TV Movie Review : Neverland Part II

Charlie Rowe as Peter

Last night I was left wondering if ‘Neverland’ would tie into Disney’s ‘Peter Pan’ or go into a completely different direction. With a darker tone than the Disney classic, ‘Neverland: Part 1’provided us with a better understanding of Peter and gave us a fuller, deeper relationship between Peter and Hook. The parental-esque nature of the Hook-Peter bond remains central in ‘Neverland: Part 2,’ Syfy’s conclusion to its epic miniseries.

In true hero fashion, Peter “dies” and is reborn with mystical abilities gained from Tinker Bell’s people, the Tree Spirits. After Peter is healed, Tinker Bell (voice of Keira Knightley) is able to “speak” to Peter because he can understand her thoughts. When Peter emerges from the special pool with the mineral dust, he can fly because of his pure, innocent heart. The Grand Elders of the Tree Spirits tell Peter that they trust him with the powers they have given him.

The sequence between Tinker Bell and Peter shows how the two could form a bond, but the sequence is short. We don’t even get a training montage with Tinker Bell teaching Peter how to fully use his gifts, so how Tinker Bell and Peter form a relationship is basically unknown. Since we technically know the ending of the story, Peter lives and stays in Neverland, how the relationships develop is the real unknown and why many of us tuned in.

Of course Peter’s journey to becoming a legend is not easy, but, unfortunately, Peter is relatively inactive for the first hour of the movie. After he learns how to fly, he is quickly captured by the pirates. We spend more time with Hook and Bonny than is really necessary. Anna Friel relishes her role as Captain Bonny and shows us how being trapped in Neverland for 200 years can drive one mad, but the Hook-Bonny relationship was developed well in ‘Part 1,’ so seeing them bicker about their plans again are wasted moments. This is Peter’s story after all.

The action begins to pick up when Hook tricks Peter. We know Hook is duping Peter into exposing the way to the Tree Spirits’ home, but when Peter realizes Hook is willing to sacrifice their relationship for his own desires is heartbreaking. Hook is the only father Peter has even known, which is why Peter’s devastation understandably turns to anger, causing him to not tell Hook the consequences of Bonny’s dip in the magic pool. Hook deceived Peter, and Peter returns the favor. The relationship between Hook and Peter is as destroyed as the Tree Spirits’ home; we know there is no hope for any reconciliation. Because ‘Part 1’ established their relationship, watching Crowe (Peter) and Ifans (Hook) performances makes the moment painful and moving. The tears and anger are real as the betrayal cuts deep and severs their bond.

After Peter is rescued a couple of times and regains his memory, the action kicks into high gear. The battle between the Kaw and the pirates is filled with swashbuckling thrills and excitement. Cannons bombard the approaching Kaw, and when the Kaw’s canoes are overturned, the stunt work and editing make me tense and worried about who will survive and win the fight. The climactic battle between Hook and Peter is an intricate swordfight in a cave. Peter whizzes around, but he defeats Hook with both feet on the ground, proving to Hook that he has finally broken free from Hook’s corrupting influence.

‘Neverland’ successfully tells the tale of Peter’s origins. He goes from a clever street urchin to the eternal boy hero we are familiar with. The story’s structure makes Peter’s journey believable and justified. At the end, he tells the boys that Neverland is full of adventure and a place they can live by their own rules for all eternity. Hook’s deception and betrayal makes Peter’s vow of never growing up and being free of cheating, lying adults the only possible outcome for the story.

The writing, performances and special effects come together well and bring Neverland to life. Neverland is beautifully depicted as magical and dangerous. The crocs are large and menacing. The landscapes are vast, sweeping, and enchanting. Even Peter’s flying is convincing; flying is a difficult effect to achieve, and Peter moves through the air in a credible manner.

By the end of the movie, I no longer cared if the story tied into the Disney version of ‘Peter Pan’ because of the unique take on Peter’s tale. Syfy’s version of Neverland is a place I would like to return. My wanting for more character interaction stems from finding the characters engaging and interesting. I would like to spend more time with Peter, Tinker Bell, Aaya, Curly, and the rest. ‘Neverland’ is a charming movie that kept me fascinated for two nights and made me want to join the boys on their many adventures.

TV Movie Review: ‘Neverland: Part 1’

Syfy’s ‘Neverland’ takes us to the time before Peter Pan was Peter Pan, back to when he was just Peter, a boy part of a ragtag group of boys under the care of James Hook. The story is a blend of magic and science in an attempt to explain Neverland’s existence. While the science is a bit of a stretch and distracting, the performances and story create a suspenseful and engaging tale about a father and son.

When your story is about Peter Pan, your Peter better be able to hold his weight, and Charlie Rowe does. Rowe has a glint in his eyes, showing us that Peter always has a plan ready. Rowe’s Peter inspires others to follow him as he openly defies Hook by robbing the jewelry store. Rowe understands Peter’s struggles. The grin and the glint disappear once Peter realizes how his actions have dire consequences. Rowe balances childish impulsiveness and the yearning to be an adult very well.

Helping Rowe fully bring Peter to life are his scenes with Hook, played masterfully by Rhys Ifans. Hook is a man wanting to be a part of London high society again. Although he has fallen to a lower station, Ifans’s Hook carries himself as though he still has a higher status, making sure he is ready to re-enter society at any moment, a notion Hook truly believes. Hook and Peter argue as fathers and sons do. Peter wants to please Hook, the man who saved him and took him in, becoming a surrogate father. However, Hook knows Peter is not ready to be his partner because Peter still has “a lot of growing up to do first.” The dynamic between Ifans and Rowe shows that the bond between Peter and Hook is real and has been formed over several years.

The scene that best reveals the conflict between Peter and Hook is when Peter rescues the boys from the ship. Peter gets all the boys to the canoe. Fox urges Peter to leave, but Peter wants the entire family together, so he goes back to the pirate ship to find Hook. Peter finds Hook with Captain Bonny and thinks Hook will come with him, but Hook wants to stay with the pirates.

Peter’s confusion twists his face, and his confusion turns into anger. Peter does not understand that, as a man, power and lust tempt Hook because situations are “different when you’re older.” Hook trusts the pirates; Peter trusts the Kaw (the Native Americans). Peter is dismayed that Hook wants him and the boys to join the pirates, and Peter almost agrees with Hook, but he listens to his instincts and flees. The price of learning this lesson is losing one of the boys, Fox. Hook’s actions expose his own inner turmoil; he loves his boys, but he wants power and status as well. Ifans precisely hits every beat and shows us Hook’s love for his boys without being overwrought or false.

In addition to strong performances, the special effects bring Neverland to life. The green screen work blends well with the sets. Fludd’s forest city is a prime example of how the effects bring to life a fantastical part of Neverland. Fludd has shaped the trees to form his city, and the effects make the buildings appear vast, sprawling, and daunting. When Tinker Bell enters Fludd’s lab, the actors’ eyes follow Tinker Bell, making me believe they actually see and hear her. Tinker Bell glows silvery-white, and her flight patterns are smooth and quick. The effects, the sets, and the costumes bring alive a world that never changes and that is populated with random people from random points in time.

I only spotted two missteps in the movie. The explanation of Neverland was simple and direct until Fludd’s lengthy speech in his lab. We knew hitting the orb opens the gate to Neverland, transporting people and objects near the orb from Earth to the strange world. Is the character of Dr. Fludd necessary? Yes. Fludd discovers the gateway to Neverland and how to move between Earth and Neverland. What is not needed is the description about how Neverland is a planet furthest out yet also the center of the universe. Fludd revealing his creation of a second orb was interesting; the additional information about the universe stopped the action and muddled an otherwise simple explanation.

The other misstep was the lack of screen time with Aaya (aka Tiger Lily) and Peter. Their relationship is not developed on screen, so Aaya’s decisions are not clear. Why does she go with Peter on his mission to find the hooded man? The quest is Peter’s idea, not hers. Since we don’t see them bond at the Kaw’s settlement, her participation lacks motivation. Also, we don’t see them bond during their trip. Without a true understanding of the relationship between Aaya and Peter, Aaya’s decision at the end of the movie has no resonance. Yes, Aaya is a good person, but why would she put her people in danger? When did Aaya and Peter cultivate such a deep connection?

Despite a couple of missteps, ‘Neverland: Part 1’ is a quick, well-structured movie with fine performances. The writers avoid bogging down the first part of the miniseries with too much exposition. The two hours flew by, and I am eager for the conclusion. When will Tinker Bell talk to Peter? And what motivates her to do so? Will Hook and Peter remain close or will they end up enemies? Will Hook lose his hand? I’m intrigued if ‘Neverland’ will tie into Disney’s ‘Peter Pan’ or if the story will go in a different direction. Either way, I can’t wait to see Peter take on Bonny and her crew of pirates!