The story of Peter Pan is one of my all-time favorites and I love twists on the base premise. For this reason, NEVERLAND caught my eye. I caught a few minutes of this film on SyFy a while back, but was unable to finish it. Thankfully, the fine folks at Vivendi snatched this up and I was able to watch the whole thing. I’m happy to report that this is a nice addition to the Peter Pan mythos.
If you are not familiar with NEVERLAND, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the press release:
NEVERLAND introduces us to a young lad named Peter and his streetwise gang, who are mysteriously transported from turn-of-the-century London into an enchanting parallel world where time stands still and an adventure awaits like nothing you’ve ever seen before. In NeverLand, no one ever ages and lost souls have been plucked out of time. The ‘lost boys’ are soon caught in a war with the man who will become Captain Hook and change the fat of this mystical land forever.
In NEVERLAND, we get to see how Peter and the boys came to be in NeverLand, along with Captain Hook and his pirates. I found this take on the story especially intriguing, because to my knowledge no one has ever approached this before. In this version, a magical orb is responsible for transporting people to and from the mystical realm, which also explains how Native American Indians wound up there as well.
The film is unique and original, a truly visionary look into this classic tale. Director Nick Willing weaves a masterful backstory that accentuates the actual myth and helps breath life into it. Willing is the guy responsible for some of the more recent and memorable retellings of classic stories and fairy tales, including ALICE and one of my personal favorites, TIN MAN (I have not reviewed TIN MAN, but probably should).
The cinematography in NEVERLAND is excellent, as there are a ton of CG shots of the landscape. The production team does a great job of integrating the live action shots with the CG shots, giving the film a realistic feel overall. The special effects are good as well, although my sole complaint about them (and the film overall) is that the flying effects for Peter look horrible. I can’t believe they look so fake when the rest of the film looks so good.
NEVERLAND is a clever and sometimes witty adaptation of a classic story that is fun for the whole family. Be sure to check it out on Blu-ray; the sharp edge of the picture and the digital sound enhance the movie beyond measure. This is a must-see for fans of Peter Pan or just fantasy in general. Give this one a look for sure.