The classic is retold.
This delivers everything we expected from animated Disney at the time. The songs are catchy, people and animals alike move in smooth natural ways except for when that's the joke, there are cute sidekick characters, there's a sense of adventure and magic, the action is exciting, the climax is appropriately swashbuckling, there is a message. I remember thinking the pirates were utterly badass as a child. Peter Pan is the picture of fun-loving refusal to grow up. Captain Hook is an effective villain, legitimately sinister and threatening.
Given when it came out, it is unsurprising, though obviously frustrating, that it does have some very hateful stereotypes. I do agree with the decision to show it uncensored on Disney+, and allow for discussion. There's some racism in how it shows Native Americans, saying that they attack on sight, as if colonising forces have not also done that. Mocking their speech is quite ironic coming from Americans who mangled the English language. Treating their identities as something that's fun for young white people to cosplay as, encouraging cultural appropriation. There's sexism and misogyny in the depiction of girls. Claiming they talk too much, don't listen, and are so jealous that they will physically attack their rivals and are easily manipulated - at times, it even drives the plot. As if those things are not true of us men as well. It is mighty rich to suggest that the only way for such conflict to be resolved is for males to get involved, when it's really more the other way around in real life. I do appreciate that it shows clearly that it's not only boys who love adventure.
I recommend this to every fan of the original story. 7/10.
This delivers everything we expected from animated Disney at the time. The songs are catchy, people and animals alike move in smooth natural ways except for when that's the joke, there are cute sidekick characters, there's a sense of adventure and magic, the action is exciting, the climax is appropriately swashbuckling, there is a message. I remember thinking the pirates were utterly badass as a child. Peter Pan is the picture of fun-loving refusal to grow up. Captain Hook is an effective villain, legitimately sinister and threatening.
Given when it came out, it is unsurprising, though obviously frustrating, that it does have some very hateful stereotypes. I do agree with the decision to show it uncensored on Disney+, and allow for discussion. There's some racism in how it shows Native Americans, saying that they attack on sight, as if colonising forces have not also done that. Mocking their speech is quite ironic coming from Americans who mangled the English language. Treating their identities as something that's fun for young white people to cosplay as, encouraging cultural appropriation. There's sexism and misogyny in the depiction of girls. Claiming they talk too much, don't listen, and are so jealous that they will physically attack their rivals and are easily manipulated - at times, it even drives the plot. As if those things are not true of us men as well. It is mighty rich to suggest that the only way for such conflict to be resolved is for males to get involved, when it's really more the other way around in real life. I do appreciate that it shows clearly that it's not only boys who love adventure.
I recommend this to every fan of the original story. 7/10.