On Saturday 26 December, ITV in Britain screened the latest screen adaptation of J.M Barrie's book based on the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan, and the magical world of Neverland. Filmed in Luxembourg, both at the Filmland studios in Kehlen and at other locations including the Mullerthal.
Directed by Diarmuid Lawrence (The Hanging Gale; The Lady Vanishes; Emma) and starring Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada; The Hunger Games; The Terminal; The Fifth Estate) as Captain Hook, Laura Fraser (A Knight's Tale; The Man in the Iron Mask; Castles in the Sky) as Julie, Paloma Faith (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; St. Trinian's) as Tinker Bell, Zak Sutcliffe (in his first role) as Peter Pan, and Hazel Doupe (Ripper Street (tv film) and Jack Taylor: Shot Down (tv film)) as both Lucy and Wendy Darling.
Fantasy adventure; tv film
The new film has a contemporary - instead of Edwardian - setting with young Lucy checked into the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London (which benefits from J.M Barrie's bequest) awaiting heart surgery. While there she reads the story of Peter Pan to younger children who are also patients at the hospital. They begin to become immersed into the story and so too does Lucy, particularly when drifting in an out of consciousness on the operating table, and also when shimming in the pool in the hospital building.
The tv film featured great performances by Stanley Tucci as both the doctor treating Lucy and Captain Hook, as well as in a few scenes featuring Mr Darling, and the tremendous Hazel Doupe as both Lucy and Wendy, with the medical students cleverly doubling up as the pirates. The crocodile was most believable and so was the pirate ship but, sadly, the CGI scenes of the children flying were sorely lacking in imagination and technical credulity.
Overall an enjoyable adventure and perfect as a Boxing Day treat and well worth space on one's DVD shelf, with the contemporary setting of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital providing both those who are new to the story, and those who know it already, with a glimpse of J.M Barrie's Neverland and the world of Peter Pan.
