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MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... current day count
187 .......................... 198

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May 28th

—— 1953 ——
PETER PAN
—— animation ——
DISNEY CLASSIC no.14

REWATCH
When I was a kid, I treasured the incomparable feeling of flying straight to fantasyland,
and all I needed was a little help from the heart and soul of cinema magic!


Absolutely nothing could compare, when disappearing into the visual and wonderful worlds of animated features; especially those coming from the Golden Age of Disney. Back in the day, one of my favorite trips to take was definitely that of ‘Peter Pan’ and the journey to Neverland, where no kid would ever grow up and where no rules even existed. But of course, the unforeseen times came upon me, and I grew older with every watch of this film, until eventually, I was too old for Neverland. But then I realized something...

When looking in the mirror, maybe I wasn’t that five-year-old kid, who was couch jumping and floor diving through the living room, while stabbing the thin air with a wooden dagger. But my mentality and eternal ability to disappear into the world of movies have never faded, which I should have known, because I still disappear into the world of film to this day. So thankfully it just so happens to be mind and movies, which have that magical connection that every person, whether a child or an adult, love so much! And when those cheerful memories of being a child are rekindled, the magic is more alive than ever. And if you believe it, you have the ability to fly straight into your childhood, and all the way to Neverland!

First off I have to say, those at Disney are not not shy of returning to the past either, when it comes to recycling their themes or repacking their films in familiar packaging. But somehow they eventually manage to show off something that feels entirely fresh and fitting for the story they want to tell. With ‘Peter Pan’, the story of innocence and the wonders of being a child have never been illustrated better, neither have the depiction of the significance of not rushing into adulthood. I must admit that the visualization of some of these themes can appear rather dark and at times even frightening, but when you are an adult it doesn’t matter to me. It only makes everything even better.



At first everything is so magical, where you are sprinkled with pixie dust and concentrate on happy thoughts until you lift off the ground and fly above the skies straight to Neverland – the world of dreams. But once there, the children are challenged in many ways that goes beyond their capabilities, which makes them realize just how lucky they are to have a family at home who cares about them and protects them from the dangers of the world; makes them realize that not everyone is as fortunate as they are and not everything is as it appears to be. When I come to think of it, Neverland is way more dark and sinister than I remember it to be from childhood.

But of course, many of those unsettling scenes are presented in humorous situations, which generally makes it a little easier to digest. While the fact that a crocodile bit off the hand of a Captain seems moderately graphic, the actual scenario is far from it, containing a goofy-looking croc who is constantly out of luck, in terms of getting the other end of that hand. Because that is, on the other hand, truly amusing to watch, especially when the approaching terror is illustrated as a tick-tocking clock once swallowed by the beast. Mr. Smee is a great and clumsy sidekick too, often taking every situation with him in his many falls from grace. Apart from the pirates, there are plenty of mermaids, Indians and wildlings to up the ante of this adventure and eventually create a fantastic world to witness.

Generally speaking, the actual adventurous atmosphere of this film is hard to beat in my opinion, which truly does try to make the viewer buy into a land like Neverland – a place where your imagination has no boundaries and time has no existence. You know just how important that is for a child, because you have been there yourself, which is something the father finally realizes in the end, when reminded of his own childhood; “You know, I have the strangest feeling that I've seen that ship before. A long time ago, when I was very young…” And honestly, I can’t help but feel the exact same way about this film. That my friends, is movie magic in its finest hour.






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