloved source material, and yet ... what went wrong? Simply put, Joe Wright's interpretation of how Peter becomes Peter Pan is a bit of an uneven mess; a mess that kids probably won't fall in love with, and a mess that parents will leave the theater scratching their heads with. Newcomer Levi Miller is adorable and, while he's no great shakes, provides a decent range of emotions as our heroic Peter. Hugh Jackman looks like he enjoyed hamming it up as Blackbeard (hideous make-up/hair/costumes notwithstanding).
Garrett Hedlund brings a baritoned bravado & sly sense of humor to the seafaring adventurer role of Hook; though, many a critic did not care for his Daniel Plainview/Daniel Day-Lewis/Harrison Ford schticky line deliveries. As "Indian" {oy vey} princess Tiger Lily, Rooney Mara has her moments. She handles her fierce warrior princess/love interest of Hook character well enough. But none of the actors can save Pan from some other scattershot characterizations & bizarre story choices {hey, let's have Blackbeard blowtorch away those little faeries ... like, what!?!?}; yeah, it's the script/direction that feels off the mark. At a few points, Wright even tries to channel Baz Luhrmann (a la Moulin Rouge). I'm reminded of the scene in which Blackbeard's slaves sing-along to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ... like, really?? Other contemporary songs are used throughout and, these songs don't fit either plot-wise or thematically; it was just weird.
You know, while I pin-point all the problems with 'Pan', I didn't hate it, and I'm sure there will be those who highly enjoy it. The movie is bright, it's colorful, with armadas of flying ships, a HUGE crocodile, pendants, magical pixie dust, some mermaids, and good 'ole Tinkerbell (to the rescue). There are impressive special effects; though, as is usually the case with visual effects-driven extravaganzas of late ... the CGI is WAY overused. Though the movie promotes a nice message about believing in one's self & the importance of friendship, Pan's often-ludicrous script, campy performances, & chaotic swashbuckling action deadens the effect for all audiences to be consistently engaged throughout. It's hard to care 'deeply' about anything going on.