Comments on: Disney Canon Countdown 14: ‘Peter Pan’

By: Dan Siciliano

Dan Siciliano — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 04:14:00 +0000

In reply to Jackson Staninger. I quite agree.

By: Rachel Wagner

Rachel Wagner — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 04:05:00 +0000

In reply to Jackson Staninger. I can see that.

By: Jackson Staninger

Jackson Staninger — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 17:43:00 +0000

In reply to Dan Siciliano.

I always thought that was a harsh criticism for Alice.
1. The Whole Point of Alice in Wonderland is that it appeals to the intellect, not the heart. Saying the story sucks otherwise is like saying “I don’t like Frozen because Elsa doesn’t have a love interest: 1. that’s the point 2. If you did add that you would just take away a part of what made it so unique/make it more traditional. Who want’s that!
2. I find Alice very interesting and sympathetic. She has more of a rounded personality, the first and last until maybe Ariel for female leads, and who can’t relate to someone who struggles with being an adult and being responsible.

By: Jackson Staninger

Jackson Staninger — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 17:39:00 +0000

In reply to Rachel Wagner. Well sorta..... Peter Pan being a jackass is meant to represent the dangers of not growing up, Wendy realizing that leads to her realizing the importance of growing up, among other things (in the book anyway)

By: Dan Siciliano

Dan Siciliano — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 05:37:00 +0000

In reply to Jackson Staninger.

I think part of the problem that Walt Disney didn’t care about this film was that he was trying to put so much heart in this film so the audience can feel for the main character, like he did on “Snow White”, “Pinocchio” and “Bambi”, but like his reaction to “Alice in Wonderland”, he felt that there wasn’t enough heart in the film.

By: Rachel Wagner

Rachel Wagner — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 11:18:00 +0000

In reply to Jackson Staninger. Hmm. That's a very interesting take on the film. So Wendy being treated badly is kind of the dark side of Utopia?

By: Jackson Staninger

Jackson Staninger — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 06:35:00 +0000

In reply to Rachel Wagner. Wendy's torment is the point. When you really think about it the movie's about her. Peter Pan and Neverland are similar to that of Thomas Moore's Utopia. In that their philosophy (never grow up) is nice but really unobtainable. So the reason why Neverland is quasi nightmarish is that it represents the dangers of not growing up. Something the Disney version throws out the window.

By: Jackson Staninger

Jackson Staninger — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 06:32:00 +0000

BTW:
I do love Tinker Bell (THIS version of Disney’s Tinker Bell anyway)
But I’m sick of Disney’s marketing her as the ideal feminist archetype for all time (like how DC portrays Wonder Woman). She’s just as sexist as Snow White or Ariel, just a different Stereotype.

By: Jackson Staninger

Jackson Staninger — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 06:29:00 +0000

This is a personal favorite. But I can’t help but feel this movie would be on par with something like Snow White if it were smarter.
to me, this movie is to it’s predecessor, Alice in Wonderland, what Naussica is to Princess Mononoke: it’s a less good version of the same thing. Alice is better looking, takes bigger risks, the female lead (who is voiced by the same person who does Wendy) is much more interesting and developed, and it’s smarter with adapting it’s source material. Peter Pan has muted colors, Wendy has little to no arc, and it’s just a straight romanticized version of Barrie’s Play/book.
Peter is ultimately not Disney’s smartest movie. I think anyone over the age of 20 knows that the temptation of not growing up is dangerous. And while he’s likable, Peter Pan doesn’t exactly make an ideal “hero”, sure he is a child, but he represents also the dangers of not growing up.
The book includes these two aspects, but the problem is not so much that it’s in the book and not in the movie (Something I would never do because they are two different mediums), but rather that there is something this movie is lacking that I don’t think we notice until we get older. Instead of representing the joys and dangers of a child, he’s more like a jerk with no consequences. If this movie was smarter with telling it’s story, we could have something as brilliant as Pinocchio, Dumbo, or even Alice in Wonderland. So give or take, I can see why this movie is not exactly a critical gem. But I have a soft spot for the fairy tale of the child who goes through a magical journey, from Spirited Away to Pan’s Labyrinth, it’s impossible for me to resist. Dated? Sure. Superfluous? Maybe. But it’s a personal favorite.

Also, I don’t know if you mentioned this, but Walt Disney actually hated this film! Sure he had a history with it, but he felt that the final product wasn’t very good.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 21:28:00 +0000

In reply to VoiceTalentBrendan. Oh I really like those bright colors that used to be on vhs it made even old movies look like they came from the early 90s.