An ideal subject for Walt Disney this one - a charming, humorous adventure with great characters. Before you start watching, do bear in mind that JM Barrie created the "Peter Pan" character at the very start of the 20th century, so some of the language and roles are a touch on the stereotypical side - but that ought not to unduly spoil this experience. The "Darlings" are a loving, but pretty dysfunctional family with a huge great dog "Nana" whose three children all share the nursery in the attic of the family home. "Peter" visits and with the help of his friendly sprite "Tinker Bell" takes the youngsters on a series of magical adventures in "Never Land" where nobody ever grows up. The legendary "Captan Hook" is his local adversary, hell bent on repaying "Peter" for causing him to lose his hand to a crocodile who is equally determined to eat the rest of him! There's a bit of depth to the characterisations - the story might be a "love" story; but it is certainly one that introduces loyalty, trust, jealousy and comradeship to youngsters in a thoroughly engaging, plausible way. There is plenty of action too - a wonderful sword fight; lots of flying and the carefree attitude of the children is really quite contagious. The animation is once again, expertly hand-crafted, with vivid colours that help convey a lot of the joy of the film. Bobby Driscoll does a super job with the title role, too - it's a smashing film.
