Peter Pan II: Return to Neverland
Year: 2002
Director: Robin Budd
Starring: Jeff Bennett, Corey Burton, Harriet Owen, Kath Soucie & Blayne Weaver
Runtime: 73 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 25/04/22
Director: Robin Budd
Starring: Jeff Bennett, Corey Burton, Harriet Owen, Kath Soucie & Blayne Weaver
Runtime: 73 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 25/04/22
The prospect of having to watch another Peter Pan film seemed incredibly daunting to me at first. Whilst I certainly don’t hate the first film, I don’t think it’s particularly great either. I also have this trepidation about any original Peter Pan related content that creator J. M. Barrie didn’t play a part in making, considering its primary purpose was to give sick children a bedtime story they could truly get lost in, and anything since then has usually been twisted for corporate gain.
Return to Neverland therefore was a film I was not looking forward to, and given the output of Walt Disney Television Animation in the lead up to it I was also expecting it to be of very low quality. It took me by surprise then that I probably prefer Return to Neverland over Disney’s original Peter Pan film.
Several decades after the Darling children returned from their adventure in Neverland, Wendy (Kath Soucie) is now a mother in war torn London. Her daughter, Jane (Harriet Owen), has let go of many childish things due to the constant danger she is in, and is burdened with the responsibility her father left her of looking after her mother and younger brother Daniel (Andrew McDonaugh). When it is revealed that Jane and Daniel will be evacuated in the morning, Jane is tasked by her mother of keeping the stories of Peter Pan (Blayne Weaver) alive for Daniel.
That night, Jane is kidnapped by Captain Hook (Corey Burton) and taken to Neverland. Once there, she realises that her mother’s bedtime stories were indeed true, and she needs Peter’s help to get back home.
Return to Neverland therefore was a film I was not looking forward to, and given the output of Walt Disney Television Animation in the lead up to it I was also expecting it to be of very low quality. It took me by surprise then that I probably prefer Return to Neverland over Disney’s original Peter Pan film.
Several decades after the Darling children returned from their adventure in Neverland, Wendy (Kath Soucie) is now a mother in war torn London. Her daughter, Jane (Harriet Owen), has let go of many childish things due to the constant danger she is in, and is burdened with the responsibility her father left her of looking after her mother and younger brother Daniel (Andrew McDonaugh). When it is revealed that Jane and Daniel will be evacuated in the morning, Jane is tasked by her mother of keeping the stories of Peter Pan (Blayne Weaver) alive for Daniel.
That night, Jane is kidnapped by Captain Hook (Corey Burton) and taken to Neverland. Once there, she realises that her mother’s bedtime stories were indeed true, and she needs Peter’s help to get back home.
Return to Neverland is one of just two films released by Walt Disney Television Animation based on Disney Animated Classics to receive a theatrical release (the other being The Tigger Movie). This was something I wasn’t aware of going in, so Return to Neverland has remarkably high production values.
The film looks fantastic and even comparable to the fully fledged Disney Classics of the time, with highly detailed character models, environments and lots of 3D computer animation in there too. Whilst the CGI certainly looks dated and out of place today, for a direct-to-DVD film in the early 00’s this is surprisingly good stuff.
I found the story surprisingly engaging, and whilst it doesn’t really take the series in a new direction, being iterative of the first film rather than doing anything new. But it does feel like a natural progression rather than something simply made for a cash-in. I may be being overly generous here because of the generally awful quality of Walt Disney Television Animation’s output, but as I stated earlier, I even found myself enjoying this film more than the original Peter Pan.
Jane is a well written character, she’s mature beyond her years due to the war, and she refuses to acknowledge anything other than logic and reason. Admirable traits of course but Return to Neverland is all about her reclaiming her childhood, and there were a few genuinely touching moments along the way.
Return to Neverland is by no means an incredible film, but it is definitely in the upper echelon of Walt Disney Television Animation’s portfolio. It feels like a natural successor to Peter Pan, and whilst there have undoubtedly been corners cut to meet a tighter direct-to-DVD budget, I don’t feel like they’re immediately noticeable. I feel like any Peter Pan fan would be hard pressed not to get enjoyment out of this film, and it probably is worth seeking out if you like Peter Pan and haven’t seen it before. Alongside The Lion King II and The Tigger Movie, Return to Neverland is proof that the studio is capable of good things when they fully commit to it.
The film looks fantastic and even comparable to the fully fledged Disney Classics of the time, with highly detailed character models, environments and lots of 3D computer animation in there too. Whilst the CGI certainly looks dated and out of place today, for a direct-to-DVD film in the early 00’s this is surprisingly good stuff.
I found the story surprisingly engaging, and whilst it doesn’t really take the series in a new direction, being iterative of the first film rather than doing anything new. But it does feel like a natural progression rather than something simply made for a cash-in. I may be being overly generous here because of the generally awful quality of Walt Disney Television Animation’s output, but as I stated earlier, I even found myself enjoying this film more than the original Peter Pan.
Jane is a well written character, she’s mature beyond her years due to the war, and she refuses to acknowledge anything other than logic and reason. Admirable traits of course but Return to Neverland is all about her reclaiming her childhood, and there were a few genuinely touching moments along the way.
Return to Neverland is by no means an incredible film, but it is definitely in the upper echelon of Walt Disney Television Animation’s portfolio. It feels like a natural successor to Peter Pan, and whilst there have undoubtedly been corners cut to meet a tighter direct-to-DVD budget, I don’t feel like they’re immediately noticeable. I feel like any Peter Pan fan would be hard pressed not to get enjoyment out of this film, and it probably is worth seeking out if you like Peter Pan and haven’t seen it before. Alongside The Lion King II and The Tigger Movie, Return to Neverland is proof that the studio is capable of good things when they fully commit to it.