Pan (2015)

I actually quite like this movie. I like the premise. I like the CGI which there is a tremendous amount of. I like the music. I like the scenery and costumes which are predominantly steampunk. I like the orphan boys and the other extras who are very interesting and full of character. Peter is very likable (though it would be nice if he could choose an East or West London accent and stick with it), Smee and Blackbeard are likable... But.. Tiger Lily's expressionless face and wooden acting, and Hook's unnecessarily loud, booming voice succeed in detracting attention away from everything else that was good about this movie. The brutal fighting action with no blood was confusing, and although a lot of the content was noticeably unrealistic you need to bear in mind that Neverland is a children's fantasy so of course it is not going to be true to life. So overall I like it, except for those two characters who, I am sorry to say, completely ruined it for everyone else. Your are left with the impression that the casting director for the extras did a much better job than the casting director for the main characters. For example - Tigerlily who I doubt could look less like an Indian than anyone you could ever imagine and who displays no fighting skills, agility, footwork, facial expressions, emotions, intent, strength or flexibility whatsoever, yet still somehow manages to slay pirates left right and centre throughout the film - mainly, it seems, because the pirates wait on the spot for her to chuck a tomahawk their way or slash them with a knife without ever making a move or reacting defence of their own lives as you might otherwise expect them to. If you can overlook the bad acting of those two (which unfortunately you can't because oddly enough they seem to get more screen time than anyone else) you may well think it is a terrific film. Which is why I give it six stars out of ten.