Review: 'Pan' Reimagines a Classic Tale Imperfectly
Rachel LaBonte ’19 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Pan tells the story of an orphan boy named Peter (an excellent Levi Miller) who, one night, is plucked from his bed in a dreary orphanage by pirates and brought to Neverland to work for the dastardly pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). Once there, he meets a variety of characters, including a two-handed Captain Hook (Garrett Hedlund), and discovers his destiny. If the last part sounds familiar, don’t be surprised. It’s the kind of story that has been told many times before, only this movie tries to cover it up with spectacle and wonder.
The characters themselves are different than one may imagine, especially Hook. Here, he isn’t a pirate, and he isn’t out to kill Peter. Instead, he’s more Indiana Jones than Jack Sparrow, right down to the hat. Hedlund, while talented, puts on a distracting voice that makes him sound a bit Southern and always tilts his head whenever he speaks. While the character is enjoyable, those ticks are quite irritating and make hard to believe he will go on to be the infamous Captain Hook.
Of course, with this being Hook’s origin story as well, there needs to be a replacement villain, and that is where Blackbeard comes in. Jackman certainly owns the character well, tapping into the right amount of bravado and vileness. However, neither the costume nor the script serve him well, as he wears a black leather get-up that resembles a tutu and utters lines like “the brooding majesty of my disappointment.”
For all its flaws, parts of Pan are still enjoyable. The special effects are incredible, and made even more impressive by 3D. John Powell’s score only adds to the feeling of wonder and adventure, and it really is interesting to see the dynamic between Peter and Hook as it is not yet antagonistic. However, it is difficult to enjoy the movie without feeling guilty when keeping in mind its grievous casting choice regarding Tiger Lily. Between that and its crazy attempts to make everything unique, some of the magic is lost along the way.
Overall Grade: B
Watch The Trailer:
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1wRv8vTpxo[/embedyt]
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