Return to Never Land (2002)

Quite simply, the boy who will never grow up, Peter Pan is as mischievous, fun loving and carefree as we remember, still leading the Lost Boys and eternally doing battle with Captain Hook. And, of course, he's still the object of Tinker Bell's affection. However, the world has grown around him — Wendy is no longer a child; rather, she is a mother of two, including a young, hardened girl named Jane. Who better than Peter Pan to make a believer out of her?

"Peter Pan was easily one of the most fun characters to write because we're all Peter Pan in one way or another," says screenwriter Temple Mathews. "He's so easy to identify with — I close my eyes and he comes to life. It's simply a case of getting in touch with your inner child."

"Grownups tend to lose their ability to just play and be creative and have fun, and kids are growing up so much faster today," says Blayne Weaver, who provides the voice of Peter Pan. "I think Peter Pan is a great reminder to people, no matter how old you are, that sometimes it's good to just play."

Jane is the eldest of Wendy's two children, though the cold reality of war has cheated her of a true childhood with all its inherent, imaginative fun. As he departed for the war, Jane's father charged her with a mission — to protect her little brother. It's a task she's taken quite seriously, eschewing youthful play and burying childlike emotions for grown-up reality. And the longer her father is away, the less she can trust in her mother's wondrous stories of Peter Pan. She simply can't allow herself to believe. But all that changes when Captain Hook mistakenly kidnaps her and whisks her off to Never Land — where imagination is reality. It's a trip of obvious distance, but it's truly an inner journey into Jane's heart, where she discovers that a great many things ARE possible — with a little faith, trust... and pixie dust.

"It's a wonderful journey of understanding and reconnecting with her sense of imagination," Producer Chris Chase says. "It's a journey we should all have the opportunity to take."

Black-hearted buccaneer... the sinister scoundrel... Captain Hook is the scourge of the sea... and proud of it. Unfortunately, Hook is still locked in endless battle with his arch rival Peter Pan, and winning never seems to be in the cards. This time around, Hook has kidnapped Jane, mistaking her for Wendy, in order to lure Peter to his doom. But for all eternity, the arrogant Captain is his own worst enemy. Pan thwarts his vile plans — and we leave Hook madly dashing toward the sunset, chased by a hungry octopus.

"He's the nastiest of Disney's comical villains — he's conceited and bombastic and takes great relish in his evil -- and that makes him really fun to play," says Corey Burton, who voices Captain Hook. "Captain Hook is so theatrical, like an old ham actor of the vaudeville and music hall days. It's not that he really scares anyone because you can see right through all of his bluster. He's really just scrambling for the recognition afforded Blackbeard and the other great pirates."

---

Pages: [1] 2