Hugh Jackman vehicle 'Pan' is a fun, but floppy re-telling of Peter Pan [Review]
If you've watched the Pan trailer, you'll know you're in for a magnificent visual feast. The film has scenes so spectacular they could only come from director Joe Wright's imagination: huge ships shooting through the sky, bungee-jumping pirates snatching orphans in their sleep, fish swimming in the clouds.
One scene where Peter floats in space and touches a planet on his way to Neverland is both thrilling and mesmerising.
It's worth watching for the visuals alone, but the story, which explores the origins of the characters in the well-loved tale, doesn't quite reach its potential.
Orphan Peter (Levi Miller) is kidnapped to mine a rare crystal that villainous pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) needs to keep himself youthful. When Peter is sentenced to death for mischief, he discovers he can fly, and could be the one to save Neverland's fairies. But he's afraid of heights, and only wants to find his mother.
Despite Miller's natural acting, the script fails to capture the audience's heart. The characters' journey across Neverland feels far from epic, there doesn't seem to be much at stake, and Jackman's Blackbeard isn't very menacing.
Pan is far from perfect, but it's a fun film to watch if you've time to spare.