Product Description

The magic, the excitement, the wonder of the true Peter Pan comes to life for the first time in this spellbinding fantasy that critics proclaim "a fun and fantastic tale!" (Daily Herald). Brimming with spectacular special effects and non-stop action, this all-new adventure is sure to be a family favorite for years to come! "One of the finest films of the year!" (Daily Gazette)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4334 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-05-04
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Surround Sound, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Amazon.com
Fine casting, genuinely special effects, and a keen combination of whimsy and danger make this Peter Pan the one to beat among all previous adaptations of J.M. Barrie's classic children's fantasy. The technical advances of CGI make the magic of Barrie's tale come alive, and the spectacular effects combined with luminous live action create an action-packed Neverland that's both believable and breathtakingly artificial, like a Maxfield Parrish landscape springing vividly to life before your eyes. More important, however, is the fact that director P.J. Hogan (whose splendid films include Muriel's Wedding and My Best Friend's Wedding) has taken care to develop a substantial, pre-adolescent affection between the boyish sprite Peter (Jeremy Sumpter) and resourceful London girl Wendy, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood in a marvelous screen debut. This emotional bond--and the mixed blessing of Peter's eternal childhood--is what gives Hogan's Peter Pan its rich emotional subtext, added to an already bountiful adventure that's equal parts delightful and menacing, especially when the villainous pirate Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs, doubling as Wendy's father) threatens to spoil the fun. With a mischievously dazzling Tinker Bell (played by Swimming Pool's Ludivine Sagnier) and no expense spared on its lavish Australian production, this Peter Pan gets it entirely right by presenting childhood as fun and frightening, in all its wondrous joys and sorrows. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
The Peter Pan DVD's extras are broken up into pint-size morsels for kids to enjoy--and adults to click a lot on the remote. Vignettes on flying, casting, computer effects, characters, or simple behind-the-scenes footage are just some of various segments contained in five "worlds." Be sure to "Visit the Darling House" to find a deleted scene and an alternate ending (which has the original book's ending of Pan returning). "Board the Pirate Ship" to see Jason Isaacs's (Capt. Hook) cute "home movies" from the set and a cut pirate song. The longest segment (12 minutes) is a puffy promotional piece hosted by Sarah Ferguson that goes over everything lightly, including the history of the tale. Note: this film would be a perfect candidate to have both a pan-and-scan and widescreen presentation on the same disc. The widescreen 2.40:1 ratio is pretty extreme for those who don't like seeing black bars on their set, but the film is so gorgeous you'll miss a lot on the full-screen edition. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

son loves it
what can i say, my sons loves the film. he watches it at least once a week if not more.

Better than My Imagination
When watching a movie version of a favorite classic, one's expection is high. I expected this film to be good, but found it to be much more exciting. In fact, it seemed to literally capture images from my imagination formed while reading as a child, and re-create them on screen. Watching it gave me a sense of motivation, and a renewed desire to play as my children do, right alongside them. My children were rivoted by this production. They have since made their own costumes to look like favorite characters and built a rustic pergola-style "Lost Boys Fort" out of sticks, ivy, and dried flowers from the garden! I guess they found it motivating as well!

peter pan flies better than superman!
i have seen peter pan played by an adult woman (mary martin). also played by an adult man (robin williams). in the awful "hook" version.
peter pan was a "boy". (all boys grow up, except one) so they finally got that right. and everything else about the movie. the special effects and especially the flying was superb. beautifully made, and i enjoyed it so much i am thinking of buying another copy of it. i just wish there could be a sequel.