Peter Pan Live! (2014)

As Good As It Gets

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

We watched this with great expectation of a good to great show. How could it not be great? Christopher Walken as Hook. A live production! Christian Borle from SMASH. Kellie O'Hara. I was even interested in Allison Williams.But starting from the beginning it seemed as if it just didn't quite jell. "Peter Pan" didn't quite hit the mark when he shows up. Not bad. Just a bit too rushed or nervous sounding. The kids were fine, the mom and dad were fine.Then we get to Neverland, and "Hook" shows up. Or maybe, just walks on as if exerting energy in the part would be to go against the director's expressed wishes.I thought from the reviews that people were being unfair to Walken, but no, they were not unfair. Unfortunately, Walken pulled the whole show down. The pirates, for example, were campy and energetic and and clearly trying to have a good time. But Walken in the middle of them all? Scene after scene just sinks. It might be that he's tired, or that he doesn't care, or that he is just horribly miscast. Whatever the reason, he was completely wrong and spoiled the production. (Even the previews of the production show him as giving way less than 100% in rehearsal--which is disastrous for any production--a professional *must* be at 100% at *every* rehearsal and production.Other people were fine. I wasn't overly impressed with the choreography, but it was fine. The sets weren't distracting--it's a representation of a live show, and so the sets are larger than life like they would be for a Broadway show.I liked some of the new songs they inserted (one of them was from the 1954 production, if I understand correctly), and I thought the music was great--great production values.All in all, given anyone else as "Hook," this would have been a good-to-great production. Give a fantastic "Hook," it would have been fantastic.But with Walken, it was just a so-so production.Five stars. Good enough to maybe watch again with your kids or grandkids, but not something you'd watch again on your own.

I am surprised at all the negative reviews. This was live television. It is not supposed to be perfect. Many theater plays do not always go well and this is the same thing. It is precisely that spontaneity that comes with a live performance that makes it so much fun to watch. There is no post-production work when you do live, so that can't fix the occasional crew member or light that gets in the picture.Most of the cast did a great job. If you know the history of Peter Pan productions, you would not be surprised at a young woman playing the title role. Allison Williams pulled it off beautifully, with a great singing voice and the guts to hook up to a wire on live TV.As far as the stone-faced Christopher Walken, he played the role as he saw it. It worked, but it wasn't Dustin Hoffman or Cyril Ritchard. They saw it differently. It is called artistic license and Walken kept to his own style. I gave it a 7 out of 10 because I thought the lost boys and the Indians were too old. They were extremely talented as dancers, actors and singers, but they looked almost perverse as they attempted to act like kids. Had they cast kids in those roles, the dancing and singing may have suffered, perhaps, but it would have looked better.Some reviewers also complained about the sets. With very little CGI and only sparing use of green screen, the set designers did great! Neverland is a product of a child's imagination...it should be colorful.I grew up watching Mary Martin play Peter Pan on our 9" black and white television. This was a modern tribute to that legendary performance. Watch the original again and you will see how archaic it looks. The performances are why it is a classic, and I hope time will show that this is no different. Other than the too old ensemble to bring it down just a little, live television is something we need to see a lot more of.

I absolutely loved Peter Pan Live! Allison Williams was excellent. Christopher Walken wasn't my favorite Captain Hook but his portrayal was certainly his own. I LOVED the Lost Boys and every scene they were in was highly energetic. I was absolutely captivated by all aspects of the production and I have watched it about 6 times since. Unlike the original production, the cast had British accents, something that I love!!Allison Williams' "Neverland" drove me to tears and I wanted to dance with the Lost Boys during "I Won't Grow Up". I felt like a kid again watching this production and I hope many people of all ages will cherish this show forever!!!

I liked the Peter Pan that Disney produced in 1953, I liked the animation and the story line. Captain Hook's fear of the crocodile was hilarious and Mr. Smee was the comic relief for the pirates. This NBC version is far from great, it was terrible. I watched about 5 minutes at a time because my sister recorded it. She loved it and constantly sang the annoying songs over and over. Ms. Williams Peter Pan was overly cocky and tried to be center of attention the entire time. Christopher Walken showed little emotion and was horrible in this role. He did other brilliant movies, this isn't one of them. The crocodile was a robot controlled by people and Hook did not willing give up his ship. IN SHORT, don't bother to watch if you liked the Disney version.