Day 43: Return to Neverland

Faith, Trust, and Pixie-Dust: Our 43rd Movie!

1. What movie did you watch?
Return to Neverland. The film was released in 2002, and is loosely based on J. M. Barrie's novel Peter and Wendy. It did well at the box office, but critics had mixed reviews of the movie, with several saying that it was unoriginal and simple, and that it lacked the adult-friendly elements that other Disney movies were known for. Fun fact: Kathryn Beaumont, who voiced Wendy in the original Peter Pan, recorded all of Wendy's dialogue for the sequel, but Kath Soucie replaced her in the end.

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I LOVED this movie as a kid, but I haven't' seen it in years.
Alexis: I haven't seen this one in many years, but I do remember renting it from Blockbuster a few times when I was a kid.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: I remember watching this all the time as a kid. When I was little as I've mentioned before I had a Peter Pan obsession and this fell right into it- I associated with Jane so strongly, I wanted to be a lost boy! Not their mother! I loved that Jane wasn't a withering girl who needed to be saved, she would save herself (with the help of her friends). I would run around the living room singing "So to be one of us..."!
Alexis: It's a silly memory, but the movie reminded me of the happy meal toys that came along with the release of this movie. My sister and I collected several different figurines during the promotion, including a Jane, Peter, and Cubby.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: I really liked it. I felt for a sequel they took some broad strokes, especially with the metaphor for lost innocence in WWII, I may not have totally understood it as a kid, but I must have gotten it on some level. I also liked that Jane wasn't necessarily the most like-able but she was fairly realistic.
Alexis: I agree, I think it's very good in terms of Disney sequels. The story is strong, all the best characters are back, and they didn't over do it in terms of length (it's only an hour). I liked the contrast between Wendy and Jane, and the fact that Wendy met Peter because she didn't want to grow up while Jane met him because she was growing up too fast. It's a nice parallel and it works well with the backdrop of WWII.

5. Favorite moment: 

Maddie:I know this is dark, but I really loved (and still do love) the song I'll Try- it has a "When She Loved Me" vibe in that it's sad but has something pretty profound to say about growing up and figuring out a path to take while still retaining some joy.

Alexis: I think my favorite moment is when Jane saves Tinkerbell, because it's the turning point of the movie and it's very sweet.

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: This moment was so sweet:

Alexis: What happened to the Crocodile?

Day 8: Peter Pan

We're following the Peter, the Peter! Out Eighth Movie!

Gisele Bundchen, Tina Fey, and Mikhail Baryshnikov in a Disney Dream Portrait.

1. What movie did you watch?
Peter Pan.  The film is based off of Peter Pan, Or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J.M. Barrie.  The story of Peter Pan was another of Walt Disney's favorites, and he intended to make the movie much earlier than it actually happened (due to issues gaining the rights).  Originally there were more scenes including the Mermaids and the Pirates, including a scene where Captain Hook is actually killed by the crocodile, however these scenes were removed in order to make the movie less dark.  A fun fact about the film is that it features several of the same voice actors as Alice in Wonderland.

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie:  It's probably been a year since I last saw it, which is way too long. I have an affinity for all things Peter Pan, so that long a time is not common in between viewings.

Alexis: I actually watched it last June.  That's very specific, I know, but I clearly remember watching it at my friend's beach house in Cape Cod on our last day.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: It brought back a lot of memories of Disneyland. Peter Pan's Flight was my favorite ride there when I was little.

In addition, it brought back memories of when I went to see Cathy Rigby in her final year (last year) in the role of Peter Pan in the musical. I've been watching the musical just as long as I've been watching the Disney version, so that was a big treat for me, and a really special memory.

Alexis: I saw the musical with Maddie, and it was an awesome experience, so yes it brought back memories of that.  Also, my sister and I used to love this movie, we had it on VHS and we would watch it all the way through the movie to the ending bonus section with Walt Disney talking about the making of the movie.  It must have been really boring to a kid, but we watched it regardless!  Lastly, I also occasionally took a hanger from my closet and went up to my sister claiming to be captain hook.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: In case you couldn't tell already, I LOVED it! It was great to get a refresher of the movie and really get to enjoy it. While, again, there were some extremely racist parts relating to Native Americans:

It was still really great. Also, the animation is absolutely beautiful!

Alexis: Yes we can all agree that early Disney was very (I believe, unintentionally) racist.  Overall I loved it.  The different landscapes are so cool, and all the different characters are awesome in their own way.  Except Wendy.  I don't like Wendy.  Tiger Lily is better.

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: It's hard to pick just one, but I would have to go with this one:

With a close second being when Smee shaves a bird's butt instead of Hook's chin. That was comedy genius to me as a child, and will always be engrained in my head.

Alexis: Following the Leader is my favorite part/song!  The scene is adorable, and it's fun to sing!

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: I just love this movie! But, a weird thing I discovered when looking for Gifs for this post is that there is a weird group of people on tumblr who ship (want a relationship between) Alice (of Alice in Wonderland) and Peter. Here's some evidence:

All I have to say is: WHAT?!? I can't get over how odd this is to me. Besides that, this was an amazing trip down memory lane.

Alexis: There is a question I must address.  Why must Once Upon A Time make all of their characters so attractive?  This is the third time that I've brought this up but really, just look at him.  How could I not?

Ugh he's my favorite, I can't even.  

And until next time,