Pan

Grade: B

Joe Wright’s film Pan is a prequel of sorts to the story of Peter Pan. Like a fan-fiction piece, it’s an interesting exploration which fills in many blanks, albeit not the blank I most wanted. This is a spectacular movie to look at. The sets, costumes, cinematography, art direction – all of that is top notch, and will probably get some well-deserved Oscar nominations in the technical categories. Levi Miller is marvelous as Peter, as is an unrecognizable Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard. I didn’t know Jackman was in the film until the end credits. This movie had an uphill battle with me from the beginning, as I’m not the biggest fan of this story, or any in the fantasy genre, but it at least made me care more than, say, Guardians of the Galaxy. The worst thing about Pan? The portrayal of James Hook (no points for guessing which well-known character he turns out to be). He looked like Benedict Cumberbatch and Kevin Bacon hooked up and had a kid together, he acted like Indiana Jones (complete with the fedora) but was not 5% as funny, cool, or cute, and spoke as if he was perpetually doing a bad Jack Nicholson impression. It was all over-the-top caricature without a shred of sincerity or “character.” I hated everything he did. The best thing about Pan? Learning a new euphemism for farting. “Phew! Somebody guffed one.”

Grade: B