Return to Neverland on DVD

For once, a sequel to a classic Disney feature that goes a long way toward being true - and equal - to the original.

And nicely updated technologically to best offer the greatest home theater experience possible!

The time is World War II, and Wendy Darling, now grown and married, is bringing up her two children alone, her husband having gone off to war. Eldest daughter Jane (voiced by Harriet Owen), tasked with growing up before her time, has become jaded and cynical and “outgrown” her mother’s fantastic stories about Peter Pan, Captain Hook and the rest of the gang from Neverland. She's a little lost girl, with no time for Lost Boys.

Then, out of a night sky, Captain Hook’s ship swoops down and whisks her away to Neverland to be held hostage and used as leverage against Peter Pan. It’s actually a case of mistaken identity: Hook had intended to grab Wendy, but what can you do when you live in a place where time doesn't move the same as it does in London?

There’s plenty of similarity to Steven Spielberg’s Hook, except that Pan is still the old Pan, but rather than making Return to Neverland seem merely derivative, the blending of the strong young female with the cynicism that comes from having grown up works well and what we’re left with is a story that, while perhaps not as strong overall as the original, is still a delight.

And there are some great shots, including some homages to the original (a shot of them flying over the clouds comes to mind), and overall the quality of the movie is first rate, all things considered.

This feature is a production of Disney’s TV arm, so the animation for the most part isn’t up to the highest standards of such classics as Tarzan, but for TV animation (even though the film premiered in theaters) it’s excellent. And while some of the shots and items (notably Hooks’ ship) are obviously computer generated, it doesn’t spoil the fun.

And some of the flying scenes are wonderful!

The voice cast is good, though there are no real household names among them (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) and so are the musical score and new songs.

And the DVD itself is positively glorious. The THX-certified disc is a digital-to-digital transfer and it shows. It’s also presented in anamorphic widescreen, 16x9 TV compatible), with a picture quality that’s positively breathtaking. The colors are bright and rich, the picture is sharp and clean; we wish all DVD’s looked this good.

And sounded this good, too. The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and it’s excellent, with a wide and clear soundstage and great rumbling bass during the World War II parts near the film’s opening.

The extras are also worth having, for kids at least. First up is a Disney StoryTime read along thingy where kids can either read the karaoke-type text from the screen on their own or along with the narrator. There’s also a simple, but reasonably entertaining, “Rescue the Lost Boys” game and a couple of deleted scenes hosted by two Disney execs.

And best of all, the extras are also anamorphic, including the shots of the Disney dude and dudette who were shot in 4x3 - but Disney included black bars on the sides of the picture to fill the rectangular 16x9 screen. We wish all DVD’s were done like this because it prevents owners of today’s newest sets from having to stretch and/or zoom the picture to fill the screen.

There’s also some DVD ROM stuff added to sweeten the deal.

Return to Neverland, from Walt Disney Home Entertainment
72 min. anamorphic widescreen (16x9 TV compatible), Dolby Digital 5.1 surround

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