When one thinks of "Peter Pan", the version that comes to mind is usually the 1953 Disney theatrical cartoon version or perhaps, the one I grew up with, the 1960 TV version (with Mary Martin in male drag as "the boy who wouldn't grow up.") that was repeated a million times over the next two decades.
Although I never actually read the J.M. Barrie novel on which these were based, I am told that the actual book was considerably darker than these versions adapted for children. Recently read that the new 2003 live-action version of "Peter Pan" more closely follows the book (and has been criticized by early reviews as being too "mature" for young children).
"Neverland" (2003) is also based on Barrie's novel and chacters, but that is essentially where the similarity ends, and it most definitely is NOT a child's story.
Screenplay writer/director Damion ("Fag Hag") Dietz builds a surreal and definitely edgy tale about the three adopted interracial slacker children of Mr. & Mrs. Darling, who are visited by an intriguing young man, Peter Pan, who came to retrieve his lost car keys.
Wendy (Melany Bell) is instantly infactuated with Peter (Rick Sparks), who tells her and her siblings about Neverland, and they decide to go back with him, "flying" through the city in his souped up car.
Neverland turns out to be a fading suburban amusement park, where you will find: Tinkerbell (Kari Wahlgren) - last of the winged fairies who favors t-shirts with profane sayings and talks like a longshoreman.
Tiger Lilly (Ray Garcia) - a native-American drag queen who tells stories while passing the ceremonial bong.
An all-gay maintainance crew that look like they stepped out of a 1970s leather porn flick, and led by a man who favors "Captain Hook" costumes (when not in bondage fettish wear) and salivates over the thought of catching Peter Pan and forcing him to be one of his "cabin boys."
Oh, last but not least, there is a gang of dimwitted but pretty homeless boys, who regard Peter as their leader, and who live in a hidden room they found at the park. There's even a crocodile, actually a costumed park worker, a young gay man who has a crush on Hook.
Wendy and her brothers John (Will "Star Trek TNG" Wheaton) and Michael (Marcus Reynaga) enjoy a brief adventure, but agree that the "everlasting childhood" isn't for them.
But as Wendy is in the process of talking some of the boys into coming to live with them at the Darlings, Hook's men capture the group, chain them in Hook's dungeon for his pleasure, and they must rely on Peter to come to their rescue. Pirates and fairies and chains, oh my!
I know it sounds suspiciously like a David DeCocteau film, and there are definitely homoerotic overtones, but the film is actually entertaining as a kind of punk version of "Peter Pan", or maybe sort of "The Darlings Go To A Rave."
The photography is good, but looks more like a music video in parts (the usual genre of the film editor), and the acting is surprisingly good in this low budget but pollished production.
Available on VHS and DVD, not likely to make it onto cable anytime soon. I give it 3½ stars out of 5.
Written by: BigBearPhx on the GayMoviesandVideos website
