Peter Pan Live! (2014) Reviews

• Over-hyped fizzle compares poorly to original NBC version

  duraflex2014-12-06

  As a kid, I completely enjoyed the Mary Martin-Cyril Ritchard version of the boy who didn't want to grow up. That version I knew was done in 1960 on a small budget and rerun often to the delight of tens of millions. Mary Martin was totally into the role - enthusiastic, cheerful and full of energy, fun and mischief. English actor Cyril Ritchard was the definitive Captain Hook - tall, fit, threatening, agile and funny plus he could sing, dance and act. The very expensive, highly promoted 2014 version of this 110 year old story was such a disappointment. It goes to show that no matter how good a story or a musical score, success comes down to who puts a show together as to whether it flies or not. This show did not fly. After the flop this same team of producers made of Sound of Music in 2013, it's incredible that NBC gave them another shot at a live TV musical. Allison Williams was barely adequate in the title role and paled by comparison to Sandy Duncan, Cathy Rigby and especially Mary Martin. Williams lacked enthusiasm, emotion and charisma. She certainly did not dominate her scenes nor the show and she was playing the lead character of Peter Pan. Christopher Walken as Captain Hook was barely making it through every scene. He looked like hell and he was obviously dependent on reading cue cards or teleprompters. He came off as bored and disconnected as though he hated being in the play. He cannot sing and he looked sickly, frail and totally out of shape. What ship's crew would respect him as their leader? The pirates were as weird as the Indians. And the lost "boys" of Neverland were in their 20s and 30s. GEESH! On the production side: There were some technical glitches with the electronically screen-generated Tinkerbell. Camera brightness levels didn't always match and feet were cut off at the ankles in dancing numbers. Cameramen got in each other's shots. The only compliment I can offer is that audio quality was much improved over The Sound of Music done a year earlier. Did I mention this thing ran 3 FULL HOURS - half again longer than the original and way, way too long. Not surprisingly, even before the show was over, NBC was already advertising that the DVD would be out on Dec 16. I cannot imagine who would want to buy it.

• Post-op Peter Pan

  bhostetle2014-12-16

  I'm just going to say what we are all thinking. Wendy looked about ten years too old, but worse, Peter looked post-op. Never, have I cared that Pan was played by a woman until now. Never has Pan looked so much like a woman, every single view. I don't think I'll ever want to watch any version of Peter Pan again, not even Hook. This has ruined everything. I'm sorry if you disagree, dislike my post, that is fine. Worst Pan and Wendy, ever. I still don't have enough lines...it's terrible. It's awful, it's the worst.

• Peter Panned and the Hookzombie

  ifyougnufilms2014-12-05

  This shockingly awkward and careless production of a classic left me and my family (those who hadn't fled the room after Walken's Hookzombie appeared) numb with disbelief. How could a major studio disgorge so amateurish and unattractive a musical stew? No we weren't expecting performances like those of Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard from the golden age. We didn't demand that, but we did look forward to some higher grade fun than this dreck. Williams tries hard to lend a bit of charm to Peter and succeeds to some degree, but she's swimming against an ugly tide created by the director and production managers. Walken, with (almost literally) one eye on the teleprompter and the other on the studio clock (When can I get out of this nightmare and go strangle my agent?), delivers what has to be one of his strangest performances, mincing around among his equally directionless crew like a geezerly Jack Sparrow. The pacing is nonexistent. The colors and costumes frightening. The Neverland boys are aging chorusliners, and the "Redskins" are ...let's see...what exactly are they supposed to be?

• Peter Pan Dead!

  jlhendrix8888-10-1441612014-12-05

  Is there some reason why Peter Pan cannot be played by a boy? Here Peter is played by a woman who unfortunately looked and sounded like a woman not even really trying to sound and act like a boy. Why did it have to be live? It would have been much better had they cleaned up the production woes, bad acting, and special effects??? And I believe it was only live in EST anyway (Can you imagine watching this train wreck as a taped production?). Live was a gimmick that ruined this production. I watched the whole thing, but just really felt sorry for the actors and crew by the end. Changing the story doesn't make it an event if that story is boring and unimaginative.

• Energy

  maryalice7502014-12-05

  I want to start out this review by saying, NBC shouldn't stop airing musicals. No matter how big of flops they may be, they might be the closest some people can get to real theater. However, I want the quality of the musicals to improve. No more big names, please! Stage acting and film acting are so different, for the stage you need to be big and energetic. For film, you need to focus on the nuances. To perfect acting, you need to fully develop your character, and Allison William's performance makes me wonder if she's fully developed her character. The only moment where I truly saw her shine as Peter was where Peter was talking about his parents. However, I wish she took that pain she acted out and carried it into the care-free attitude Peter should have, because that's what Peter Pan's about. Peter doesn't want to grow up because adults have to deal with more pain, and by staying a child forever, he's escaping that. However, there really is no escape from the pain of not having a mother. Allison could have shown, but I didn't see that spark, that energy, that character development in her. The same goes for Walken. Why does he want this power? Why does he want to defeat these children? What happened to him in his past? Why does he want Wendy as a mother? None of this seems to be answered in Walken's head so he has no direction with the character, and therefore no energy. The lost boys seemed a bit too old, but that's alright. Wendy did wonderful, as well as the other Darlings. I really thought Mrs. Darling's voice was magnificent. The costume design was odd for everyone, but that's been touched on before. The direction of the entire thing could have been handled better. NBC, PLEASE take notes from Broadway and high-end theater versions before putting it on TV!