This is a great classic for all ages. I recommend this film to everyone.

Ever since its release in 1904, J.M. Barrie's famous play Peter & Wendy has become one of the highest regarded children plays of all time for its emphasis on childhood and imagination. While there have been countless adaptations of this work out there, arguably the most well known is the 1953 animated Disney film, and for very good reason. This is not only a charming and entertaining film in its own right, but it is also a rather heartwarming tale of what lies in a child's imagination.Probably the most iconic song from this film is You Can Fly, as it further emphasizes not only the many things you can dream of, but it also serves as a lovely tune to bring one back to a simpler time when they were children. Of course the other songs are well done too, from the melodious lullaby Second Star to the Right, to the highly upbeat Following the Leader, to the hilariously malicious Elegant Captain Hook. However, along with Your Mother and Mine as a beautiful contrast to reality, the aforementioned iconic song is a beautiful homage to simply embracing the imaginative fantasies that any child can dream of without wanting to grow up. Oh yeah, and even though What Made the Red Man Red is very dated given its subject matter, it's still entertaining nonetheless....if you're anti-PC that is.The characters are also a lot of fun, especially the main protagonists. Peter himself may be immature, but I'm sure anyone can relate as they felt that way when they were children, and his spirited nature does balance the cockiness out enough to make him endearing. Wendy does get pushed around quite a bit, but she does pose as a decent straight one to the wackiness in Neverland and a reminder to the audience that maybe it's best to grow up. Not to mention, the romance between Peter and Wendy is perfect for their respected ages, as it's never overdone (they never even kiss) and they're contrasting views on one another play a big role in their relation.As for Tinkerbell, she's pretty much the feminist of her day; always being snooty and trying to prove her way to others, even if she really does love Peter. With such a spunky personality and an emotionally driven arch, it's little wonder why she remains an iconic mascot for the Disney corporation. The other characters like John and Michael, the Lost Boys and the Pirates may be the least interesting characters in the film, but they definitely have their moments of witty banter here and there. However, probably the best character in the movie is the menacing albeit hysterical Captain Hook. Although he is insanely determined to seek vengeance on Pan over the loss of his hand to a crocodile, he is also hilarious from his childish fear of getting eaten by the crocodile and the banter between him and his first mate Mr. Smee. Seriously, whenever you see Hook, Smee and Tick Tock the Croc together, you will witness some of the greatest slapstick ever put to film, let alone animation. The timing, pacing, expressions and even vocals from Hans Conried are bound to have you ache from laughter.As usual for an animated Disney film, the animation is very well crafted. Along with the lovable and expressive character designs and character animation you'd expect from an animated Disney film, the flying scenes are simply breathtaking (hence another reason You Can Fly is so fondly remembered). The crew behind the lush artwork of Neverland really do deserve immense acclaim for the lush artwork, especially Mary Blair. Neverland really does feel like a highly adventurous place any child would want to go to, even with some dangers like pirates and mermaids. Not to mention, the way the animators were able to experiment with water, pixie dust, smoke and especially explosions are highly creative and magical in their own way.With exciting obstacles, charming characters, breathtaking visuals and timelessly catchy songs, Peter Pan nails the childlike adventure on a silver platter. Even if it's not quite as dark as the original play, it still respects the ideology of growing up from one's childhood fantasy that made it beloved for over 65 years. I'd say that children of all ages can enjoy this; boys can get into the swashbuckling and action whereas girls can get into the fairies, romance and even flying. Heck, even adults can have fun with this due to how entertainingly fun and even emotional at times it is, as it may bring them back to memories of when they were younger...by age 12 that is.

Well, even a lesser Disney movie like "Peter Pan" will still be a first-rate animated movie as far as, you know, animation goes. If the 1953 movie didn't break any particular ground, it was still good enough to provide one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable characters: Tinkerbell. Remember, it was Tink who provided the finale of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" by magically turning the screen to black after Porky Pig stuttered out his "That's all, folks!" catchphrase.Tink belongs to the Pantheon of iconic Disney characters and it is appropriate that in one scene she's used as a saltshaker to supply fairy dust to Wendy and her bewildered brothers, she gives the film a certain flavor and even a little sassy touch in what would have been predictable and conventional entertainment, despite the cocky personality of Peter Pan and his interesting rivalry with Captain Hook. It is a fascinating bit of irony that the sidekick of the embodiment of childhood spirit is jealous and worried about the length of her hips.The film has indeed enough innuendo to content the amateurs of psychological and sexual readings in Disney characters but if you want to judge the book by the cover, the film has all it takes to make a passable Disney film, it has that blissful energy and quick readiness for adventures that characterize children and a little touch of fairy dust that became the trademark of Disney films. And Peter Pan isn't a one-dimensional hero, he's a larger-than-life boy who's a both an immature kid and an alpha-male with a harem of mermaids and every female character having the hots for him, he also happens to be a bad-ass fighter.But it takes too long for the film to take off, the opening in the house drags for more than twenty minutes and the annoying father occupies so much screen time that any viewer would need more than a little vacation day on 'Never Land' to forget about him. At the end, there's just something that leaves you hanging on, you know you're supposed to have a little glee in the eye somewhere in the film, but all the masterful animation, the wonderfully staged fights and crocodile sequences, the animation of Pan who spends most of the time not just flying but floating and the interactions between Hook and Smee fail to connect with the story.And there are too many Lost boys so that you don't really care for them, Michael and John are only sidekicks but they don't do much in the film. It's all in Pan, Tinkerbell and Hook with Wendy as a passive and rather dull observer. It doesn't capture the essence of JM Barrie's novel but it does fill all the requirements of a Disney movie, and nothing else. When you finished it, you're just spent a nice moment but then there's nothing that really stands out, what are you going to talk about after watching the film? What did the kids learn from their adventure, that they need a mother and Wendy can't play the surrogate mother anymore because she's got to think of her own future as a mother? The ending was bittersweet with the emphasis on bitter.Maybe I'm biased because I didn't get to see the film when I was a kid, I saw many movies of the same Disney period but only excerpts from "Peter Pan". However, I grew up watching the episodes of the anime based on JM Barrie's novels and they were more faithful to his spirit, the kids were all fully developed characters and the relationship between Pan and Wendy was really captivating on a love-and-hate level, but it's like the animators tried to condense the whole story in one-night event like a dream so the whole thing seemed a bit rushed. There's not the warmth of "Lady and the Tramp", the fast-paced rhythm of "Alice in Wonderland" or the swingy catchy vibes of the "Jungle Book" time, and there's no romance, no friendship whatsoever.I guess there's something to blame on the context, by the time "Peter Pan" was released, "Cinderella" had - three years before- consolidated the financial strength of Disney studios allowing Uncle Walt to keep on expanding his business, the studio would face a few highs and lows but never with the same stakes as those in 1950. So we're in the middle of the 50's, at the peak of Disney's career, when the animation was lead by the "Nine Old Men", they were there from 1937 to 1977, if you do the math, the 50's was right in the middle, and it was still before the Xerox device, used for "101 Dalmatians", would simplify animation but with a greater focus on the story, the music, the characters, elements that seems to lack in 'Pan'."Peter Pan" is a true product of its era, a classic Walt Disney movie that has been made with confidence and dreams, and how appropriate that it tackles a story of a young boy who doesn't want to grow up. It is like the essence of Disney to make dreams possible, and in the case of "Peter Pan", there was a lot to say about this, but it never quite clicks. Maybe because it was met at a time where the master was too focused on his Disneyland project, on his work on TV and that animated features became a sort of a milk cow.I remarked a strange pattern, it's only where the future of the studios are at stakes that Disney make terrific movies, they're never as good as when they're pivotal and necessary, I can see why "Peter Pan", while a good film in its own right, isn't as good or memorable as the other features.

Peter Pan is a boy who would not grow up and went to a magical land, Neverland. But everything changes when Wendy and her brothers are taken there by his hand. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske, has a screenplay by Ted Sears and his team and a competent voice actors team. The production was in charge of Walt Disney himself.This is one of the most interesting films that Disney released in the life of its founder and master. We cannot say that is the best, but it certainly is very interesting anyway. The drawings were made with bright colors but without excessive glare. The characters are good, steering with the majority of children's stories and the imagination of most children of that time, with the Indians, pirates, fairies and the desire to fly. The plot is good, has excellent situational jokes and the figure of the main villain, Captain Hook, is key to many of these comic moments. Tinker Bell is a very ambivalent character, because it seems to be half in love with Peter Pan, a kind of Platonic love. The musical moments are interesting, though more discreet and less memorable than what we see at other Disney films of the same era.Although there are many criticisms of the way this film portrays the Indians, I do not think the film deserves these same criticisms. I think I've seen much more racist and prejudiced characterizations in many western movies and never saw anyone upset about it. This film is for children and, therefore, all are portrayed (pirates, Indians or even the English) in a way that appeals to children, the target audience of the film itself, regardless of how they are. Does anyone think that the pirates were really like Hook? Of course not.Enjoy this film for what it is, see this movie with child's eyes.