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Credit: Walt Disney StudiosPeter Pan and Wendy (2023) is causing a bit of drama…
The long string of events surrounding the dismal reception of Peter Pan and Wendy isn’t done quite yet. While the live-action adaptation had many things going for it, including Disney’s first actor with Down’s Syndrome in a major role (Noah Matthews Matofsky), it seemed that even Disney itself lacked confidence, relegating the release to Disney+.
Related: ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ Breaks Unwanted Record for Disney
From the outset, many fans of Disney stated the obvious, which has been said about many of the live-action remakes: it simply didn’t need to be done. Peter Pan, especially, is a story that has been told time and again, from the 1953 version to the 2003 version, to even the cult classic Hook (1991). This excuse hasn’t stopped Disney, however, as they plow ahead on their crusade to remake the classics in live-action or close to live-action CGI.
So what’s to be done? If the studio wants a new adaptation of a classic story that’s been told over and over, how will filmmakers make it new, fresh, and exciting? In the case of Peter Pan and Wendy, it was a shift toward a modern viewpoint: telling the story through a very modern lens with a more fierce and independent Wendy (Ever Gabo Anderson), colorblind casting, and more modern views on the classic tale.
These changes proved to be a bit much for reviewers and audiences who “review bombed” the film into oblivion, making it the worst audience-reviewed live-action Disney remake ever, on Rotten Tomatoes, with a dismal 12% score. While that is bad enough, what was reported just yesterday makes the movie-reviewing site seem a bit more Pirate and a bit less Lost-Boy.
The Direct reported that Rotten Tomatoes had removed the audience score from the film entirely, providing a picture as evidence. Though, at the time of writing, the score has been restored, a move like that, if intentional, is a huge misstep for the website. Even if a film has been “review bombed,” Rotten Tomatoes has established an audience score as a critical part of its format, and removing it, removes the voice of an audience, even if it is biased.
Providing audience feedback is integral to the moviegoing process. Critics have been proved not always to be right, even just this year: readers will remember that critics almost universally panned The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), but audiences loved it and turned out in droves. While not always reliable, audience scores can serve as a great guideline for viewers of many new movies.
Related: REVIEW: ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ (2023)
Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide, and they can still do so by watching Peter Pan and Wendy on Disney+. The film stars Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, Ever Anderson as Wendy Darling, Jude Law as Captain Hook, Alyssa Wapanatâhk as Tiger Lily, Jim Gaffigan as Mr. Smee, Joshua Pickering as John Darling, Jacobi Jupe as Michael Darling, Molly Parker as Mrs. Darling, Alan Tudyk as Mr. Darling, and Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell.
What do you think of this omission? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!