Pan (2015) Offering a new take on the origin of the classic characters created by J.M. Barrie, the action adventure follows the story of an orphan who is spirited away to the magical Neverland. There, he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny—to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.
Pan is another movie that should be added to the list of unnecessary prequels. It also needs to be put in the list of badly made origin stories. Its got extremely beautiful visuals and decent performances, but not much else. The characters are bland, the storytelling is vague at best, and nothing makes sense. The movie jumps from plot point to another without making sure the audience is following. When it does attempt to fill the viewers in, its in the form of ridiculous voice overs that ruin any immersion that may have been built up.
Pan is the origin story of Peter Pan. Peter lives in an orphanage run by Mother Barnabas, a nun. Something is off about her and her orphanage, as children’s records keep disappearing strangely. It turns out Barnabas is selling these orphans to pirates from Neverland. Their leader, Blackbeard is using these orphans as slaves to dig up precious gems and treasures. Pan’s arrival puts things in a tizzy, as their is a prophecy that states that he will rescue Neverland, but only if he learns how to fly.
In the days of charming and relatable villains, Hugh Jackman’s Blackbeard stands out for being evil for the sake of evil. There’s no redeeming quality in his character and that’s especially disappointing considering the actors calibre. For a movie about magic and wonder, Pan is often quite dull and you get the sense that everyone is just going through the motions. Pan is utterly disappointing and definitely one to stay far away from.