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Sometimes it’s
interesting to think
about how certain
things could have
been done if an idea
for the 21st century
was implemented just
fifty years ago.
We’ve been somewhat
spoiled over the
past
decade-and-a-half
with DVD and blu-ray
that we get to enjoy
things like
making-of features.
Can you imagine what
a behind the scenes
look at the making
of a Disney movie in
the 40’s would be
like? They’d be
working on time
consuming animated
features while
balancing impossible
budgets, then things
like the government
taking over the
studio to make
propaganda because
WWII got in the way
would pop up. The
point is, nothing
that Walt Disney or
anybody in his
company back then
was easy, but they
not only did it,
they excelled at it.
Enter
Peter Pan,
the 1952 release
ended up being
Disney’s sixth
full-length animated
feature, even though
it was intended to
be it’s second. It’s
initial production
was halted due to
some rights problems
and a few other
major crises, but
once production
began, Disney made
all of the right
decisions. They
altered J.M.
Barrie’s play
appropriately for a
film to be released
in that era, and the
resulting creation
of years of hard
work is one of
Disney’s best
animated features
and one of the best
animated features of
all time.
J.M. Barrie’s
original play was
special because it
was one of the first
plays of it’s era to
be written for
children. It was a
landmark play, and
later a novel and
it’s one of the best
stories of the past
century. Disney’s
feature has some
pretty big
differences over the
book, although their
pretty obvious,
they’re also easy to
ignore.
This particular
Peter Pan story
starts with Peter
chasing his shadow
into the Darling
nursery where he
meets Wendy,
Michael, and John.
After Wendy helps
Peter and his shadow
reunite, Pan invites
the children to
Never Land to embark
on an adventure.
Thanks to his trusty
friend and fairy
Tinker Bell the
children fly off to
Never Land. In Never
Land they meet Pan’s
clan of rascals- the
Lost Boys- as well
as mermaids, indians,
and the worst-
pirates. The pirates
are led by the
villainous Captain
Hook and his lackey
Smee. Hook and Peter
Pan are always at
odds and while the
Darling children are
visiting Never Land-
that rivalry
escalates to an
all-time high.
Disney’s classic
twist on a classic
tale is memorable
and lasting and it’s
just as good to
anyone who watches
it- that’s whether
they’re 8 or 80.
Peter Pan’s
production stands
out for a number of
reasons. It’s the
last of an era- it’s
the last film that
the animation team
of the Nine Old Men
all worked together
on. It’s also the
last Disney film to
be distributed by RK
Films. The
production notes are
memorable but so is
the actual feature.
The animation is
absolutely second to
none, it’s probably
my favorite animated
feature from Disney
because of that
trait alone. It’s
got a similar style
to Alice in
Wonderland, that’s
to be expected
because they were
closely made. But
it’s got a twist
too- the colors are
more lush and
vibrant; almost
tropical, but not
quite.
The only thing wrong
with Peter Pan is
something that’s era
related. There are
some unfortunate
racial stereotypes
with Disney’s Peter
Pan, (the 40’s and
50’s weren’t the
pinnacle periods for
intelligent thought
on things like
equality or
political
correctiveness.)
But those are
pretty much set in
stone in 2013. All
you can do is take
it as a snapshot in
time and not
somebody’s point of
view. If the rest of
the movie weren’t so
brilliant,then you
couldn’t look past
it, as things are
the way they are,
most people are able
to.
For the first time
ever, Peter Pan
comes to Blu-ray
filled with not only
remarkable picture
and sound but packed
with extra features
too. There’s an
introduction done
for the film, two
deleted scenes, and
two deleted songs.
There are old DVD
bonus features- well
over an hour worth
and an audio
commentary. Then
there’s a feature on
the Nine Old Men, a
sing-along and lots
more. The Blu-ray
release of Peter Pan
is more than worthy
of a terrific
feature.
Peter Pan’s debut on
blu-ray is worthy of
one of Disney’s best
features. Peter Pan
is filled with tons
of iconic Disney
characters (would
Disney seem as
magical without
Tinker Bell?) The
adaptation isn’t
treated as such any
more- it really
holds it’s own
merit- something
that’s no small task
when it’s source
material stems from
a literary classic.
Needless to say it’s
a favorite of many
and the DVD, Digital
Copy, and blu-ray
combo pack make it a
necessary
acquisition for any
family’s blu-ray
collection.
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