Peter Pan: Return to Never Land Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Peter Pan: Return to Never Land Blu-ray Movie Review

If I never grow up, every animated movie will be the best movie ever!

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 23, 2013

It's only fitting that Return to Never Land slink onto Blu-ray in 2013. Disney hasn't made a habit of farming its theatrical features to DisneyToon Studios, the subdivision tasked with producing the studio's direct-to-video sequels and spin-off series. But the fifty-years-too-late followup to Peter Pan (1953) wasn't the first, nor was it the last. There was DuckTales the Movie in 1990. A Goofy Movie in 1995. The Tigger Movie in 2000. Return to Never Land in 2002. The Jungle Book 2 and Piglet's Big Movie in 2003. Pooh's Heffalump Movie in 2005. And, most recently, Cars spin-off Planes, released to a lukewarm reception earlier this summer. Unfortunately, not a lot has changed over the years. Like Planes, Return to Never Land isn't terrible, or even remotely bad... it just isn't all that good either. Oh, there's some fun to be had, some laughs to be stumbled upon, and a passably entertaining adventure to undertake. But it's really little more than a direct-to-video sequel that someone, somewhere in 2002 realized could make a buck or two -- to the tune of $110 million -- on the big screen. The realist in me is itching to dismiss the largely disappointing sequel as one of Disney's most shameless and successful cash grabs. The kid in me, though (not to mention the literal eight-year-old sitting to my left), didn't mind starting the morning today with a little bit of fun, a laugh or two, and a harmless adventure.

When Wendy Darling's no-nonsense daughter, Jane (Harriet Owen), is kidnapped and whisked away to Never Land by the villainous Captain Hook (Corey Burton) and his bumbling first mate Mr. Smee (Jeff Bennett), she quickly discovers her mother's stories were completely true. Peter Pan (Blayne Weaver) intervenes, of course, saving Jane from Hook, who had thrown the girl to a giant octopus that, for some ridiculous reason only known to the filmmakers and God, unceremoniously replaces the original film's crocodile. Swept away to Peter's camp, Jane soon meets Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys: Nibs (Bradley Pierce), Cubby (Spencer Breslin), Slightly (Quinn Beswick) and the Twins (Aaron Spann). But Jane isn't interested in magic, happy thoughts, pixie dust or fairytale creatures. She just wants to go home. Her lack of faith in fairies nearly kills Tink in the process, though, and Jane soon finds herself accepting a deal from Hook, who promises to behave himself in exchange for help finding lost treasure; a devious ruse that ends with Peter's capture. Suddenly the first Lost Girl is left with little choice but to mount a rescue of the first Lost Boy.

It's probably best to start with the worst: Return to Never Land is teeming with issues. The voice cast is serviceable, and certainly enthusiastic, but a few bad apples spoil the bunch. Chief among them? Weaver, sadly, whose Peter Pan grows more and more irritating as the movie sludges along. The animation isn't up to Disney's standards either, even circa 2002. Stylistically, there's an effort to connect Return to the original 1963 classic, but the animators tend to stop short or go too far. Visual nods abound, and yet the magic, charm and ease of Peter Pan are absent. Then there's the generic adventure music, the stocky songs, the slushy pacing, the dim humor, the second-rate screenplay... none of it quite clicks, at least as well as you might expect from a studio-anointed theatrical release. Baffling decisions abound too -- the aforementioned croc swap, the MIA Indians, the plot points lifted straight out of Hook -- and it doesn't feel as if any major scrutiny or oversight accompanied the production. I might even be kinder if it were a direct-to-video release. That would at least explain the small-scale tale and hemmed-in adventure sequences.

Don't worry, that's as harsh as it gets. Switch off the critic in your adult brain and you'll have a much better time with your return to Never Never Land than I did. Kids will naturally get the most out of the film, laughing and bouncing with abandon. At eight, my son was a bit too old to enjoy it as much as he might have two years ago, particularly with a young girl in the leading role, but tastes will vary. We just so happened to be babysitting a friend's children for the day (two boys, four girls, ages two to ten) and all but the oldest boy couldn't get enough. Even he cracked a smile every now and then, while his sisters, as my son later commented, "went insane." Jane was a perfect heroine for their movie experience (no matter how much I didn't buy her as a character), and the toothless, slapstick action and peril didn't scare them in the slightest (despite robbing the film of any sense of danger or tension). The trick, then, is in determining the measure of Return to Never Land's success or failure. As a sequel to a beloved classic, it falls flat on its face. As a theatrical spectacle, it feels decidedly small screen. As a cute but inconsequential romp, it isn't offensive... or remarkable... or memorable. Return makes an unnecessary journey no one really asked for. Failure! Once young children watch it, though, they'll ask for it again and again. Success! In the end, it's a toss-up.

Peter Pan: Return to Never Land Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Framed at 1.69:1, Return to Never Land mostly impresses thanks to a rather lovely 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer. Line art is crisp and clean, painted backgrounds are precisely resolved, and smearing of any kind is nowhere to be found. Moreover, colors are playful and pleasant, with delicate purples and lively greens, and primaries are strong and satisfying. Black levels are nice and inky too, and contrast is spot on, even when night falls or the Lost Boys venture into a cave. Better still, the encode is a proficient one. Eagle-eyed videophiles will note a hint of intermittent, altogether negligible macroblocking from time to time, but most viewers won't be able to see it, much less complain about it. Otherwise, serious banding and aliasing are kept to a minimum, and distractions are few and far between.

Peter Pan: Return to Never Land Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track serves up the sequel's original sound design in perfectly primed fashion. It just isn't all that impressive, registering as a bit more direct-to-video-movie than theatrically-released-spectacle. Even so, voices are clear, intelligible and neatly prioritized alongside the action and adventure, sword clashes and hook swipes ring cleanly and brightly, and solid LFE output adds some welcome weight to the film's weightless stakes. The rear speakers have their fun as well, despite some prevailing front-heaviness. The forests and skies of Never Land offer a few decent, directional playgrounds, music fills the soundfield with ease, and pans are slick and smooth. No, there isn't much in the way of cinematic immersion or enveloping sonics. And no, neither the Jolly Roger or the giant octopus are about to put a dent in your home theater. But Return to Never Land sounds as good as it conceivably could, so no real complaints here.

Peter Pan: Return to Never Land Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (SD, 8 minutes): Five scenes in all, comprised of storyboards and snippets of animation from all stages of the production: "Jane and Hook Meet for the First Time," "Gift for Tink," "I'll Try," "Hook's Song: I'll Give You One Guess" and "Lullaby: Second Star to the Right."
• Pixie Previews (HD, 6 minutes): Five animated shorts plucked from the Tink movies: "Hide and Tink," "Dust Up," "Shooting Stars," "Volley Bug" and "Just Desserts."
• Music Video (SD, 4 minutes): "I'll Try" performed by Jonatha Brooke.
• Sneak Peeks (HD): Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Planes and Super Buddies.


Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack Contents (Subject to Change): The initial combo pack release of Return to Never Land features a slipcover (with the original pressing), a BD-50 disc (feature and extras), a standard DVD copy of the film, and a Disney "Digital Copy Plus" DC (DigitalCopyPlus.com download via redemption code, expiration unspecified). Please note: the Return to Never Land DCP digital copy is not iTunes compatible.

Peter Pan: Return to Never Land Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are certainly worse Disney sequels. If nothing else, there's enough high-flying adventure and discovery in Return to Never Land to justify the decision to release it theatrically, even if the whole thing smacks of direct-to-video moviemaking. Disney's Blu-ray release is better, with an excellent video presentation and solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Just don't expect much in the way of extras. Ultimately, moms and dads may love it or loathe it, but their elementary school-aged children will line up on the side of "love it" ten-to-one.