Peter Pan: A memorable quest

Take a young boy who does not want to grow up, a girl that is not ready to grow up, the girl's two brothers, and add pirates, mermaids, Indians, fairies, and clouds made out of cotton candy, and you have the adventure of a lifetime. Or in other words, P.J. Hogan's production, Peter Pan.

Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) finds herself wedged between her old life filled with fun times spent with her two brothers John and Michael and her near future with her Aunt Millicent (Lynn Redgrave) who will teach her the ways of the "proper lady." The night before Wendy is to be handed over to her aunt, she is visited by none other than Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter). Peter is intrigued by Wendy's story telling and wants her to come to Never Land and be mother to the Lost Boys. But if she goes, she can never come back home again.

"Never is an awfully long time," Wendy hedges, but he reassures her with his big blue eyes and an angelic. The kids fly to Neverland for days packed with adventures.

Peter Pan opens doors to a whole new world that immediately draws you in. It generally follows the same story line as the original tale, but in this movie there is a whole lot more romance. Peter and Wendy fall deeply in love, almost at first sight, even thought Peter does not want to admit it, because he is afraid of growing up.

Peter teaches Wendy how to fly. Then he takes her to the fairy dwelling, where he shows her fairies, furtively looking at her when he thinks she is preoccupied. Eventually Wendy confronts him and asks him if he loves someone. He lies to her, saying that even the word love offends him. Though Peter wants Wendy all to himself, he knows that her parents are patiently waiting by the open window for her and her brothers to come back.

The film is well staged and the special effects add to its magic. This is best illustrated when Peter loses his shadow while listening to Wendy telling one of her intriguing stories. Nany sees him, and when he tries to leave, she catches his shadow, and it gets trapped in a cupboard. When Peter tries to catch his shadow, it escapes and tries to run away from him.

Probably the funniest moment in the movie is when the shadow tries to resemble the shadow of Aunt Millicent. The shadow has tousled hair, and Millicnet is shocked to find that her hairdo is messed up.

Janet Patterson, the costume designer, plays a vital part in making the movie such a success. Windy has different nightgowns, one for flying during the trip to Neverland, one for dancing with Peter. Even Nany has different sets of bonnets made explicitly for her. But the central costume is of course Hook's. He has a lavish outfit with frills and flares, making him look superior to his pirates with their muddied appearance.

Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, plays both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling. He does a stupendous job, portraying two completely different characters equally well. So well, in fact, that you are not even able to tell that it is the same actor. With his characters wittiness and cynicism, the story becomes even more interesting.

I would recommend the movie to anyone, young or old, who is willing to take on an adventure unlike any other. All you have to do is believe!

Peter Pan is rated PG for adventure action sequences and peril.