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filmmakerdreamst · 1 year ago

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P.J.Hogan's 'Peter Pan' is still an underrated masterpiece 20 years later

Peter Pan is a live-action fantasy adventure film directed by P. J. Hogan that reimagines the classic story of Peter and Wendy. The screenplay was written by P. J. Hogan and Michael Goldenberg and was released in cinemas in December 2003. The screenplay is based on the 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Upand the classic novel Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie, which was originally published under the title Peter and Wendy.

The film tells the story of a young Edwardian girl, Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) and her two younger brothers John and Michael. On the night she is told she must grow up, a wild, fairy-like boy called Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) flies into her room with his high-maintenance fairy Tinkerbell. When he learns that she tells stories, he whisks Wendy and her two brothers away to a magical Island called Neverland — where you supposedly don’t “grow up” — so that she can mother his henchmen, the Lost Boys. There she fights pirates led by the evil Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs), meets mermaids, dances with fairies, falls in love and grows up.

I have strong family connections tied to Peter and Wendy and J.M.Barrie. My great, great uncle Nico was one of the sons of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies'. He and his other brothers "the Lost Boys" were adopted by J.M.Barrie; which ultimately inspired him to write Peter Pan. Nico’s daughter Laura — my cousin — who I met for the first time a few years ago, told me that she was flown to Australia for the filming of P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan because she was J.M.Barrie’s goddaughter. She told me that she was thrilled with the cast, especially Jason Isaacs, who played Captain Hook and Mr Darling. She also mentioned that Jeremy Sumpter, who played Peter Pan, was a lovely boy. However, she said she was very surprised and sad that the film wasn’t a big success as she really liked what they did with the story. I have loved the fairytale of Peter Pan from a young age, and learning that I am literally part of the family that inspired the story was very exciting and I’ve only begun to internalise it more as I’ve grown older.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I was diagnosed with a high level of Autism. One of my main symptoms was labelled “ageless”, which in simple terms means that one half of me is still a child that I can’t mentally leave behind. I can’t do many things that most adults can do, such as pay bills, drive a car, look after my own well being etc. I flap my hands when I get excited. I bounce. I sometimes speak in a baby voice. I overcommit to things I enjoy. I admit that it was hard to come to terms with the diagnosis when I first received it. But over time, I’ve come to believe that the two can coexist in a healthy way. I believe that I am an adult who is able to develop and grow while still carrying the child within me, and that this is not seen as a bad thing. I think Peter and Wendy can be seen as a reflection of that.

I was first introduced to P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan a few years after it was released (I was maybe nine or ten years old), and I absolutely loved it. It wasn’t only one of my favourite film adaptations, but one of my favourite movies of all time. What surprised me most about the film at that age was how dark and gruesome it was, and full of this underlying sexual tension that I hadn’t expected at all from Peter Pan. Even today, this film still has a special place in my heart. It is made with so much passion and love for the original text that I can automatically put myself back into the story. After watching the film again as an adult, I almost immediately opened my copy of Peter and Wendy and started reading. I would even go so far as to say that I prefer the film to the book. However, part of me wishes that the age rating had been set much higher, as the dark and gruesome moments were some of the strongest parts of the film adaptation. This is possibly why some critics and viewers had difficulty categorising the film at the time.

However, I often consider P.J.Hogan’s Peter Pan to be the same equivalent as Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice. (which came out a few years later in 2005, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen). The film moves at the same dreamlike pace. It is light, dark, colourful and deeply romantic.

I also often prefer P.J.Hogan’s Peter Pan to the 1953 Disney Animation of the same name, even though it’s the version I grew up with and liked. I find it much less straightforward and innocent. Also, the 2003 film is much closer to the original source material, which I loved reading as a teenager, and to J.M.Barrie’s original vision. The film manages to reflect the same intellectual subtext and depth of the novel while retaining the whimsy and magic.

Magical Realism

Peter Pan was a perfect blend of fantasy and realism. A lot of media these days focus too much on “realism” and make their sets and CGI look bland and washed out. It’s a common myth these days that no one likes whimsy anymore; it’s somehow seen as too childish. As a result, much of the magic of fantasy is lost. But in this Peter Pan, a lot of colour was used in the set design and cinematography. Everything was so brightly and colourfully lit. Most fantasy films these days, including the new live-action adaptation of Peter Pan and Wendy on Disney+, are all so gloomy and dark. You almost have to light up the screen to make out the actors’ facial expressions or what’s happening in the scene. But this film understands that a viewer who watches fantasy wants to be swept away, but also wants a certain amount of believability. Although the film contained a good amount of darkness, it did not shy away from being cartoonish either (which I think was partly inspired by the Disney animation), i.e. characters blushing or bouncing on the clouds.

The design of Neverland was breathtaking. I think the CGI, although criticised by some, made the island and creatures look more dreamy and fairytale-like. It was a good combination of CGI for the landscapes and real backdrops for the jungle, so there was enough magic and believability to transport the viewer into the story. A bright colour palette was used for the landscapes, while down-to-earth colours such as browns and greens were used on the ground, such as in “The Lost Boys Hide” under the tree, to give a sense of realism. The costume department also reflected this, from the majestic reds and blacks of the pirates, to the earthly colours of blue and red for the Native Americans, to the natural greens and browns of the Lost boys. I noticed that the colours in Neverland were used as a contrast to the Edwardian London back home, which is realistic but dull compared to the island.

One aspect I liked was that the lighting on Neverland always changed depending on the mood of the scene- unlike the naturalistic lighting on Earth. It was almost as if the island was a living being. For example, when there was a fight on the ship, the lighting was red. When Peter took Wendy to the mermaids, who were scary and frightening, the lighting was dark and blue. This created a surrealistic atmosphere, almost like a fever dream or a kind of nightmare.

Sometimes the environment changed depending on Peter Pan’s mood in the respective scene. I particularly liked how Peter Pan influenced the weather on Neverland. Just his mere presence when he flew to the island changed the entire atmosphere in an instant. His feelings also determined whether it was summer or winter. In other words, its suggested in the film that the longer he has been there, the more the island has become a part of him, so that he can no longer leave it. It’s almost as if the island has transformed him into a magical being.

The exuberant musical score by James Newton Howard: I’ll never forget that. I think that was one of the first movies I saw where I actively noticed the music because it was so brilliant. Even today, the “Flying” soundtrack still gives me goosebumps. It perfectly encapsulates the whimsy, joy and imagination of Peter and Wendy. I loved that there were always different variations. One of my favourite pieces from the movie is ‘Fairy Dance’, which starts off cheerfully and moves up and down depending on the characters’ conflict/what they’re saying in the scene.

Cast

The cast of this film adaptation was magnificent. The look of all the actors not only matched the book description, but also the mood, especially with the Darling family. One of the standouts was Olivia Williams as Mrs Darling. She captured the gentleness of the character perfectly. I also loved the new addition of Aunt Millicent, played by Lynn Redgrave. She fitted into the story so well that I was surprised not to find her in the novel. She had the perfect amount of ridiculousness and hilarity that suited J.M.Barrie’s style.

One particular member of the cast we can probably all agree on that was perfect, was Jason Isaacs, who played both Wendy’s father Mr Darling and Captain Hook. He was certainly a star in this film for sure. I just can not think of anyone who could play him better, especially in a live-action film adaptation. He was particularly good in the role of Captain Hook. When I first saw the film as a child, I did not know that Captain Hook and Mr Darling were played by the same person until my dad pointed it out to me because he was so good. I loved how they portrayed Wendy’s dad as shy and reserved, as opposed to Captain Hook who was flamboyant and sinister. Mirror versions of each other in different realities — that’s a common theme throughout the film. As Captain Hook, Jason Isaacs perfectly captured the essence of viciousness, deviousness and brutality that was necessary for the character. But also the deep loneliness and frustration behind it all. I have seen a quote that was supposedly cut from the film (and never should have been) that provides so much context for his hatred of Peter Pan:

“Imagine a lion in a cage and into that cage flies a butterfly. If the lion was free, it would pay no heed to such creature. But the lion is not free…and so the butterfly drives him slowly insane.” — Captain Hook

They did a really good job of showing how Peter Pan and Captain Hook are mirror images of each other. Peter Pan is a child who secretly wants to be an adult, while Captain Hook is an adult who secretly wants to be a child. Both fight each other for different reasons, but the goal is the same. For example, there is a great scene towards the end where Captain Hook uses his wits to defeat Peter in a fight. Here it becomes clear that there is deep symbolism for the inevitability of adulthood and the loss of childhood. Jason Isaacs really showed off his acting talent here. I liked that he wasn’t portrayed as a “dumb villain”, which he easily could have been.

There were also some great performances among the adults. Most notable was Richard Briers as the ‘pirate’’ Smee. But the child actors, especially the lost boys, really held the movie together. Their solid performances made it so believable that the island was ruled by children. I loved Theodore Chester as Slightly. He was very charming and funny in that role.

Another member of the cast I thought was brilliant was Carsen Grey, an indigenous actress of Haida descent, who played Princess Tiger Lily. I liked that they let her speak her ancestral language, Mohican, in this film. Although this film came out in the early 2000s, it is the only version of Peter and Wendy in which Native Americans are neither erased nor white-washed even though the representation is far from great. Considering how they’re treated in the novel, it’s perhaps for the best overall that they limited some of their scenes. However, I liked how firey she was in this adaptation and not the damsel in distress she was portrayed as in the Disney animation. I think it was a wise decision to cut the infatuation she had with Peter Pan, as it was really just one line in the book that would have added unnecessary drama, and all in all, it would have fallen short if all the female characters were jealous of each other.

They also downplayed Tinkerbell’s jealousy in this regard, portraying it more as her trying to protect Peter Pan’s youth from romantic advances, as hinted at in the novel, and also being sad that Wendy is attracting all of Peter Pan’s attention. Ludivine Sagnier has, in my opinion, succeeded well in making Tinkerbell equally repulsive and endearing, as befits the character.

Wendy Darling

Rachel Hurd-Wood was the perfect cast for the role of Wendy Darling.I was actually surprised to learn that this was her first film role ever, because she was a natural. She effortlessly possessed the same caring nature and charm that makes Wendy so endearing. She is exactly how I imagine the character when I read the story. When people talk about Peter and Wendy, they always mention Tinkerbell, Pan or Hook, but personally I am always drawn to Wendy. She is the real heroine of the story. After all, she was the main reason for Peter to bring her and her brothers to Neverland.

What always amazes me about Wendy’s role in the story is the fact that Wendy literally doesn’t spend much time being a “child” in the time she spends in Neverland. When she’s not escaping death at the hands of mermaids or pirates, she acts as a mother to the ‘lost boys’ and her brothers. She asks herself what she really wants from life. In comparison, she was allowed to behave more like a child at home in Edwardian London. Neverland is not a place where you never grow up. It’s the place where she chooses to grow up. Many people have described Neverland as a manifestation of Wendy’s subconscious as a result of trauma, and I’ve never found that to be more true in this adaptation.

One of the reasons why I think P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan is the best adaptation of the novel is the fact that the film revolves around Wendy’s coming of age. I loved that they expanded on her love of storytelling and also gave her a tomboyish streak. Instead of just being on the sidelines, she’s able to get involved and fight pirates while retaining many of her feminine traits such as her maternal instincts and romantic feelings for Peter. She makes mistakes and sometimes gets dragged into things she knows she shouldn’t do. But in the end, she triumphs.

In many film adaptations of Peter and Wendy that I have seen, Wendy is either only present in passing or not at all. Characters like Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell always take centre stage, which I think is a strange decision as they are part of Wendy’s story and not the other way around. Peter Pan is meant to metaphorically represent the childhood she does not want to give up (which is why the character is always played by a woman in the original play, as he is a mirror image of Wendy). And Captain Hook (J.M.Barrie also wanted him to be played by the same actor as Mr Darling) represents the dark side of her father, or rather what she imagines adulthood to be. This is particularly emphasised in this film adaptation because he is an important factor in her being told to grow up. The father, the concept of adulthood, and Peter Pan, her childhood, are at constant war with each other.

“You’re not supposed to be like Peter, who kept every good and bad aspect of being a child and can’t tell right from wrong. You’re not supposed to be Hook, either. He let go of everything childish and loving about him and became bitter and evil..You’re supposed to fall in the middle, to hold onto the things about childhood that make it beautiful — the wonder, the imagination, the innocence — while still growing up and learning morality and responsibility. You’re not supposed to be Hook. You’re not supposed to be Peter Pan. You’re supposed to be Wendy Darling.” — @maybe-this-time

The 2023 film Peter Pan and Wendy took a different approach, by making Wendy a kind of powerhouse who always saved the day and outshone Peter Pan overall. In my opinion, the 2003 film adaptation emphasised very well that Wendy really is the yin and yang. She's allowed to be romantic, be rescued by others and at the same time determine her own destiny and stand up for herself. Because that’s what her journey in the adaptation is all about. She is pressured by all the adults in her life to grow up. She allows herself to be seduced with the prospect of an eternal childhood by Peter Pan. Then she realises that it is not self-fulfilling. She is tempted by Captain Hook with the concept of adulthood. And finally, she finds a balance between these two extremes on her own terms. By the end of the film, Wendy has made her peace with growing up while still remaining a child at heart. That requires a certain mental strength that we should all strive for.

Peter Pan and Wendy Darling

In most adaptations of Peter and Wendy, such as Hook and Syfy’s Neverland, the focus is on the title character Peter. In the more recent film adaptation Peter Pan and Wendy, the focus is on Wendy. This film adaptation of Peter and Wendy, on the other hand, sticks more closely to the original source material, as the story focuses on Peter and Wendy’s relationship. This is perhaps the reason why I always hesitate when I watch other adaptations, because these two characters are supposed to go together. It’s definitely a relationship that can be portrayed in all sorts of ways because they are symbolically the same person.

Although there is no romance between Peter and Wendy in either the original novel or the play, Wendy quickly develops romantic feelings for Peter which, as a prepubescent child, he does not consciously reciprocate as he has no concept of love other than that of a mother’s. Although Peter cares deeply for her, he ultimately only longs for her to be the maternal figure that is missing in his life. One could go into the symbolism that Peter and Wendy are one and the same, and that this is an expression of Wendy learning to love herself. But in a literal sense, J.M.Barrie had unintentionally created this very strong potential between the two characters. And I personally feel if your'e going to make an adaptation of Peter and Wendy that potential needs to be explored in some way, even if it’s not necessarily romantic.

Hogan recognised this potential and developed the romantic elements, e.g. ‘the “thimble” from the novel, into a very real and tangible plot. In other adaptations, Peter and Wendy’s relationship is rather one-sided. But in P.J. Hogan’s film adaptation, however, it is not at all. Over the course of the film, Peter and Wendy fall deeply in love with each other.

Rachel Hurd-Wood and Jeremy Sumpter had a remarkable on-screen chemistry for young actors, which helped give the adaptation its own identity. Whenever they interacted on screen as Peter and Wendy, it was — like the glittering pixie dust of Tinkerbell — simply magical. The off-screen chemistry between the two definitely helped make the romance so believable as well. When I was younger, I didn’t like romantic subplots in family films. I personally found that they clogged up the main plot because the “romance” tended to be very one-dimensional- but Peter and Wendy in the 2003 film version were simply enchanting.

In the original novel, J.M.Barrie alludes to the possibility of a romance between the two. In the film adaptation, they go all out. Their love story was written so beautifully and profoundly, while staying true to the original text and J.M.Barrie’s themes. This made the conflict hinted at in the novel of “staying in Neverland with Peter or growing up on Earth with Wendy” even more poignant and relevant, because in reality there was only ever one option. They couldn’t find a way to have both. That made the ending even more “heartbreaking” for me as a child, because even though they had the chance to be happy together, she couldn’t give up on growing up to stay. And he couldn’t give up being a child to leave, even though it was a natural progression for him.

Peter Pan

Jeremy Sumpter delivered a fantastic performance as Peter Pan. Not only did he perfectly match the illustrations, but he also managed to perfectly capture the essence of the charismatic, mischievous little boy from the novel. What’s more, of all the versions I have seen so far, he is by far the most accurate, right down to the clothes made of skeleton leaves, the dirty fingernails, the feral mannerisms, the traumatised soul behind the charm and the downright creepy insinuations. By today’s standards, you could almost take Peter Pan for a grown man who consciously decides not to behave like this.

However, when I watch the film again as an adult, I can now understand why he has reservations about growing up in Edwardian England and would rather remain a “child” in Neverland forever. As Peter says in the film, “Would they send me to school? And then to an office?” I feel like most of us today have so many choices as we get older, but back then it was much more limited. The choices were very restricted in that “heterosexist” environment. You could only be a certain thing, and it was much harder to hold on to the pleasures of life. I can now also understand the initial reactions of Michael and John to Peter: He must have seemed scandalous to people at the time. His bright colours, his inappropriate clothing and his behaviour are repulsive to the boys, but Wendy is immediately fascinated and attracted. I think it was a deliberate choice that he is the only character with an American accent to set him apart from the rest of the cast; to emphasise the wildness of the character and his non-conformity to the people of Edwardian London.

Another small aspect I liked was the suggestion that the Lost Boys, although they lived with Peter and obeyed his commands, lived in constant fear of him and did not worship him as in other adaptations. (A fear that is justified as Peter tries to kill them more than once in the film). What the 2003 film adaptation captured perfectly about Peter's character was: how terrible of a person he really is. Peter Pan is a hero when he goes on adventures and fights pirates. You could argue — via the quote “Leave Hook to me” (which Peter says to her in the film) — that Peter is Wendy’s split self who can fight her father (Captain Hook) for her, just like antibodies do with germs when we can’t handle them ourselves.

However, when it comes to understanding emotions, caring about others, even his henchmen, the Lost Boys, and doing anything that inconveniences him, Peter Pan is possibly as bad as Captain Hook. This makes Wendy’s decision to leave him all the more powerful. Although she was initially seduced by his adventurous life, she soon realises that his “life” of joy and adventure is not fulfilling at all. Because in reality, there is no real joy. There is no real adventure. In reality, his life is empty because it is not earned. In addition, she realises that she is gradually losing her memory of the outside world, including her parents - a sign that she is “slowly awakening from the dream”. This leads Wendy to realise that she wants more than what he can give her in Neverland (e.g. romantic love) and decides to leave. Being alive means feeling, accepting and growing. However, as long as Peter remains a boy, he can never truly be alive. Peter Pan conveyed this important message, whereas earlier film adaptations, including the Disney animation, did not.

One of the reasons why good adaptations of Peter and Wendy are so hard to come by, especially in this day and age, is not only because they adapt a performative story that exists in layers of subtext. They also work with a protagonist who doesn’t change. Who doesn’t develop in any way, neither negatively nor positively. Not even just physically, but also mentally. (Even Eli from Let the Right One In, the child vampire, changes in the course of the story). At the end of day, Peter Pan is ultimately there to serve someone else’s story. It works in a fairy tale format. But it doesn’t usually translate very well to the screen because it often leads to one-dimensional storytelling. Even if it seems so natural, it doesn’t come naturally.

However, this adaptation allows Peter Pan to grow. The writers expanded on the small aspect from the book, which is the moment when Wendy enters Peter’s life; he begins to feel emotions. Not just love. But anger. Fear. Sadness. Pain. Disgust. And above all: self-awareness. Almost like a version of puberty in condensed time, as if the change suddenly caught up with his body. When Wendy brings this up, Peter immediately rejects it out of fear. I think most of us can all relate to this when we were in the midst of growing into a young adult. We experience feelings that are scary and new, that we can’t yet fully understand or even want to. For Peter Pan, falling in love is exactly what he is afraid of: growing up and no longer being a child. This adds to an interesting conflict that arises between the two when she asks him to leave with her.

“The thing about Peter Pan is, he’s a coward. Had the chance of a lifetime and he bottled it. Just fucked off back to Neverland. All alone, forever he was, by his own hand. Poor old Wendy, she had to grow old without him.” — Skins, 6x07 “Alo”

In the original novel, the reason Wendy can’t take Peter Pan with her (apart from the fact that he refuses to grow up) is the same reason Lyra in His Dark Materials can’t take Pan — the animal manifestation of her soul — on the boat to the land of the dead. She has to split in order to grow up and leave a part of herself behind. She can’t keep both in order to move on. But that does not mean I always agree with the ending either. In which Peter remains a child and takes Wendy’s future descendants to Neverland and back to look after him. It leaves an icky aftertaste, but at least it fits in with the story J.M. Barrie wanted to tell.

Even though the adaptation conveys the same message, that Peter Pan is the manifestation of Wendy’s youth, even to the end. In this version of Peter Pan, that is no longer the case. By the end of the film, the way he holds himself is different. The way he looks wistfully through the open window and solemnly says, “To live would be an awfully big adventure,” : a sign of self-awareness, while Wendy happily reunites with her family. So much so that Tinkerbell has to pull him by the hair to stop him from joining them and reconsidering his decision. Peter is now old enough to know that he loves Wendy. Maybe he’s also mature enough to know what he’s missing, but he knows he can’t have her the way he wants, so he does the most selfless thing he’s ever done in the whole film by letting her go.

There is no such conflict at the end of the 1953 Disney animated film. Peter Pan is described by Wendy as “wonderful”. In reality, everyone else gets their happy ending, except him, because he deliberately chooses not to. Peter Pan very much turns himself into a tragic figure because he is afraid of the most natural thing in the world. He is afraid of life. And I feel like this version of the story knew that and expressed it strongly, which makes me conflicted now as an adult. I’ve seen endings like this before, where two people fall in love but do not end up together because they grow apart or they are both interested in different things, and it’s very important to reach those points in different ways. It very much reflects real life and is also reminiscent of first love. How that love never really fades. It reminds you of simple times, even when you’ve grown up and moved on. That a part of you is still at that age when you look back on it. These endings happen because people grow — which Peter Pan does not.

“Peter in the books lives in oblivious tragedy. He may suspect that he’s not fully happy, but he tends to forget about it… yet this Peter doesn’t… Wendy leaving him and growing up to be a wife of another man is his unhappy thought…It’s the loss of innocence since Peter could not forget this…It’s the process of growing up…all but confirms that Peter’s character arc in the film is one of accepting the fact he too must grow up to be happy.” — @rex-shadao

It was hard to say why I had a strange feeling at first, but I realised that a lot of my mixed feelings stemmed from having seen the film adaptation fresh after reading the novel. Since Peter Pan fully reciprocates Wendy’s love in this version, he ends up being a different character than in the book, which is why I now disagree with them keeping the original ending instead of having him grow up with Wendy. It would symbolise that childhood can co-exist with adulthood, that you don’t have to leave a part of yourself behind. That you can be your true and complete self if you find the balance between the two extremes.

The original ending still works however, in all its bittersweetness. I know what it means and understand what it stands for. Wendy basically says goodbye to her childhood and promises never to forget it. There’s a reason it made such an impression on me when I was younger. It could just be because I’m trying to pick up all the pieces of my broken heart from the floor. But personally, as an adult, I just find it weaker compared to the novel. Sometimes I like to imagine an ending to this version of the story where Peter Pan comes back, having quickly realised that he has outgrown Neverland, but doesn’t meet Wendy again until they are both much older, at a time when Wendy is coming to terms with womanhood and the idea of marriage. Or she even meets his real earth counterpart (if we were to delve into the psychology of Neverland being Wendy’s dream). And their relationship is subjected to the natural test of time and growth.

Peter Pan is an almost perfect adaptation. It matches the humour, the tone and the vision of J.M.Barrie. But I can certainly understand why the film didn’t do so well at the box office. In the month it was released, there was an unfair amount of competition, namely the film Lord of the Rings — The Return of the King. And as an adult, I can now understand why it’s not the film people think of or remember when it comes to Peter Pan adaptations. And it’s not just because it doesn’t fit the elfish, jolly trickster persona that Disney has created.

The film adaptation suffers more from what it doesn’t do — such as maintaining a stable tone and consistent editing — than from what it does. It’s one of those films that would have benefited from being much longer. That way, the inconsistent tone and some of the rushed parts of the adaptation would be much more balanced. It feels like it was missing an extra twenty minutes. For example, the film is narrated by an older version of Wendy, but without the deleted ending where it becomes properly clear that it’s her telling the story to tie everything together, the ending feels a little abrupt. Say what you will about Tim Burton’s adaptation of the Series of Unfortunate Events, but the audience could see where the film’s narration was coming from the whole time. I think if they knew the alternate ending wasn’t going to work (that scene is a classic example of something working well in the novel but not in the film), they should have removed the narrator altogether with the deleted ending and adjusted the film accordingly. They should have extended some scenes so that parts of the film weren’t rushed, such as the introduction, and the story would have been left more up to interpretation as there was no voiceover throughout.

Despite its weaknesses, P.J.Hogan’s Peter Pan is still an underrated masterpiece 20 years later. It is an irresistible film that captivates and warms the heart. The film adaptation has certainly stood the test of time, staying true to the original while adding its own flavour to the story. It is full of magic, wonder and heart. It was clearly made by people who loved the origins of the story and explored where they came from, while also digging deep into the text to reshape the character arcs in a fresh and meaningful way. They succeed in capturing J.M.Barrie’s original message, which is that growing up is a natural progression of life, but that doesn’t mean leaving childhood behind entirely. That it is important to maintain a healthy balance between the two: Taking responsibility while appreciating the joys of life. From the vibrant colour palette to the goosebump-inducing music to the solid performances and gorgeous chemistry between Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood, my love for this adaptation will never end, no matter how old I am.

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bitchlessdino · 2 years ago

Text

Sweet Darling (m)

Pairing: tinkerbell's son!chan x fem!reader x Hook's son!wonwoo

Genre: smut

Word count: 6.6k

tags: daugther of wendy!reader, established relationship, yearning, poly, wonchan doing what bros do, suggestive mlm content, cunnilingus, voyeurism, exhibitionism, hair pulling, dirty talk, Silk restraints, praise kink , spitting, cum eating, cumswapping, unprotected sex, double penetration.

Summary: "Trouble in paradise with little Darling?" Chan was really unsure taking the advice from a child of Hook, but as a man in love, Chan knew the heavier the risks, the higher the reward.

author note : I have a bagillion requests to get to but here comes more self-indulgent fics! thank you @wonwussy and @multi-kpop-fanfics (happy birthday my pretty darling 💗) for beta reading and below are some of my fave notes of theirs :)))))))))))

"NOT WONWOO JUST SHOWING UP" "Wonwoo is Chan’s biggest supporter" - SJ "chan was brave I would have cum on the spot" "wonwoo pirate whore confirmed" -zeta

Tagging: @shiningstar-byulxx @misssugarlips @tommolex @hoeforhao @honglynights @homerunhansol @dkakapizzaboy @junhui-recs @svtup @buffhoshi @meowmeowminnie @caratochan @lovebot4han

Chan has been the happiest he's ever been in a long time. As a child of one of the legendary fairies of the century, Chan had a lot to live up to. His mother has worked hard to prepare him for their line of work and she’d be damned to know she poured her blood sweat and tears into him getting into a good university to find out he was dating the daughter of Wendy Darling of all people.

Chan’s mother could never stand that so called ‘wretched girl’–always sticking her nose in places she shouldn’t have been–and it’d be an extra hot day in hell if Chan was ever caught fraternizing with such the likes.

That’s why he had kept it such a secret. Although Chan loves and respects his mother, the moment he laid his eyes on Darling kin, he knew it was over. It was a forbidden affair that may have initially swayed his decision-making in pursuing you, but over time, he had truly fallen for you, calling the first time he saw you ‘love at first sight.’

You stunned everyone with your effortless beauty and grace and eventually, they began to learn more about your kind heart and demure demeanor. It was inevitable that everyone became enamored by you, including Chan.

Being able to take you to the formal was a dream come true. What surprised him the most was that you seemed just as infatuated with him and that it wasn’t just a pity date or a yes disguised as something else, you actually enjoyed his company. But it wasn't enough that you liked him. He wanted you to be irrevocably taken by him.

He had to occupy your every day, your every thought, your every breath. You had to be obsessed with the fact that there is no other person in the world for you. At least not like Chan. No one was like Chan. Just as there was no one like you. For you, you deserved something special.

"Wonwoo, you're a heathen. How do you bring excitement to the…you know?”

The young pirate raised a full brow, eye twitching back at the pestering fairy who had just insulted him like nothing. “No l don't know. What?”

“You know. The pleasure.”

Despite their families opposing histories, Chan and Wonwoo fairly got along. They were acquaintances at most and were typically surrounded the mutual friends, today was different seeing as everyone else was busy with the matters of classes and assignments. Eating with someone was better than eating alone, according to Chan, and it seems Wonwoo shared the same sentiment as he willingly agreed.

Chan had his annoying moments–Wonwoo found most fairies naturally have those kinds of qualities, just take Chan’s mother as an example–but the blonde lad was entertaining when he wanted to be in a rather whimsically endearing way. Wonwoo normally found those individuals disgustingly nauseating, but it worked on Chan.

Wonwoo grinned knowingly. He leaned over from the picnic bench, a palm to his cheek. With the tree towering over him, shadows caressing his face aesthetically. “What's that?”

Chan let out an exasperated exhale, lightly tugging his bright blond hair. “Sex, Wonwoo! I'm talking about Sex!”

“Why? Trouble in paradise with little Darling?”

Word got around about Chan’s relationship with Wendy Darling’s darling daughter closer to the day of the formal, but that was before the scene the conflict containing the beast’s child, Gaston’s son, and apparently Ariel’s son. Wonwoo could never properly keep up with peer gossip as it was usually blown out of proportion (most of the time that it, this cup of tea was rather scorching).

Chan scowled at the accusation. “Of course not!” He twiddled his fingers, bottom lip jutting out. “l just want to make it more special for her this weekend. Seeing as you have more than enough trolloping in your history to count as a human brothel, l thought it'd be interesting to get your ideas.”

If Wonwoo took offense to Chan’s jab, he didn’t show it, and instead asked, “Your lady like knots?”

“Like ones slathered in garlic sauce?”

“...No. Like rope.”

Chan’s eyes rounded out in concern. “Wouldn't that hurt?”

The young fairy’s expression amused Wonwoo, a chuckle escaping him. “No, not if you do it right. Never mind. Let's start with something easier. How do you kiss?”

Chan broke out in a wide smile reliving your many kisses and his cheeks emitted a tinge of pink. “Well, she kisses lovely. Rather shy. l just make sure she's comfortable.”

“Snore. No wonder you need my help. Come here. I'll show you.”

“Show me?” Chan repeated, leaning his body away with arms crossed into an ‘X’ over his chest. “Why, you must’ve confused me with a harlot such as yourself.”

“Calm down twinkle toes, I’m not here to corrupt you”–although the thought was tempting–“I’m just going to show you the right ways to do things.”

Wonwoo redirected himself now next to Chan, sitting on the same picnic side parallel to him. He told Chan to meet him at eye level, causing the other to sit up straight. Wonwoo took the side of his face, “Now listen carefully.”

A shudder suddenly went down Chan’s spine. “W-where is this really going?”

“You asked for my help,” Wonwoo reminded, grin taunting back at Chan, “don’t be scared.”

Wonwoo’s hand crept on the back of Chan’s neck, rough fingers threading up his blond locks. “You’re gonna want to play with her hair.” Wonwoo let the locks glide between his digits gently, curling at the ends, and Chan could feel micro hairs stand on his arms. “Like that, okay?”

“Mm-hmm.” Chan croaked.

“Good, now answer looking back at me.”

Chan hadn’t noticed at first, but instead of looking back into Wonwoo’s eyes, he had been actively avoiding. The blonde had himself force his eyes back on his company. “Y–yes.”

“Alright.” Wonwoo tilted the angle of Chan’s face, utilizing his thumb, and began leaning closer, his breath tickling the blonde’s cheek. Chan visibly swallowed, blinking back in quiet anticipation. Wonwoo's eyelids drop gently, and his lips–startlingly plump and pink–began to part. “Now when you’re this close, you give her the chance to breathe. Let her learn patience. Tease that patience. Let it fester.”

“Yeah, s-sure.” Chan responded, his heart building up until it was hitting a million beats a minute, at least it felt that way.

“You only get closer from there,” Wonwoo added. He inched closer and closer, lips only mere atoms away, and Chan can’t help but shoot his eyes up in alarm. But Wonwoo just kept talking, soothing and deep, alluring even to Chan. “You can feel how excited she is from here, her heart probably erratic from the distance.”

Chan developed a deeper red on his cheeks, relating all too well to that statement, but of course not the exciting part. That was reserved for you. Yet, his mind ran through a thousand different questions, one of them being why he wasn’t entirely repulsed by this. “Finally at the right time, your lips meet. It's warm, his comforting, and you take advantage of that pressure until it's hungry, gritty, starving.”

Chan sighed without thinking, already accepting his fate. Then Wonwoo’s lips stretched over his face in that devilish smile withdrawing, the warmth that once there taking a leap away from Chan. “She won’t know what’s coming to her. You're welcome.”

The oxygen knocked out Chan’s lungs, pulling him back to the present. He jumped up from his seat to collect himself, obviously clearing his throat before picking up his things. "Uh, thanks, ahem, Wonwoo. That helps."

“Anytime, Chan.”

Chan got up to leave soon after, trying to melt the image of Wonwoo from his brain, but he got what he needed. Wonwoo, despite his less-than-orthodox methods, knew what he was talking about. Chan would just have to trust his word.

That same night, Chan had put his friend's advice to the test. He called you over for an at-home date night and he was already itching to see the magic from the lesson. You playfully held the bottom of the hem of his shirt, taking short bursts of kisses Chan lands against your lips.

You hard fell into a natural rhythm with this routine, seeing as he was a little predictable. However, when he ran his fingers through your hair, your giggles melted into moans, skin stinging with every puncturing touch of his digits digging into your scalp and putting at your hair. Your bodies entangle with one another and naturally fell against the firm surface of his mattress, hips pressing into one another until your kisses fell more languid and deep.

“Chan,” you whispered, getting quite comfortable with this new side of him, "Well, that was rather different."

"Do you like that,” he asked softly, eyes still rounded like a puppy dog claiming his treat.

"Very much yes," you reeled him in closer, "What else can you do ?"

Chan thinks of an answer but fell flat. His mind just went completely blank from your question and now the arousal he once felt died along with his movement. He stuttered with his words, ashamed by his inability to respond and his uncertainty take the next steps, and he’s already pulling apart from you. Performance anxiety. It gets to everyone at some point eventually. "I'm sorry."

You sat up next to him, your brows dipped in concern. Your hand glided over his back, stroking in order to soothe his nerves. "What's wrong? Why are you apologizing?"

"I just wanted it to be perfect." He admitted.

He’s had his modest share of intimate partners but none were like you, who he was impossibly infatuated with.

"The first time isn't always is. We knew that."

"But 'ours' should be. I even asked the pirate for help.” He pulled at the tufts of his blonde, shutting his eyes tight in frustration.

Your eyes shot open, "You asked Wonwoo for help? What good would he do?"

"He just knows these kinds of things better than I do." Chan sighed.

"Say that again, I need that as my ringtone." Wonwoo, out of thin air, appears before you both, smickering at the painfully awkward sight leaning up against the door frame of Chan’s bedroom. "There really is trouble in paradise."

Cham jumped up from the bed, shocked at his appearance. "How did you get in here?"

"Pixie dust,” Wonwoo answered sarcastically before pointing his thumb back into the living room, "Your door was unlocked. Everyone could hear your–well lack of–sex life."

Chan fell back into bed, embarrassed beyond repair. "Kill me now."

"That won't be necessary," Wonwoo reassured, relieving himself of his burly coat as it dropped to the ground. “I said I’d help.”

Chan huffed, sneering back at the pirate, “I see what this is. I come to you with advice on being a better lover and you sabotage me by ‘pillaging’ and ‘plundering’ my beloved.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes, “I don’t ‘pillage’ or ‘plunder’ people. Even if I did, your Darling wouldn’t be one of them. I am an honest pirate.”

“An ‘honest pirate’ frankly sounds like an oxymoron.” Chan rebutted.

Wonwoo was getting annoyed by Chan’s accusation but every damn nerve in him told him to stay against his better judgment. He crossed his arms, looking back at Chan sternly, “Look, you can argue with me all day, but every second you argue, is a second longer your little girlfriend doesn’t get to cum, so be my guest, insect.”

Chan scoffed, hands on hips. Offended didn’t even begin to start describing how Wonwoo made him feel. “Fine. Let’s see how you do it then!”

“Chan!” You interrupted, cheeks hot from the lingering embarrassment of knowing you and your boyfriend had gotten caught in the midst of your activities. Wonwoo, the cheekiest pirate that everyone on campus knew, just so happened to know the intimate details of it before stumbling upon it in real-time, and now seconds away from being involved due to your boyfriend’s reflex to prove someone wrong.

Chan’s anger dissipated upon hearing your voice, immediately coming to your side. “I’m sorry, my love. That just came out. Of course, nothing will happen. Not without your permission.”

Your eyes shift from your boyfriend to the intruder, who pirated all over your intimate moment. You should’ve been mad you were interrupted, you should’ve been mad that Chan brought up your private details with someone on the outside, but all you couldn’t help but feel was intrigued. The fact that Chan was fine with another man joining was surprising, to say the least, but you’d be lying if you had thought it was a rather appealing image that sent arousal between your legs.

You clenched your thighs together, comparing Chan’s soft gaze with Wonwoo’s cocky one, eventually nodding your head in bashful interest. “It’s new, and rather different than what I’m used to, but If it’s something you’re willing to try, I am too.”

Chan smiled gratefully, pressing a kiss to your lips, before turning back to Wonwoo with a slight scowl. “Okay, what did you have in mind, pirate?”

Wonwoo grinned, proceeding to walk closer to the couple before joining them at the corner of the bed, dressed down in a simple black shirt and black ripped jeans. “Baby steps, what I’ve already taught you at lunch today.”

“He taught you something?” You questioned in bemusement.

Chan tried filtering through the blush on his cheeks but failed. “It’s not what you think, he just…gave me some direction.”

“Since I’ve shown Chan what to do,” Wonwoo’s hands came up to rest on your shoulder, burning hot against you, “It’s time I show you what to do, little Darling.”

You’ve always had a hate/love relationship with the endearment ‘Darling.’ Since it was your family name, it came with the repercussions that everyone thought it’d be okay to refer to you as such instead of your given name, but hearing how it rolled off Wonwoo’s tongue sounded like pure sex.

“You touch her in a way she resists, I’ll kill you, Jones.” Chan threatened.

“Relax, I won’t. Milady, do you consent to me kissing you?”

You nodded, watching as he inched closer to meet you at eye level. “As I said with Chan, It’s all about the teasing, the build-up for the kiss.”

Chan watched over patiently as Wonwoo did the same steps he learned today: the touching of the hair, the gradual closing of each other’s body, his breath visibly lingering close enough to your lips that you could make out the spearmint gum he’s been chewing. Wonwoo smiled to see how much more cooperative you were compared to Chan, who was already fuming at the sight.

“You caught up now, Miss Y/n?”

“I-I think so.”

“Good. Now I’ll show you what I haven't shown Chan, but you’ll be teaching him soon after, alright?”

You quietly nodded. Soon, Wonwoo met your lips for the first time, tasting, and reveling in sweetness that was supposed to be Chan’s and only Chan’s. Anger fueled the young fairy, his knuckles turning white from balling his hand in fists, but it soon melted seeing your face.

Wonwoo kissed differently from Chan, not in a way that was better or worse, but it opened your body to a new possibility you haven’t explored yet. The pirate’s hand traveled from your face to your side, pulling you by the hip towards him, in turn releasing a yelp down his throat. You made no protest, seeing as the action only enhanced the current situation, and you feel your hands move on him just as naturally, playing at the buttons of his shirt.

His tongue caressed your lips for entry and you gave access, having now your saliva mixing in an obscenely decadent way. You moaned moving closer to him, your knees now digging into the mattress in the process, lost in heat. Your body arched into his, feeling the firm definition beneath his clothes. It felt so different and wrong and addictive.

“My love,” Chan breathed out. The complex emotions running through him made the fairy’s possessive nature conflict with the arousal stemming from such an erotic scene unfolding. All that was clear was that his pants were tightening at the crotch.

You immediately pulled away from Wonwoo at the sound of Chan's soft timbre, a hand to your mouth, shocked by your own actions. “Have I–oh, dear.”

Chan shook his head, “Not like that, Y/n, I’ve just realized now how beautiful you look needy and desperate. It’s…exhilarating.”

You covered your face, hiding behind his deliciously sinful words, typing to ignore the damp tension you tried so hard to clench away. Wonwoo simply chuckles, “She’s a natural.” He pulled your hands away from your face, gentle encouragement in his surprisingly kind eyes. Kind for a pirate anyway. “Time for you to show, Chan. Do exactly as I’ve taught you, and he will follow. He’s a good student too.”

You quickly returned to Chan, need flooding every orifice of your body before catching him in a liplock. You made use of your lesson, playing with Chan's hair, trailing your hands over Chan’s body, and letting your lips follow the pace of your heart, practically devouring the plush cushion of Chan’s lips. Chan mimicked your movement to a tee, catching up at sonic speed, and you could feel his pulse quicken beneath the palm of your hand.

“That’s it,” Wonwoo led, “Chan, don’t be shy about doing things out of the box too, she wants you just as much as you want her.”

Being a high-achieving student, Chan pulled you in his lap, straddling him, where you were grinding against him like a pair of horny teenagers. His hands found home on your chest, cupping the fullness of your breasts through your clothes. An obscene moan followed soon after.

“Atta-boy.”

Chan smiled at Wonwoo’s sincere rally before continuing to work into your liplock, that was hardly working at all seeing how seamlessly your bodies meshed like one. Slowly, articles of clothing began coming apart from your bodies, skin exposing without a second thought until you were only left in your underwear. You could practically feel yourself dripping between your legs, and at this point, you would be actively worried about it getting on Chan’s thighs, but you were too lust blind that the thought never reached your brain.

Chan’s newly acclimated fascination with your breasts had him appreciating them to their entirety, feeling how the peaks hardened under his touch and tasted on his tongue. His only regret was that he didn’t learn it so much sooner. Then came your body, soft and lively under his fingertips. He could feel every goosebump, every curve, every delicate feature of your body, unable to believe you’d given yourself to him like this. Balls of flesh in his hand, he held you like a man gone mad, crotch thrusting into you as if his erection was seconds away from busting right out from his pants.

Meanwhile, your hands glided over Chan’s sculpted muscles, internally squealing at their firmness while moisture flooded your core. For a fairy, everyone expected them to be dainty and delicate, much due to the attention they placed on their magic rather than physical labor, but beneath Chan’s pristine exterior, he was rugged.

The valleys of his abdomen were deep, making your hands slide through like butter, and his arms–both large and built to provide safety–embraced you with blistering heat. Your mouth water at the simple thought of them pinning you against a flat surface, your feet far from touching the ground. God, his body was made for worship to the level of a deity and you would take all of eternity to do it. “Mmh, Chan…”

His hand in your hair stroked it sweetly, but his teeth pulled at your bottom lip’s resistance, “All for you, my love. Tear me away, lash at me, bring me in ruin. I am at your beck and call.”

“So glad you mentioned that, Chan,” Wonwoo obnoxiously interrupted, “because you’re going to do something for Y/n that I’m sure you’ll both very much enjoy.”

Wonwoo directed you to sit up against the bed frame while he handed something off to Chan, whispering in his ear. Chan accepted it before making his way to you, parting your legs with the nudge of his knee. His smile is unwavering as he reached down for your hands, thumbing over the back of them. Abruptly, he took them both above your head, having you stare back at him anxiously. Utilizing what Wonwoo gave him personally, a single silk scarf, Chan tied you down at your wrists, looping them through on the nook of the bedframe to ensure escape wasn’t an option.

“He said they’d be better than rope.” Chan blushed. “At least, I won’t have to worry about you getting hurt.”

“What are you going to do to me, Chan?” You asked slightly afraid, but your fear is overwhelmed by the presence of thrill.

Still smiling, he doesn’t answer and instead lowers his body, hands smoothing over your legs. Wonwoo, who previously had just been watching aside from your kiss, sat behind Chan, watching the tremble of your legs and you couldn’t help but feel naked under his gaze. Chan's kisses feathered over your inner thighs, teeth nipping at you during his slow entry, and his arms came up beneath you to tug you against his lips.

“Oh…” You let out, feeling his mouth move against your molten core.

“You’re so wet for me, my love, mmh…”

Chan’s tender love has yet to be translated into sexual initiation until this very moment and, damn, it was the most amazing thing you’ve ever experienced. His whispers tickled your skin before it was captured by his mouth. Teeth colliding with your folds, the light strokes of his tongue, you can feel how he’s careful, appreciating every fold, making sweet sweet love your messy core. Then, Chan pressed deeper, exploring your warmth, ravaging you, and cushioning his cheeks with your thighs. He groaned into his feast, sending vibrations up your body.

Your eyes fluttered out of bliss, whining about your inability to touch his soft hair or pet his handsome face, instead, you could gaze back at him, crying out his name until your throat would give out.

“Isn’t he pretty,” Wonwoo commented, his hand ran through Chan's thick locks, taunting you with his free hands, and a growl ran low in your throat. “He’s just eating you right up. Tongue buried in your pussy…lips wet with your sweet syrup…he’s obsessed with you little Darling.”

You slightly glared back at Wonwoo, loathing the accuracy of his words, but the distraction Chan is causing made it difficult to manage. Your legs wrung on either side of your boyfriend’s head, chest alleviating the harsh breaths escaping your lungs and to your demise, and that only amused Wonwoo more.

“Chan, you can do better than that,” the pirate encouraged, now curling his hair between his fingers, “Let me help.”

Wonwoo’s fingers threaded through Chan’s bedhead now rougher, mercilessly, he pressed Chan’s face deeper into your warmth, your collective moans bouncing off the walls. Your fingers curled in anguish, the heat of Chan’s tongue so far inside of you made you madder than the local hatter. Wonwoo was more than satisfied by both of your responses and rewarded your boyfriend with a light stroke to his head, ebbing out the cute whines from the blonde.

“Don’t forget to look up, Chan.” Wonwoo pulled Chan’s head slightly back, lips still on you, now watching you with a mindless glow. Blown-out eyes stared back at you in hunger, the image of your malleable state burning into the very depth of his soul. “Take a good look at that face. Listen to her moans. Isn’t she the most darling of Darlings? Chan, you lucky dog.”

“I am lucky,” Chan mumbled, before running tired stripes up your slit, mesmerized by the slow drop of your swollen upper lips, drool falling out of the corner. Rounding out his mouth, suctioned to your entrance, and in doing so you only get louder, whinier, needier. “My love tastes so sweet in my mouth.”

Chan was too good of a listener and Wonwoo took full advantage. Per the pirate's instructions, Chan’s lips wrapped around your clit, the presence of his fingers claiming the spot of his tongue. They pushed in and out of you addictively, following the clench of your sopping cunt, and gushing out your scent that later drips down his forearm. How wet it was, how animalistic it looked, the melody of your voices joined together in sinful harmony brought shivers to Wonwoo’s spine. He couldn’t be more proud. It was like he was watching Chan’s congratulatory ceremony, the diploma being you coming apart before both the men’s eyes.

“I’m—Mmh—gonna cum…Chan please…”

“You heard her, Chan, make her dirty little cunt cum in your mouth…that’s it…just like that,” Wonwoo returns his attention to you, “Do it, little darling, defile his pretty little mouth. Make it that it's only your cum he tastes for weeks.”

The vulgar language pushed you to the edge, bucking your lips until you vibrate like a toy against Chan. Your voice resonates throughout the room. This put no stop to Chan letting it linger, fingers ramming inside you in slick friction as you gush in his mouth like candy. All the blonde does is chuckles, collecting your nectar in his mouth.

“Good boy, Chan,” Wonwoo complimented, “Now spit it in her mouth.”

Chan was quick on his feet, letting sweetness fall above from his lips into your mouth in crystal clear ribbons in a rough spat. He held a smile so wide and manic on his face, he was unrecognizable. You took every bit of it it, savoring you on his lips and tongue before Wonwoo commanded, “Again” and Chan’s back on your pussy for seconds.

You were already recovering from orgasm milliseconds before now you were going to take another. Chan got less timid over time, even spitting his findings back into you. His intoxicating chuckles played in your ears, flushing your skin, and if he ate you out like this every day of every hour, you would not complain.

Wonwoo, the director and mere spectator didn’t let himself get too involved, only palming his erection while he enjoyed the show. His hand would occasionally come back against Chan’s hair, leading him in the right direction, but when your third—oh was ít fourth—orgasm unfolded, he decided it was enough of an appetizer.

“Chan, be a gentleman and fuck her pretty cunt. I can tell she’s just dying for it.”

Chan got up to reconnect lips with you, “That true?” He asked, your climax coating your lips, “You want me to fuck your pretty, sopping pussy, love?”

You let out a guttural moan, tension building in your lower abdomen, “Mmh, yes, please. I need your cock in me…”

Wonwoo hummed a song of glee. “Oh, Little Darling’s got a mouth, huh? Let’s see how you can take him.”

They position you on your back, tits falling gracefully in the center of your chest as Chan’s slid his raw length up your wet slit. You whimpered seeing his size, desperate to have him inside you. When he gives you that pleasure, your head is thrown back into the pillow, the stretch of his cock throwing you for a loop. “Fuck, Chan…”

“You feel…fuck…you feel so…fuck…”

Chan fucked like how he talked, sweet and tender. Your thrill traveled up your entire body despite the many times you’ve finished, clenching around him with your legs joined to his hips. His pace gradually accelerated the moment his voice gravelly, biting his lips down, seeing pleasure contort your beautiful face into something even more devastatingly arousing. His cock was a perfect fit, fucking you like you were made for him and he almost forgets that Wonwoo is still here, watching so patiently. Almost.

“Wonwoo.”

At the call of his name, the pirate turned to Chan curiously, hand still over his pants. “Yes, pet?”

“I want your mouth on her pussy, now.”

“Chan,” Wonwoo exclaimed, wildly impressed.

“Do it before I change my mind, heathen.”

Wonwoo pulled himself up and into action. His hands pull his shirt over his head to avoid a mess, giving you a glimpse of the athleticism the pirate had etched into his also very beautiful, stunning body before he faced your groin, lips centimeters away from your round, glossy bud. “Miss Y/n.”

“Wonwoo,” You timidly greeted him between pants.

“I’m going to enjoy this, just as much as you’ll enjoy cumming a fifth time today.”

His long tongue slithers like a snake, dangling it closer to cock filled core before latching against your soft clit. Your eyes momentarily rolled to the back of your head before landing it back on Wonwoo, seeing the taut expression of a man that's off his leash. Kitten licks would simply not do in this case.

His hands held you still, eyelids half open to watch you practically melt upon him, “Perfect little clit…on a perfect little pussy…on a perfectly Darling girl.”

The pure tension in your body had hit you harder than expected. It threw your back to a perfect arch, balancing between a cock as perfect as Chan's thrusting inside you, while Wonwoo sucked on you like a lolly. The pirate’s hands traveled up your body, memorizing the shape of your warm tits. His tongue drew shapes against you, circling and spreading your moisture, while at the same time, you found him rolling your hard nipples between the pads of his fingers.

“Shit, shit, shit…”

“Taking his cock so well, little Darling,” Wonwoo complimented in a husky voice, “Isn’t she, Chan?”

“She’s…taking me…perfectly,” Chan agreed in a breathless voice.

“You want him to fill you with his cum.” Wonwoo bit his lip, using one hand to squeeze your clit, swelling it up until you're practically screaming. “Isn’t that right?”

Your eyes watered, hot from the heat of–well everything–and only nodded before weakly yelping out a curt, “Yes.”

Chan could just feel how you pulse around him, knowing you weren’t lying. His eyes fell shut, ramming in you faster, harder, the slapping of your skin loud and clear of his efforts, he lets out a harsh groan, telling himself, he can take just a little more.

“Take it,” Wonwoo commanded, “Cum all over his cock before he decides to cum in you. It’s the least you can do.”

The pirate read Chan’s mind like an automated teleprompter, with a newfound gratitude for his friend.

“…Take my cum, Y/n,” Chan repeated with stolen breath, “take all of it.”

To no one’s surprise, their words led you to take another fat, harsh orgasm, bucking your hips. Chan followed suit. His cum came in waves with loud raspy groans, clutching your thighs until he coated you inside creamy white. His final thrust came sensationally deep, filling you to the brim. Full was an understatement.

A mixture of your climax seeped out from your cunt when Chan pulled out, your pretty pussy now gorgeously adorned with vicious nectar. Wonwoo seized the opportunity in a snap move. His mouth didn’t hesitate to take your sensitive pussy entirely in his mouth, sucking out every bit of cum left inside you, leaving only the sounds of squelching and his groaning at the delectable taste.

“Fuck, Wonwoo,” you couldn’t help but call out and Chan doesn’t even get a second to be mad at another man eating out his girlfriend. Instead, somehow he’s entranced at how quick Wonwoo was to clean up a mess he wasn’t even responsible for.

“Fuck,” Chan echoed, almost just as turned out by seeing Wonwoo eat up the cum as much as Chan was making it, leaving some unanswered questions to float in the charged air.

Once Wonwoo was finished, he crashed into your lips, feeding you the remnants left on his tongue. “A bidding gift.”

You blinked back in surprise, “You’re leaving?”

“I was only supposed to help your sex lives. I wasn't meant to join in, Little Darling.”

“But you’re here anyway.” Wonwoo's eyes flickered to the fairy, the last person he thought would protest. “You might as well finish what you started, pirate.”

“And you wouldn’t mind?” Wonwoo questions.

“As long as it's consensual. Plus…it’s not like your extra leg is going anywhere time soon.”

Wonwoo chortled at Chan’s innuendo, briefly looking down at the erection in his pants, still very angry and stiff, before nodding. “Alright then. Your turn to lead, pet.”

Wonwoo wore a condom in respect for Chan, exposing his size for the first time. Your eyes locked on Wonwoo’s cock like it was forbidden fruit, watching how it curled up to his stomach before he settled closer to you and Chan.

Chan guided you back to him, bruising your lips in a method that was foreign until now. His teeth found your lips in a soft tug and you gasped as he pushed your naked body back on the bed, devouring your lips until he shifted you on top of him. The curve of his wet cock slapped back at your stomach, making you reminisce on how he had just felt inside you.

“So beautiful…You took my cock so well, now you’re gonna take it along with Wonwoo’s. You think your little pussy can fit in all the cock, hmm?”

“Yes, yes, give it to me please…”

He moaned at your desperation, tongue swiping over his bottom lip, “Put it in for me then, love.”

You obeyed, finding his length, slathering arousal up and down, before sliding it inside you. The friction is momentarily more manageable, but it doesn’t stop your moans that inevitably fell out. He found the curve of your ass and bounced you on his lap. Your hands, once trapped in silk, were now roaming in his hair, smiling against his lips as you latched on to him.

Wonwoo steadied himself behind you, finding an opening. His hands settled against Chan’s and together they spread you evenly. Your pussy, already preoccupied with Chan’s presence, fluttered at him, like their version of a wink. “So pretty…God, both of you should see how Darling looks so good taking Chan’s pretty cock.

He inched closer, stroking up his length as he aligned it at your entry before easing himself between you and Chan. You dropped your jaw, the stretch of Wonwoo’s presence taking you by pleasant surprise, “Fuck, fuck…”

“So fucking wet.” Wonwoo tested with a single thrust, then another, each followed up by your winces that melted into mellow moans. “Mmh, your cunt feels so much better imagined…You’re taking up like a champion, Little Darling.”

Your forehead kissed Chan’s, hands iron gripped on the bed frame, you savored the pleasurable ache between your legs as their thrusts fucked your insides at their own varying pace. You weren’t too comfortable with using obscenities yourself, but today your vocabulary was comparative to a sailor’s, pouring your heart and soul into every comprehendible word that left your lips, and at that moment, there weren’t many.

Chan kissed your temple, praising you in a lethally soft voice. His hand slid down your back misted in sweat, clutching you harder against him. He rocked into you so hard, he had slipped out, taking only a second to slide it back in you, “So soaked for me,” escaping between his heavy breaths. You screamed chants of a deity that would never come, tears blurring your vision until they fell against your cheeks.

“Mmh, you’re taking us so good, my love…How is it? How’s two cocks fucking you full to the brink of insanity?”

Even Wonwoo was blown away by the fairy’s choice of words, but hey, this wasn’t the first time Chan has surprised him today and hopefully, it wouldn’t be the last. “She probably can’t think being so full, isn’t that right, little darling? Our cocks fucking you stupid yet?”

You only answered in incomprehensive sounds, too preoccupied with the familiar strike of arousal about to hit you as they sped up. Your eyes fully rolled back into your skull and Chan could only see white in them. If he didn’t know better, he’d be worried, but the smile on your face indicated you were just fine. “So cock drunk she can’t even answer. How cute.”

“Let’s put her out of her misery and make her cum again. She surely won’t mind.”

And you didn’t, the carnal visceral sensations of their cocks joined to stretch you open, their mind-numbing rhythm bottoming out of you like heaven, and they together blossomed your hardest orgasm yet. Your muscles contracted, doubling over Chan in aguish, ripping your voice loud enough for both of them to hear. He caresses the back of your head while Wonwoo is buried in you deep by meeting his chest to your back, his groans now audibly down directly in your ear.

Chan caressed your face, “Cum, yes like that, you’re so beautiful…How can someone like you so beautiful exist?”

You sobbed into his shoulder, overwhelmed at all angles but ultimately broke under the tender warmth of his words. God, how could you ever be so lucky.

“Take my cum again for me, my love, and I’ll take care of you long after you’re asleep.”

You nodded, embracing him weakly, and Chan held you dearly along with Wonwoo for the finale. Bursts of white colored you inside-out, and you take every drop until they’re both empty. Your body grew fatigued from what felt like hours together and your mind takes a break, deeply knocked out on Chan’s bed. Chan leaves for a second, coming back with warm towels, friendly handing one off to Wonwoo. “Here.”

The pirate looked at it like a foreign object before accepting, seeing Chan take his own towel and dragged it over your mess of pussy in hopes of cleaning you dry. “Thanks for the assist, Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo smiled, copying as he does but with himself, “You’re welcome, I had fun. I hope you did too.”

Chan blushed, turning back to Wonwoo rather hesitantly. “Surprisingly, I did. Hope I can live up to that again for her.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“Thanks. I’ll have to do you a favor sometime…in thanks.”

Wonwoo joined his side, smiling rather cheekily, “I can think of a few ways.”

“If it involves Y/n and you alone, forget it.”

“Actually,” Wonwoo’s hand stung on the patch of skin on Chan’s smooth back, a cool draft hitting the young fairy, “it involves both of you. I’d love to do this again, and again. Maybe exclusively?”

“Are you asking to…be a couple with us, Wonwoo?”

The pirate chuckled at Chan’s innocent phrasing before landing a chaste kiss on his cheek, earning a look of shock on the fairy’s face, and getting up, his flaccid cock hanging in the cold air as naturally as if it were caveman times. “Think on it, insect, and if you’ll need me, I’ll be in the shower. A wet towel will certainly not be enough to get me clean.”

Wonwoo trodded off to the restroom across from Chan’s room and he leaves the door wide open. Chan feels like all the oxygen has been sucked out of his lungs, pondering the inexplicable words from another man he never imagined he would actually hesitate on and then there’s the sound of running water, following the low groan of Wonwoo reacting to its heat. Chan takes a deep exhale before deciding and it takes a total of two seconds for him to get up, walk through that bathroom door, and closed it behind him.

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uhm-hi · 10 months ago

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My fairy!Lucifer spiral gave birth to thoughts of a Peter pan! Radioapple AU

Luci as tinkerbelle, Charlie as Peter, alastor as Wendy, husk and nifty as Wendy's siblings, the rest of the hotel residents as the lost boys

Husk and nifty aren't actually related to alastor here, he just brings them to neverland anyways bc he's an asshole like that. He could be a killer in this au too and just didn't wanna leave loose ends + free labor, idk

Charlie runs into some trouble in the mainland and alastor helps her out bc it was convenient for him

She offers to bring him to neverland as thanks, he would just have to help her take care of her hotel(?)/safe haven

Alastor jumps at the chance to go. Seems awfully eager to leave the mainland 🧐 almost like he's running from something... my guy is mad sus

Luci is like Charlie darling I love you but wtf is this creepy thing you brought back home with you and when can u send him back

((like a person's reaction when their darling indoor cat somehow brings a live fucking rat home and the rat is HUGE and MEAN and SUDDENLY FRIENDS WITH THE CAT))

Luci vs alastor it's on sight. Endgame radioapple qpr or romantic partners

No, luci does not romantically love Charlie in this au and neither does alastor, they love Charlie in a parental way. Also lucifer does not die at the end, bc what happened to tink was fucked up and I refuse to think abt it happening to luci

#mine #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin lucifer #lucifer hazbin hotel #lucifer magne #lucifer #lucifer morningstar #alastor x lucifer #lucifer x alastor #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin alastor #alastor the radio demon #radioapple #appleradio #duckiedeer #hazbin

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kawaiichibiart · 1 year ago

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....how many fairy tales/stories has PRSK used for card sets?

Because we've got:

Wonder Magical Showtime! - Alice in Wonderland (with Tsukasa being the King of Smiles/Diamonds as opposed to King of Hearts, Emu is the White Rabbit, KAITO is the Cheshire Cat, Nene is probably the Caterpillar, Rin is the Mad Hatter, I believe in promotional art Miku is revealed to be Alice, who knows who/what Rui would have been assigned if he got a card)

Amidst a Dream, Towards the Shining Stars - Peter Pan (Emu is Peter Pan, Len is Tinkerbell, Tsukasa is Wendy Darling, Rui is John Darling and Nene is Michael Darling)

Mirage of Light - Snow White (and like, they're all Snow White, but I think it's very obvious that Mafuyu is the one who's meant to truly be Snow White, but it's still interesting to see how everyone else lines up as Snow White)

Mermaid Admiration - the Little Mermaid (Nene is the Little Mermaid, Ariel if you want to make things easier, Rui is the Sea Witch (or Ursula), if we go with the original version, Emu and Luka would be Nene's sisters, but yeah they're also mermaids, not sure who KAITO would be, maybe Triton, maybe a merman, maybe a third option that hasn't crossed my mind, and while in their show, Tsukasa was a merman, had he had a card, I think him being a human would make things more interesting, note: he doesn't have to be the prince)

Screaming?! Welcome to the Forest of Wolves - Mix: Little Red Riding Hood (Kohane as Little Red Riding Hood, Shiho as the Big Bad Wolf and Haruka as the Huntsman) Mary Had a Little Lamb (Rin, I honestly can't connect her or Minori to LRRH's story? So I figured they're both different characters from different stories), Three Billy Goat's Gruff (Minori)

#project sekai #project sekai colorful stage #hatsune miku colorful stage #proseka #prosekai #colorful stage #those were all the ones i could remember/find

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sbk-zgvlt · 2 years ago

Note

1. I’m honestly impressed about how you two made a whole ass fan fiction which I heavily enjoy with just a simple question

2. I’m hoping onto that Peter Pan idea train

3. This random idea which has less Angst. Basically one day at NRC, all the main cast suddenly get transported into to a story book where they get each character is transported into a different story that best matches there personalities(or in author sense what there character was inspired by), so when the Diasomnia group get transported to the story of sleeping beauty, the can’t find Sebek anywhere. Meanwhile, Sebek is wondering where the hell everyone is and why he’s on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, where’s there’s apparently pirate ships. (I also imagine sense Sebek is half crocodile fea he has a crocodile tail which can disappear and reappear)

1. We're just that cool

2. I think i need to make a tag for that now...

3. IM SO INSANE ABOUT THIS

They probably messed around with this cursed storybook that Crowley keeps in his office and now they suffer the consequences.

The thing is though that they have to complete each story by their order in the book to actually progress. So, we start with Alice in Wonderland where Heartslabyul is stuck in. The further down the story is in the book (First story = Alice in Wonderland, last story = Sleeping Beauty), the longer the dorm has been inside.

For example, Heartslabyul have only been stuck for a day. Savanaclaw for a week. Octavinelle for a month, etc.

The basics of how this works is that while the first story is being played out, the others haven't even started yet. They're basically on pause. It's like Heartslabyul is trying to finish the story in a day while Savanaclaw is stuck inside the story 1 week before the events actually happen.

When Heartslabyul finish their story, they get transported to the Lion King and meet with Savanaclaw. They finish the story, then meet with Octavinelle in Little Mermaid, so on and so forth.

They eventually reach the Sleeping Beauty, only to be met with a frantic Diasomnia who have been stuck in the story for 5 months (They don't age or something by the way...when they return to the real world they've only been gone for a minute).

Turns out they have NOT seen Sebek at all, and Silver is in a FRENZY. Malleus is starting to embrace his villain role a bit too well in the story, and Lilia has practically reverted back to his old war veteran days.

The cast finally snap them out of it when they're able to finish the story, and Riddle suggests that maybe Sebek wasn't affected by the storybook for some reason? Or they'll be able to find him once they reach the true end of the book.

So, the true characters of thr story finally manifest so Diasomnia can just watch things play out with the rest of the cast as well.

They watch Aurora get married, some get a bit teary-eyed while Leona and Malleus argue over the color of her dress, then all they have to do now is wait for the end of the story-

Everyone gets transported to a room. The Darlings' room. Everyone freaks out because WHAT THE FUCK I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO HOME???

Diasomnia are inconsolable because they think that Sebek was left behind in the Sleeping Beauty story and will be stuck there forever and are continuously trying to find ways to go back-

"Uh, you guys aren't Wendy." Everyone turns towards the window. Peter Pan, in all his glory, was sitting by the windowsill with his arms crossed. He thinks that they broke in and is prepared to beat their asses until Jack and Trey explain their situation.

Peter hears about this Sebek guy and goes "Oh! You mean ole' croc? I know where he is!" Diasomnia pause and then immediately start screaming at him to bring them to him.

A few pixie dust later (courtesy of a disgruntled Tinkerbell), they're flying over Neverland. Peter is about to introduce them to the lost boys only for the sound of a cannon to interrupt him.

Pirates are invading the island once more, and the cast are quick to defend themselves. They can't seem to get a single hit on Captain Hook though, mostly because of fairy tale laws or whatever.

They're in a bit of a disadvantage, and even Peter is getting restless-

Tick.

Tock.

Captain Hook goes pale, as well as the rest of his crew. NRC look confused only for a familiar voice to ring throughout the fight: "ARE YOU BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND, CAPTAIN?" It's Sebek!

Except he looks...different. Not different in the way that Rook now has black hair for whatever reason, nor different by the fact that Lilia's hair is long again.

This Sebek looks older. Not too old, but there are key differences. His usual round ears are now a bit pointed, his hair past his shoulders. He's wearing something wildly different- there's no trace of his uniform.

Instead, an old, raggy pirate's cloak hangs off his shoulders that just serves to make him look more intimidating. And uh the rest of his clothes are the ones that Will Stetson is wearing in his cover of Shinunoga E-wa with black pants LOOK MAN im writing this in my notes app offline.

His magestone is no longer placed in a pen, rather it hangs off his ear as an earring.

The biggest change however is the scales and tail...as well as the ticking face of a clock that replaces his right eye.

Hook's crew are quick to retreat, not before Sebek can suddenly jump into their ship though. The cast watch Sebek raise Hook up by the scruff of his neck, and with a flick of his wrist, his claws retract.

"P-please!" Hook pleads. "Have mercy!" Sebek smiles. "I'm true to my word, Captain." And promptly slices his hand off.

He jumps off the ship with Hook's hand, Peter quick to catch him as they ignore Hook's frantic screams. Blood trickles down his claws, and once they reach solid ground, Peter puts Sebek down.

Sebek throws the hand into the sand, and with a single kick, sends it flying into the ocean. Right on time, a crocodile jumps from the water and catches it into its mouth, before retreating back into the water.

"That was so cool!" Peter exclaims from behind him with childlike wonder. Sebek doesn't react, only sighing, "HUMAN, JUST BECAUSE IVE BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR DOESNT MEAN ILL BE HERE FOREVER. SOONER OR LATER, YOU WILL NEED TO FACE THE CAPTAIN BY YOURSE-"

He turns around to continue to berate Peter, only to pause when he sees the mildly injured forms of the NRC cast.

"...PETER WHAT THE FUCK"

#fuck you this is an au now #storybook madness au #sebek zigvolt #twisted wonderland #twst #twst sebek #sebek twisted wonderland #twst sebek zigvolt #diasomnia #my asks!

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preciouslittletoonette · 2 years ago

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I've watched a few YouTube reviews of Return to Neverland in the past (spoiler alert all but maybe one or two were being a tad unfair towards it I'm so sorry RTN baby you deserve better no one gets you like I get you <3). And one question that pops up a lot that got me thinking and since I'm posting a lot more Peter in the last 2 days than usual, I figured I'd address the question.

The question is: If flying was really the only way out of Neverland, why couldn't Peter just carry her through the second star and take her back home himself?

And that, to my annoyance, was a pretty valid question to be asking.

Why didn't Peter just carry her back to London?

The first obvious answer to me is that if he did that, there'd be no story. That's the outside world answer.

The in-universe answer was lost on me, until now.

Thinking and confronting the revelation of Peter's character development from the 1st movie to JATNP to the movie sequel and beyond made me look further deeper into the story of Return to Neverland and made me look at Peter and Jane's interactions in a new light. And finally after what has been months of this question haunting the back of my brain, I finally have something close to a concrete answer that I am very satisfied with.

Why didn't Peter just take Jane back to London himself?

It's because he's noticed that there's something else in Jane that's weighing her down that's not just the situation in her family.

One of the bigger but not the biggest pieces of Peter's character that we see got developed and improved was Peter's ability to Read The Room.

In the first movie, he's awful at reading the room. Missing entire social clues and feelings like Wendy's jealousy and anger. In RTN, he catches on to people's feelings rather quickly and can sometimes effectively deal with them (like using Tink's jealousy to his advantage).

In Jane's first escape attempt with the raft, while she's building and checking everything, we see Peter has and is spending a good amount of time watching her very intently. He's so focused on Jane Tink even fails to get his attention. He's busy trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with her. Even while speaking with Jane, he's still trying to figure out what her problem was. He prods, asks invasive questions and watches her body language until he finally figures it out and everything clicks into place.

He sees Jane has lost her faith. Her hope. Her belief. He sees how badly the war has been affecting her and this in tandem was affecting her relationship with her family back home. That's why she wanted to go home so badly. To make things right and apologise. Though yeah, apologising will fix things, it won't get rid of the root of the big problem: which is Jane's lack of faith.

And that's where Peter steps up. He engages with her, banters with her and includes her in on the group. His personal goal is to reignite Jane's faith. And the only way he can see that truly is if Jane is able to fly on her own with pixie dust, which will align with the main goal of helping Jane return home. Even when the stakes get higher and Tinkerbell's life is on the line, Peter still has Jane's best interests at heart by including her into the Lost Boys and letting her let loose in a way she could've never have done back in war-torn London.

And he knows his goal was finally completed the moment he saw her soaring through the sky with the brightest smile on her face, looking at peace. It was then, he knew it was finally time for her to head home back to her mother.

He didn't fight to make her stay because while she's clearly having fun on Neverland, he knows she'll be her happiest back home with Wendy. And if there's one thing Peter wants for all his Lost Boys & Girls (but also especially for the Darlings), it's for them to happy and hopeful.

TL;DR: Peter didn't let Jane leave because he can see she's unhappy and hopeless, so he tries to cheer her up and reignite her hope and once it's reignited, only then does Peter help guide her home.

#peter pan #peter pan return to neverland #peter pan: return to neverland #i love rtn so much can you tell?#i see peter as being Jane's guardian angel/ fairy godparent who's there for her in her time of need #he wants her to be the happiest girl alive #she's his little lost girl and the fact she's Wendy's daughter only strengthens his fondness for her #jane darling #long post #man I'm on a roll with the peter pan posts recently

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alwaysahiccupandastrid · 2 years ago

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I didn’t want to be a hater of the new Peter Pan remake before it even started, and I’m not hating, but as someone who cherishes the original book and various adaptations of the story, I do have some things I need to say regarding the Disney remake.

Firstly, I’ve seen people complain about the diversity - namely Peter and Tinkerbell. I don’t have a problem with non-white actors playing any parts - I think Yara is beautiful as Tinkerbell and I’m intrigued to see what Alexander Molony brings since the trailer didn’t really showcase much of him as Peter. The Lost Boys especially being a diverse group makes sense to me as they’re “lost” - they should all look different; I welcome the casting of non-white, disabled etc boys in the gang. Anyone complaining about “wokeness” just because they’re not all pasty white kids is just racist; I’ve even seen people complaining Tiger Lily isn’t white, which…? Hello??? She has NEVER been white, she and her tribe have always been Native Americans.

Having said that, the Lost Boys should all still be boys - “girls are much too clever to fall out of their prams”, and the fact that Wendy is the first girl they meet and they see her as a motherly figure because the only girls/women they’ve ever known have presumably been fairies, Tiger Lily (who is a princess in her tribe) or the distant memories they hold of their own mothers. Supposedly you could argue that “Lost Boys” is just the name of their gang, regardless of whether it’s boys or girls in the group, but still… I don’t know. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but I don’t particularly agree with this change. But honestly, it’s not the end of the world, I can get over it.

“Wahhh they’ve made Wendy the main character and not Peter Pan!!!” — my guys… the original novel was LITERALLY called Peter and Wendy. The book literally opens with this paragraph:

“All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this. One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather de- lightful, for Mrs. Darling put her hand to her heart and cried, “Oh, why can’t you remain like this for ever!” This was all that passed between them on the subject, but henceforth Wendy knew that she must grow up. You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end.”

This is literally Wendy’s story that ends with her deciding to go home and grow up; we meet Peter through her eyes, not the other way around. If you’re that mad that Wendy is being given a big part, you clearly haven’t bothered to read the source material and you’re just mad because you don’t like the idea of the female character being the protagonist.

If you want to take an issue with casting/characters, look at Hook/Mr Darling: how they’ve made Hook look aside (although… mmm, yikes), Disney has decided not to have the same actor play Hook and Mr Darling - Hook is Jude Law and Mr Darling is Alan Tudyk. I have nothing to comment on either of them as actors: my issue is that it’s a tradition for the same actor to play both of them that originates back to when the story was a stage play and has carried over to other media adaptations of the story. Having the same actor play both parts adds extra layers to the story (the relationship with the father vs fighting Captain Hook, parallels between the two characters, the subtext between Wendy and Hook as she’s on the cusp of adulthood etc).

My main issue though? The colour palette of this film - and all the Disney remakes, in fact.

I think the current colour palette of dull greys and muted greens could have worked for the London scenes because then the contrast between it and Neverland would have been even more striking; Neverland is a magical place where the children don’t want to grow up. Barrie wrote in his book that the Neverlands are found in the minds of children; although each is "always more or less an island" as well as having a family resemblance, they are not the same from one child to the next. For example, John’s Neverland had "a lagoon with flamingos flying over it," while Michael's had "a flamingo with lagoons flying over it." Neverland should be magical and colourful to reflect this, because a child’s imagination is limitless.

This just looks… dull. Like they’ve put a filter over it to make it look gritty.

In comparison, this is how the original animated film looked:

“But it’s live action, of course it’ll look less colourful” - wrong. The 2003 live action managed to make Neverland look twice as colourful as this new film, and that was released two entire decades before:

It’s not just this remake: it’s most remakes quite frankly - The Lion King, Little Mermaid, etc.

I don’t want to hate on the film when it’s not actually out yet, and I’m going to reserve full judgement until it does release, but I feel like people are claiming anyone with criticism is just being racist when there are genuine critiques and concerns. As I said, I don’t have any issue with the casting or in diversifying the cast, my issue comes from the colour palette of the film, the changes from the source material where there don’t need to be changes, and also the fact that Disney (and most other companies for that matter) should waste less money on pointless remakes and spend more resources producing original content.

#peter pan #peter pan and wendy #disney

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ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 8 months ago

Note

”I have an unusual amount of analysis to offer about a handful of specific children's stories turned musicals”

I would love to hear that analysis

You have opened a floodgate, and there is no putting a stopper in it now.

So our version of Peter Pan takes aspects from multiple adaptations but also pulls stuff right out of the original book. There's a great scene of Mrs. Darling "combing her children's thoughts" as they're asleep before she leaves for the dinner party, and we have that. It's hard to explain but basically the book says that all mothers clean out their children's minds of the bad thoughts like they might clean out their rooms. And the Darling kids are all dreaming of things they'll see in Neverland. It's kind of suggesting that Neverland manifests differently to everyone who goes there, and stuff like the Pirates and the Indians are only there because the kids dreamed about them.

But we directly defy stuff from the book as well. The book (and the Broadway show) are actually quite sad in a lot of ways because Peter is a tragic character. He will never grow up, but that comes with implications that the full story does not ignore. He never learns any lessons or grows as a person because that means growing up, and he will never do it. He refuses. It's why he can't even conceptualize Wendy in the romantic way, (and versions that have him reciprocate her feelings misunderstand him tbh) because that's an "older kid" thing, and "older kids" are starting to...say it with me...grow up. Plus, he needs Wendy to be his mother. Like, he needs that specifically. This gets more into his canon backstory but what Peter wants more desperately than anything is a mother. She just can't be a grownup, because he hates grown-ups, doesn't trust them.

Sorry, I got off topic. One thing we directly changed from the book is that in the original story, Tinkerbell has died by the time Peter returns for Wendy in her adulthood, and Peter has already forgotten about Tink. We specifically have Tink come with him, to see adult Wendy and fly away with Jane, because you can't have the literal climax of the stage play (or what I consider the climax) be about saving Tinkerbell's life and then not have her be alive in the epilogue. Screw that. We have Peter fly off with Jane, leaving Tinkerbell to share the final bit of dialogue with Wendy. Given where their relationship started and how much Wendy has grown since then, it's actually quite beautiful. "You'll never believe it, but...I actually missed you."

It's perfect because...potentially hot take here...Peter is not the main character. Wendy is. I know the story is named for Peter, but so what? The Wizard of Oz isn't named for Dorothy. Peter is an important character, to be sure. He's a main character, and the lead in the stage play. But this isn't his story. It's Wendy's. We don't go to Neverland until she decides to go, and once she decides to leave, we go with her. Wendy is the one who goes through an actual arc. She ends up in a different place by the end of the story. Peter, by his very nature, does not change. He's a static character. Which is not a criticism, the whole point and the whole tragedy of Peter is this unwillingness to grow up, to the point where...this is hard to explain, but Peter more or less isn't completely human anymore. He is a "betwinxt and between" basically he's part fairy.

#Fiction Analysis #Peter Pan #Wendy Darling #Tinkerbell #I rambled on about Peter Pan #But I can also talk about the others #And I have more about this one #No joke these stories have become part of my identity #I've worked these shows so many times lol

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medea10 · 1 year ago

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My Review of Peter Pan no Bouken

Nearing the end of watching Little Lord Fauntleroy, instead of airing the preview for the next episode there was a preview for an upcoming anime that was going to air in it’s current timeslot. When you watch these World Masterpiece Theater animes in their original video format, you come upon that. In the past, I saw previews for other series I have yet to watch like Heidi and The Bush Babies. What do we have here this time?

Peter Pan?!

Peter Pan is an anime?! For real?! Okay, we’re watching this.

All I can say is, who hasn’t heard of Peter Pan? How many movies and television shows have been made that was loosely based off this fairy tale? Too many to count! Hook, Finding Neverland, Pan, Walt Disney’s Peter Pan, Peter Pan starring Mary Martin, Tinkerbell, the live-action Peter Pan in 2003, Return to Neverland, Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Peter Pan and the Pirates on FOX Kids, Once Upon a Time…It’s just endless! Add to that a new Disney live-action reboot to the tale starring Jude Law. So, this story is never going to die. And it shouldn’t! I grew up with the story. I’ve watched several plays. I’ve seen many movie adaptations. Because I have a boomer parent, I watched the Mary Martin Broadway version. But as we all know, the one I know front-to-back would be Walt Disney’s 1953 animated feature film starring Bobby Driscoll, Hans Conried, and Katherine Beaumont.

I know this film is canceled eight ways from Sunday and I don’t care. Disney+ has advisory notices everywhere with this one. And if I’m not mistaking, if you’re under 7 on Disney+, you’re not even allowed to watch this without parental permission. I’ll save the bitching about that for a different day. I liked this film. Disney’s Peter Pan is one of my guilty pleasures despite outdated stereotypes and major sexism. At least I know the Japanese version won’t sing a song called, “What Makes the Red Man Red”. I’m curious to see Japan’s take on this tale as these World Masterpiece Theater classics seem to be very accurate in their telling of the stories. And they’ve got 41 episodes to do so.

I do have to wonder though. Aren’t the main characters of the World Masterpiece Theater animes supposed to deal with heavy subject matter? The Darling children have it easy compared to nearly every other character from the other animes. They’re not orphaned. They’re not put to work in slave conditions. They're not escaping Nazis. Their home was not burned to the ground by Confederate soldiers. That’s a foreshadow to what I watch after Peter Pan. These kids get to hang out in Neverland with a boy that never grew up. Then again, it is a literary classic and I suppose they wanted to change things up with a more light-hearted story.

The story was created by Scottish playwright/novelist J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan is the story about a free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows older. Peter Pan lives in Neverland with a fairy named Tinkerbell. He spends his days hanging with other kids who didn’t grow up named the lost boys, conversing with the mermaids, dodging danger from the Indians, and occasionally fighting against the notorious pirate, Captain Hook.

But as we all know the story truly begins with the Darling family. Wendy, John, and Michael Darling are spirited children who are well taken care of by their loving and strict parents and a watchful dog named Nana. The children have recently been having dreams about the titular character. It’s an uncommon phenomenon for children their age to dream about a boy that never ages named Peter Pan. It’s just that there’s no book to prove his existence. But Peter Pan has found a fascination with the Darling household and shows up several times. After losing his shadow, Peter ends up meeting Wendy, John, and Michael. Peter tells them all about the place he lives, Neverland. Next thing you know, they’re covered in pixie dust and they’re flying from the UK all the way to Neverland.

Here, Wendy and her brothers spend their time hanging out with the lost boys, conversing with the mermaids, dodging danger from the Indians, and…okay, you get the idea. The Darling children are getting the Neverland experience.

BETWEEN THE DUB AND THE SUB: You ain’t gonna believe this. This anime has a dub. Not just one, but two dubs. In 1993, Sky One in the UK aired this anime (under the name Peter Pan: The Animated Series) and gave it a dub. Not to be confused with the other shows that went as Peter Pan: The Animated Series. This, I’m okay with. Real British people voicing real British characters. Thank you! Yeah, I praise that here, but when the UK dubs for Crayon Shin Chan and Urusei Yatsura, I make cringe faces. The other dub was done by Saban. Wow, how dated can you get with that company? Due to the limited data, I can’t really talk about the dub here. As usual, we get a few veterans from the World Masterpiece Theater animes and a few well-known voice actors early in their career. One more addition, it’s quite clever that Chiako Otsuka not only played Captain Hook here, but he was also the Japanese dub voice for many Disney movies that feature Hook (as well as some of the Kingdom Hearts games) and continued to do so before passing away several years ago. The more we know!

*Peter Pan is played by Noriko Hidaka (known for Kikyo on InuYasha, Akane on Ranma ½, Near on Death Note, Soujirou on Rurouni Kenshin, Ursula on Little Witch Academia, and Bellemire on One Piece)

*Wendy is played by Naoko Matsui (known for Misora on Death Note, Noriko on Itazura na Kiss, Monet on One Piece, Shikamaru’s mother on Naruto, and Bridget on Little Lord Fauntleroy)

*John is played by Kyouko Hamura

*Michael is played by Yuriko Fuchizaki (known for Anthy on Revolutionary Girl Utena, Hiro on Fruits Basket, Cyprine on Sailor Moon S, and Megumi on Ah My Goddess)

*Tinkerbell is played by Sumi Shimamoto (known for Ishizu on YGO, Kanata on Lucky Star, Sara on Princess Sara, and Mitsuba on Gintama)

*Captain Hook is played by Chiako Otsuka (known for Gol D. Roger on One Piece, Arthur on Hellsing, and Tao Pai Pai on Dragon Ball) [R.I.P.]

SHIPPING: Wait…what?! There should be no talk of shipping here.

Oh, but in episode six John has a crush on Tiger Lily. And then John continues to be all blushy around her throughout the series.

John and Tiger Lily? What sick fan-fiction tripe is this?! I’ve never seen any poppycock related to what I just wrote anywhere. Tiger Lily is supposed to have a crush on Peter and hate Wendy. Not on a yandere level like Tinkerbell, but still. Japan, do better!

To be honest, there is one ship I support in the Peter Pan universe and no, it is not Peter Pan x Wendy. That was never something I supported, not even as a kid.

I actually support Captain Hook x the crocodile. Yes, I am pro this. Even three-year old me would support this.

ACCURATE OR NOT: Time to see if this adaptation stacks up well compared to the original source material.

*This adaptation has fewer Lost Boys. Many of the adaptations are pretty loose when it comes to the lost boys in terms of how many there are and their names. Originally, there were six. So, we seem to be missing Nibs and the twins. I guess that’s one thing Disney’s Peter Pan got right and they didn’t even say their names.

*Not sure if all of these places in Neverland truly existed in the original text. Because here, it feels like there are a lot of places that even Peter Pan has never heard of or been to. Pretty sure Peter Pan has been in Neverland since God farted out the solar system. So, why would he question any part of the land he’s lived in his whole life? And don’t get me started on Tinkerbell’s situation. That’s a fairy-hole I don’t feel like traveling down.

*There was potential of a really threatening antagonist for this series with Darkness and her ambitions of stealing dreams from children. And it’s up to her granddaughter Luna to save this woman and show her the right way. Too bad Darkness and Luna do not exist in the original material. Hey, if this series is gonna be 41 episodes, you’ve gotta stretch it out as much as possible.

*Yeah, little Rascal here doesn’t exist outside the anime. Just like every other cute animal featured in these animes. Okay, go join the rest of the animals like Chouchou, Milky Ann, Piccolo, and Caesar that never existed.

*Mama Hook. Surely, she existed. I mean, Hook was originally a fellow who studied at the best schools of England including Eton and Oxford. It’s just that I don’t think she was ever mentioned in the novel. Other adaptations, very rarely. Even Disney didn’t have a Mama Hook until 2011 where they got Sharon Osbourne of all people. In the anime, it is always implied that Hook’s mother passed away, but he loves her so dearly. Every so often, he will talk about her.

THIS GODDAMN ANIMATION: I swore I would never yell about the Nippon animation for the World Masterpiece Theater collection. And it’s great that many of the Nippon animators went on to do greater pieces including movies for Studio Ghibli. But I can’t hold it in with this one. This is just bad. The animation quality went down after Little Lord Fauntleroy and it really shows. I keep wanting to wipe away Peter Pan’s mouth because I think he has a chocolate milk stain. And this might be bias on my part, but most of the Captain Hooks I’ve watched were (for a lack of a better term) PILFs. This Captain Hook looks like he belongs in that Oingo Boingo ending theme from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Pt. 3.

ENDING: Depending on what Peter Pan adaptation you watch; chances are the ending will be different. Some will end with the Darling children back home with their parents, some end with the Darling children bringing the Lost Boys with them back home, and other endings show the future where Wendy is all grown up with her daughter Jane. And most of the non-Disney live-action ones will do something way out of left field, I turn off the TV in disgust and howl at the moon.

While I’m on a tangent, why did Pan have a scene where they’re singing Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit?

While most adaptations will showcase a Peter Pan vs. Captain Hook showdown, this series has Darkness and Luna. Darkness has plans for her granddaughter and Neverland. She plans to use this Black Mirror that will destroy Neverland. But of course, Darkness is too old to carry out anything and is missing a few things to make this come true. That’s where Luna comes in as she tries to groom her to become her successor. Luna has been hesitant and defiant against doing her grandmother’s bidding. Unfortunately, things do not go well when Captain Hook and the pirates get involved in this family squabble as well. Peter Pan and Wendy are friends with Luna and help her when she’s around, so yeah, they’re caught up in this mess too.

The pet raccoon Rascal was holding this special key that Darkness needs to make her dream into a nightmarish reality. Once everything was in place, Darkness was able to use her granddaughter’s body as a vessel in order to take over. The Luna that Peter and Wendy knew no longer exists. She’s out to destroy Neverland. Captain Hook is one for destruction, but even he knows to not fuck with the natural order of Neverland. Thankfully, Wendy was able to break through to Luna. The black mirror that Darkness has been harping about for several episodes is now the white mirror and peace can continue across the land. Okay, we’re at the final episode at this point. Is that all?

Wendy and her brothers feel like their time in Neverland is over after everything that has just happened. Yeah, just randomly bring up going home now. Absolutely no talks about leaving prior to this moment. Sure, they mention their lives in London every now and then while in Neverland but never talked about wanting to return. In this version, Wendy, John, and Michael leave without bringing back the lost boys.

After returning from Neverland, Wendy and the boys would always remember their time in Neverland…at first. In time, they will gradually forget what transpired there until it felt like nothing more than a dream. Peter promised to come visit. But days turn to weeks. Weeks to months, months to years. But one night, many years later, Peter Pan returns to the nursery to find Wendy’s daughter Jane. Better late than never!

Ehhh…not my favorite Peter Pan adaptation and right now my least favorite of the World Masterpiece Theater collection. I think for me, when it comes to Peter Pan, I prefer it to be in movie form and not a 41-episode trilogy. Frankly, this series bored me more than you would think. The addition this anime made with the black mirror, Darkness, and Luna piqued my interest slightly. It’s new to the Peter Pan story and stepping into unfamiliar territory, but it caught my attention for a short while. But to be blunt, I would rather stick to the movies I’ve grown up to enjoy.

Does that mean you’ll watch Disney’s latest Peter Pan & Wendy now?

Fuck naw. Disney can suck on a huge tray of dicks with their live-action reboots. After what they did to The Lion King, I wash my hands of that.

But if you are curious about the Peter Pan anime…good luck finding it.

Now that Peter Pan is over, it’s time I pick up another World Masterpiece Theater classic where we go back to America.

Way back when in 1863, now part of the American lore.

(psst...It's Little Women)

#ani #anime review #peter pan #peter pan no bouken #peter pan the animated series #wendy darling #tinkerbell #the lost boys #john darling #michael darling #tiger lily #captain hook

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havewereadthis · 1 year ago

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"When Peter Pan loses his shadow in the Darling children's nursery, things will never be the same again..

Over the rooftops of London, Peter Pan and the fairy Tinkerbell lead Wendy, Michael and John Darling to Neverland to start a new life with his gang of Lost Boys.

There, they will encounter mermaids, princesses, a ticking crocodile and the fearsome Captain Hook and his terrible crew of pirates.

What will their new life be like in Neverland? If Captain Hook has his way, they won't live long enough to find out..."

#title: peter pan #author: j. m. barrie #country: england #book poll #tumblr polls

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velvetgoldie · 2 years ago

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Peter Pan and Wendy: a review

Directorial decisions, backlash, and final result

I don't usually seek out reviews, and even less so write them, but I had been waiting for this new Peter Pan adaptation ever since it's been announced (2016!), and as such, was anxious to see what people had to say about it.

And, well, considering the vitriolic reviews this film has gotten, I wanted to balance the negative critics out a little. I didn't hate the film -- although there are things that could have been managed better (but those are not what you would expect). More under the cut.

On directorial vision:

David Lowery's style is extremely subdued, for lack of a better term. You can go through one of his films and expect a big climax, only to realise at the end that all changes happened gradually, so much so that the story has displayed its meaning without you noticing.

His films are mostly focused on the "within", with a huge focus on personal turmoil rather than big events.

For Peter Pan and Wendy, this approach remains: he took the original story from the book, and apparently drew out the elements which mattered to him the most (the fear of growing up/the bitterness of aging) and translated them into a very personal vision (which extends to the visual aspect of the film: its green hue, the worn-out aspect of the costumes...). So rather than present the story as an epic series of adventures, he rerouted the narrative to tell one singular story (my first thought, finishing the film, was actually "It holds up quite well!"). It tells a simple story, with a definite beginning leading to a definite end -- but as such, can feel rushed and uneven.

On the pacing of the film:

Lowery has one main issue, and it's his obsession for perfectionnism. As a former video editor, he's liable to cut, re-cut, and re-edit up until he's told to stop (see how plenty of the material from the first Green Knight trailer hasn't made it to the finished product). I believe it's the same with this film: especially with the Covid-19 hiatus and the interception from Disney studios (because they surely veto a lot of things in these kinds of productions).

The director and screenwriters had a story to tell, but spent so much time on it that they lost track of the smaller details for the sake of the bigger picture. It's quite visible considering the repartition of the main acts of the film, which are as follow:

Introduction of the Darlings and flight to Neverland

First introductory adventure with the pirates

Meeting the Lost Boys and Skull Rock adventure

Break at the Lost Boys hide out and "death" of Peter Pan

Climax (fight on the Jolly Roger)

Conclusion.

What's obviously lacking here is a middle adventure: we've barely become accustomed to Neverland that the climax is already reached. We should have had another scene, not only to give the viewer a chance to breathe, but also to better introduce secondary characters (the underdevelopped Tiger Lily, for instance).

This seems to be the result of over-editing: a middle adventure wouldn't have been necessary to understand the story, so off it went. But as such, it causes pacing issues. This is really my main problem with the film.

On the realistic aspect of the film:

I've seen people take out of a context a quote about Tinkerbell's lack of glow ad nauseam, and while it's typical Tumblr 'Chinese whispers', it needs to be addressed because I don't want people hating on the film for wrong reasons.

The question on how Tinkerbell should glow concerns practical rendition of an animated version. When you have to translate effects which were easily done with drawings, you need to ask yourself how it would be done practically (like, how to make the Beast look realistic in a Beauty and the Beast live action?). The quote does not mean Lowery hates on fantasy elements...

The film does have a realistic, down-to-earth look, though. That's obviously pointed out by Wendy, realizing that Neverland is "a different kind of real". But that ties up with Lowery's style, as mentionned before. He's not making an over-the-top, theatrical epic: he chose to translate the story in his style, and that's fine. We don't need another 2003 Peter Pan, because there already is a 2003 Peter Pan. As much as I love this previous adaptation, I am, for one, glad of the change. There's a Peter Pan for everyone, and maybe this one could be yours, if you look past the first knee-jerk critics and give it a chance.

I'd like to conclude on what @not-wholly-unheroic said about the film, because it sums things up quite nicely:

"I think the problem is largely that the audience was expecting an epic adventure and got a tearjerker instead. In a lot of ways, this version of the story was more for the adults than the kids… but those adults largely have a nostalgia for the adventure story they grew up with and wanted something closer to that than what they got."

There's much more that could be said about the film, but for the time being, I only wanted to counteract the overwhelming, and sometimes undeserved, negativity surrounding the film. I am not for Disney live actions at all, but I consider Peter Pan and Wendy as a David Lowery project first and foremost. Perhaps, if it had been produced by another studio, it would have been actually more imaginative and personal. It did a great job in producing an original retelling of a well-known story while taking liberties, but keeping true to a certain spirit from the original book. Barrie's Peter Pan feels very personal to each reader, and this is a personal film as well. I hope it will be revisited in time by children who have grown older, just like the adults of today keep on returning to their own favorite version of the story.

#peter pan and wendy #peter pan 2023 #david lowery #disney live action #live action remake #peter pan #tinkerbell

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filmmakerdreamst · 1 year ago

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Peter Pan (2003) officially turns 20!

Peter Pan is a live-action fantasy adventure film directed by P.J.Hogan that reimagines the classic story of Peter and Wendy. The screenplay was written by P. J. Hogan and Michael Goldenberg and was released in cinemas in December 2003. The screenplay is based on the 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up and the classic novel Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie, which was originally published under the title Peter and Wendy.

I have strong family connections tied to Peter and Wendy and J.M.Barrie. My great, great uncle Nico was one of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies’ sons — who was adopted by the writer J.M.Barrie (on whom Peter Pan is based). Nico’s daughter Laura — my cousin — who I first met a few years ago, told me that she was flown to Australia for the filming of P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan because she was J.M.Barrie’s goddaughter. She told me that she was thrilled with the cast, especially Jason Isaacs, who played Captain Hook and Mr Darling. She also mentioned that Jeremy Sumpter, who played Peter Pan, was a lovely boy. However, she said she was very surprised and sad that the film wasn’t a big success as she really liked what they did with the story. I have loved the fairytale of Peter Pan from a young age, and learning that I am literally part of the family that inspired the story was very exciting and I’ve only begun to internalise it more as I’ve grown older.

Magical Realism

The exuberant score by James Newton Howard: I’ll never forget that. I think that was one of the first movies I saw where I actively noticed the music because it was so brilliant. Even today, the “Flying” soundtrack still gives me goosebumps. It perfectly encapsulates the whimsy, joy and imagination of Peter and Wendy. I loved that there were always different variations. One of my favourite pieces from the movie is ‘Fairy Dance’, which starts off cheerfully and moves up and down depending on the characters’ conflict/what they’re saying in the scene.

Cast

Wendy Darling

Rachel Hurd-Wood was the perfect cast for the role of Wendy Darling. I was actually surprised to learn that this was her first film role ever, because she was a natural. She effortlessly possessed the same caring nature and charm that makes Wendy so endearing. She is exactly how I imagine the character when I read the story. When people talk about Peter and Wendy, they always mention Tinkerbell, Pan or Hook, but personally I am always drawn to Wendy. She is the real heroine of the story. After all, she was the main reason for Peter to bring her and her brothers to Neverland.

One of the reasons why I think P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan is the best film adaptation of the novel is the fact that the film revolves around Wendy’s coming of age. I loved that they expanded on her love of storytelling and also gave her a tomboyish streak. Instead of just being on the sidelines, she’s able to get involved and fight pirates while retaining many of her feminine traits such as her maternal instincts and romantic feelings for Peter. She makes mistakes and sometimes gets dragged into things she knows she shouldn’t do. But in the end, she triumphs.

The 2023 live-action film Peter Pan and Wendy took a different approach, making Wendy a kind of powerhouse who always saved the day and outshone Peter Pan overall. In my opinion, the 2003 film adaptation emphasised very well that Wendy really is the yin and yang. She’s allowed to be romantic, be rescued by others and at the same time determine her own destiny and stand up for herself. Because that’s what her journey in the adaptation is all about. She is pressured by all the adults in her life to grow up. She allows herself to be seduced with the prospect of an eternal childhood by Peter Pan. Then she realises that it is not self-fulfilling. She is tempted by Captain Hook with the concept of adulthood. And finally, she finds a balance between these two extremes on her own terms. By the end of the film, Wendy has made her peace with growing up while still remaining a child at heart. That requires a certain mental strength that we should all strive for.

Peter Pan and Wendy Darling

Although there is no romance between Peter and Wendy in either the original novel or the play, Wendy quickly develops romantic feelings for Peter which, as a prepubescent child, he does not consciously reciprocate as he has no concept of love other than that of a mother’s. Although Peter cares deeply for her, he ultimately only longs for her to be the maternal figure that is missing in his life. One could go into the symbolism that Peter and Wendy are one and the same, and that this is an expression of Wendy learning to love herself. But in a literal sense, J.M.Barrie had unintentionally created this very strong potential between the two characters. And I personally feel if you’re going to make an adaptation of Peter and Wendy that potential needs to be explored in some way, even if it’s not necessarily romantic.

Peter Pan

By today’s standards, you could almost take Peter Pan for a grown man who consciously decides not to behave like this. However, when I watch the film again as an adult, I can now understand why he has reservations about growing up in Edwardian England and would rather remain a “child” in Neverland forever. As Peter says in the film, “Would they send me to school? And then to an office?” I feel like most of us today have so many choices as we get older, but back then it was much more limited. The choices were very restricted in that “heterosexist” environment. You could only be a certain thing, and it was much harder to hold on to the pleasures of life. I can now also understand the initial reactions of Michael and John to Peter: He must have seemed scandalous to people at the time. His bright colours, his inappropriate clothing and his behaviour are repulsive to the boys, but Wendy is immediately fascinated and attracted. I think it was a deliberate choice that he is the only character with an American accent to set him apart from the rest of the cast; to emphasise the wildness of the character and his non-conformity to the people of Edwardian London.

Another small aspect I liked was the suggestion that the Lost Boys, although they lived with Peter and obeyed his commands, lived in constant fear of him and did not worship him as in other adaptations. (A fear that is justified as Peter tries to kill them more than once in the film). What the 2003 film adaptation perfectly captured about Peter’s character was: how terrible of a person he really is. Peter Pan is a hero when he goes on adventures and fights pirates. You could argue — via the quote “Leave Hook to me” (which Peter says to her in the film) — that Peter is Wendy’s split self who can fight her father (Captain Hook) for her, just like antibodies do with germs when we can’t handle them ourselves.

However, when it comes to understanding emotions, caring about others, even his henchmen, the Lost Boys, and doing anything that inconveniences him, Peter Pan is possibly as bad as Captain Hook. This makes Wendy’s decision to leave him all the more powerful. Although she was initially seduced by his adventurous life, she soon realises that his “life” of joy and adventure is not fulfilling at all. Because in reality, there is no real joy. There is no real adventure. In reality, his life is empty because it is not earned. In addition, she realises that she is gradually losing her memory of the outside world, including her parents (a sign that she is “slowly awakening from the dream”)”. This leads Wendy to realise that she wants more than what he can give her in Neverland (e.g. romantic love) and decides to leave. Being alive means feeling, accepting and growing. However, as long as Peter remains a boy, he can never truly be alive. Peter Pan conveyed this important message, whereas earlier film adaptations, including the Disney animation, did not.

One of the reasons why good adaptations of Peter and Wendy are so hard to find, especially in this day and age, is not only because they adapt a performative story that exists in layers of subtext. They also work with a protagonist who doesn’t change. Who doesn’t develop in any way, neither negatively nor positively. Not even just physically, but also mentally. (Even Eli from Let the Right One In, the child vampire, changes in the course of the story). Peter Pan is ultimately there to serve someone else’s story. It works in a fairy tale format. But it doesn’t usually translate very well to the screen because it often leads to one-dimensional storytelling. Even if it seems so natural, it doesn’t come naturally.

In the original novel, the reason Wendy can’t take Peter Pan with her (apart from the fact that he refuses to grow up) is the same reason Lyra in His Dark Materials can’t take Pan — the animal manifestation of her soul — on the boat to the land of the dead. She has to split in order to grow up and leave a part of herself behind. She can’t keep both in order to move on. But that does not mean I always agree with the ending either. In which Peter remains a child and takes Wendy’s descendants to Neverland and back to look after him. It leaves an icky aftertaste, but at least it fits in with the story J.M.Barrie wanted to tell.

And I think that’s the real reason why his character is both the strongest and the weakest part of the adaptation. The writers didn’t make it clear enough that Peter Pan forgets in their version of the character. In the novel, Peter Pan forgets everything automatically, which is why he can exist in this limbo of childhood and not go mad. However, as mentioned earlier, this version of Peter Pan is old enough to remember and, more importantly, to feel. Even though he is the closest to J.M. Barrie’s original vision, unlike his counterpart in the book, he is capable of evolving. That’s why the ending sometimes feels strange to me as an adult. It was hard to say why I had a strange feeling at first, but I realised that a lot of my mixed feelings stemmed from having seen the film adaptation fresh after reading the novel. Since Peter Pan fully reciprocates Wendy’s love in this version, he ends up being a different character than in the book, which is why I now disagree with them keeping the original ending instead of having him grow up with Wendy. It would symbolise that childhood can co-exist with adulthood, that you don’t have to leave a part of yourself behind. That you can be your true and complete self if you find the balance between the two extremes.

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norman891 · 2 years ago

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“Peter Pan & Wendy” - A Review From a (Captain Hook) Fan of 54 Years

Thoughts on “Peter Pan & Wendy”

I’ve read a great many posts and reviews by people who absolutely despise Disney’s “Peter Pan & Wendy”. I’m beginning to wonder if the majority of those who decry the film so badly have even bothered to watch more than the original trailer. They remind me so much of the outcry made by fans of the old TV series “Dark Shadows” over Tim Burton’s film version because it wasn’t an exact duplicate of the television show. Most DS sight/pages have banned discussion of the film because most ‘fans’ can’t discuss the topic in a civil manner.

I too had my doubts after seeing the trailer but decided to reserve my final judgement until I’d actually seen the film and tried to keep an open mind about a different take on the Peter Pan story. I am so glad I did. Despite what appears to be an organized/choreographed spate of bad reviews citing everything from Neverland’s appearance to the appearance of Tinkerbelle to the children who make up the Lost Boys (admittedly, it should be Lost Children). To them I say: you are whiny bunch of mewling malcontents who would be satisfied with nothing less than a carbon copy of the 1953 animated film.

“Peter Pan & Wendy” is a truly beautiful film. My hat is off to director David Lowery for having the foresight and spine to NOT make this exactly like the animated film. Yes, he may have deviated from J.M. Barrie’s book somewhat, but so did Walt Disney. The closest and most faithful interpretation of Mr. Barrie’s story is, in my opinion, P.J. Hogan’s 2003 “Peter Pan” which is as closest to the book as I’ve ever seen and my favourite by far due in no small part by Jason Isaacs’ dead-on portrayal of Captain Hook. However, I did not let that take away from this marvelously different take on the classic tale.

*****WARNING: MANY SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!!!*******

I must admit that the plot seems a bit rushed, but I have attributed that to the deletion or shortening of several scenes from the 1953 animated film. Wendy has no encounter with the mermaids save for their brief appearance, almost guiding the children towards Neverland. There is no hunt for indians and subsequent capture of the Lost Boys. Tiger Lily is not captured by Captain Hook and taken to Skull Rock where she must either give up the location of Peter’s hideout or drown. Skull Rock, by the way, was an invention by Walt Disney. In Barrie’s book, Tiger Lily is shackled to Marooner’s Rock and given the same choices. There is minimal humiliation of Captain Hook for which I was exceedingly happy; too much of Disney’s animated version hinged not only on Hook’s defeats but completely unnecessary humiliation of the man by ridiculing him using his greatest fear, the crocodile. This infuriated me as a five-year-old; 54 years have not changed my mind. And I do not feel these changes detract from the film in any way.

True, we are introduced to the Darling family in a different manner, but we are introduced to them none the less, by a series of family photographs, the children playing in the nursery, Wendy’s desire to not grow up. I felt the casting of a different actor for her father rather than the standard of the same actor who plays Hook also plays Mr. Darling refreshing, and it also removes the Freudian undertones imbedded in Barrie’s original work. Mr. Darling is not as harsh as he is usually portrayed. He is the quintessential Victorian father; stern but not overly emotional. Firm but not dictatorial. Mrs. Darling is splendidly portrayed as the always loving mother who only wants the best for her children, which includes trying to prepare Wendy for life after childhood, even if Wendy doesn’t want to accept that she must grow up

Many of the film’s detractors opine that both Wendy and Tiger Lily are too strong and formidable characters. They obviously haven’t read the book from the perspective of an adult. Growing up is not fun, but it is inevitable. In truth, “Peter Pan” is not about Peter Pan, Neverland, or pirates; it’s about Wendy’s fear of growing up, of leaving her safe, responsibility free life behind. It is WENDY’S story, not Peter’s story nor about escaping adulthood. Jason Isaacs himself stated this in one interview, though it will take some searching YouTube to find that.This film is also largely what I expected from Spielberg’s “Hook” - that is, I found out things about Captain Hook that I’ve had questions about for decades.

Neverland is a place that is what children imagine it to be, so it is constantly undergoing change, even if Peter states that “This is Neverland, where nothing ever changes”. It doesn’t matter that the ‘Lost Boys” aren’t all boys. Tootles is portrayed by a child with Downs Syndrome; I don’t have a problem with that. Nor do I care that Tinkerbelle is played by Yasmin Shahidi who is of African and Iranian descent. In fact, this is the only incarnation of Tinkerbelle that I have not wanted to douse with a can of Raid wasp & hornet spray. She is not a selfish Tink. She is not an insanely jealous Tink. In fact, she is the one character that watches over all the children and tries to protect them, including Wendy and Peter.

And Tiger Lily is portrayed masterfully; I doubt there will be any cries of racial stereotyping regarding the Natives. They are portrayed respectfully and historically correctly. I do not have a problem with that. I do not understand those who are whining about Disney pandering to racial diversity and inclusivity. Shouldn’t Neverland be a place for all lost children, regardless of their race, sex, or handicap? I am pushing 59 and hold fairly conservative views. I certainly would never accept the moniker of being ‘Woke’, yet I cannot for the life of me understand most people’s objection to “Peter Pan and Wendy”, and yes, that was the original title of the book. Wendy got dropped from the title somewhere along the way.

I think the reason Wendy is portrayed as such a strong, independent character is that she is at the tipping point between childhood and young adulthood. She loves the idea of adventure, the notion of never growing up, of remaining a carefree child – until she sees Peter’s behaviour. Never mind that he almost got Wendy and her brothers blown to smithereens, wasn’t that a great adventure? And Peter believes he saved everyone from Captain Hook, when Wendy can plainly see he did not. In fact, he was the reason John and Michael were in mortal peril to begin with. From his remarks, he thought at the very least Wendy was dead and possibly her brothers. And rescuing them was not an act of altruism but merely an excuse for an adventure for himself. Personally, I wish Wendy had hit him harder.

Bu let me get to the real reason I love this film, and that would be the way Captain Hook is portrayed, and Jude Law’s excellent job of infusing humanity into a hitherto solely evil villain without feelings or regrets (though Jason Isaacs did a damned good job of it as well. Too many of the scenes that would have reflected Hook’s humanity in the 2003 version were cut). Law brought humor and pathos to the role. I loved his tossing the padlock key into the water with an “Ooops”. He showed Hook’s true terror of the crocodile with a softly spoken “Oh God”. And after being flung back onto the rocks, he is paralyzed with fear and reliving his trauma until Smee wrenches him out his horror and tells him to “Run!”. I’m guessing that the crocodile is relegated to living withing Skull Rock or is too large to fit through the passage because once Hook and Smee reach the long boat, they feel safe enough to hang onto the side instead of climbing in. I do have a question as too what is running down/spattered on Hook’s face when he is looking up at Pan. Was it merely dirty sea water? Because some of it looked like blood to me. Oh well, minor detail.

By the time we reach Peter’s hideout, I firmly believe Wendy has made up her mind to return home and grow up. Neverland is not what she was expecting at all. She admits as much to Tiger Lily. Of course, she and Peter quarrel about Neverland being too real (?) and growing up, and she returns to the sleeping children only to find they’ve been captured by the pirates. Again, Jude Law’s facial expressions go straight to my heart. The look when he discovers that Peter has crossed out his name and claimed his old room conveys such hurt and betrayal. And again, when he has slashed Peter through the chest, killing him, Hook is not as exuberant as one might expect. It’s almost as if he’s in a state of disbelief, especially on the boat ride back to the ship. One thing I’m not sure about: the changing color of Hook’s great coat. It is a dark blue up until he walks out of that room looking down at Peter who has fallen, in my best guess, between 150 to 200 feet after declaring that “I don’t think I like this adventure”. From that point, Hook’s coat is crimson red. I don’t know if this is a continuity problem or if I’m missing some hidden meaning, but I’m not going to lose sleep over it.

Now, to the good stuff. This is where Jude Law’s acting shines as brightly as the gold he surely has in his cabin, along with some more gruesome items. He comes in the morning to speak with Wendy, to ask her about the tune he can’t get out of his head. When he hums what he can to her, it seems to be an almost painful act for him. He wants to know what it is, why it makes him feel so… and he can’t even put the feeling into words. Hook’s demeanor and facial expressions when Wendy says it’s a lullaby her mother sang to her is nothing short of heartbreaking. He can’t even look at Wendy for several moments. And here is where he enlightens Wendy as to the real reason he left Neverland; the part Peter conveniently forgot to mention. That being, Peter banished him from Neverland for the crime of missing his mother. His internal pain is as visible as the scars on his face or the hook on his right arm. And he can barely say the words “I missed my mother”. Long before Peter maimed Hook physically, he shredded James’ soul irreparably. Hook returns to Neverland in hopes of finding his friend and the happiness he once experienced, only to find Pan had turned against him.

“My time for joy is lost. Everything I could have been has been reduced to this” and he handles his hook as though he would like to tear it off, but he can’t. Wendy makes the mistake of telling Hook he grew up wrong, to which he replies, “Show me a child who truly knows the difference between right & wrong, and I’ll show you a man who’s forgotten why it mattered in the first place.” Then he orders all the children be executed. This is where one can tell that Wendy truly has grown up, for she offers herself in sacrifice if only Hook will let the other children live; a completely selfless act that only a grown-up would do. Hook is impressed by her bravery and self-sacrifice and agrees, having her walk the plank.

From this point on the film strays far from any other version, for it is Wendy who saves herself using happy thoughts of her former and future life that saves herself, with a little help from Tinkerbelle I suspect. The whole flipping the ship upside-down was a bit weird in my book. Peter arrives just prior to thin, thanks to Tiger Lily saving his life and making him realize he does need help sometimes. And might I add that Tiger Lily is one bad ass in this movie. Peter and Hook fight one last time, until Peter decides this game too is no longer any fun and apologizes to Hook (and it’s about damned time too!). He tries to save Hook from falling, but the captain cannot find one happy thought in his heart, the cuff holding his hook to his arm slips off and Hook falls presumable to his death (or does he?).

The rest of the film, for the most part, is the standard fare. Peter returns Wendy and her brothers to London where the Lost ‘Boys’ decide to stay and become part of Wendy’s family, leaving Peter alone once more. Interesting plot twist: at one time Peter evidently lived in the same house as the Darling family now does. He states: “My mother scolded me one night and told me to grow up. Instead, I climbed out of the window (rather high up I might point out) and leapt at the garden wall. I never looked back.” Hang on… did Peter just admit to committing suicide?! And if so, what does that make him? I’ll be pondering that one for quite a while. Peter also admits to the same crime as James; missing his mother, and now he’s reduced to being just a story. Again, what does that make this Peter?

As expected, Peter passes on growing up, Wendy realizes that growing up might just be the biggest adventure of all, and Peter returns to Neverland… and that’s all I will reveal. If you haven’t watched “Peter Pan and Wendy” based on bad reviews or that less than enticing trailer, I would implore you to watch it. It is a truly fantastic film and puts me in mind of “Maleficent”, one of my favourite remakes Disney has done. It would truly be a shame to miss out on a damned good movie by listening to the peevish remarks of what I believe is a small but very vocal faction of nitpickers who wouldn’t be satisfied by anything that isn’t a perfect copy of a 70-year-old animated film. Have a look for yourself; you might just be pleasantly surprised, as I was.

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