Neverland Blu-ray Review

Neverland isn't the first time writer/director Nick Willing has played around with reinventing and/or reimagining a classic franchise. He also helmed Alice in 2009, and Tin Man in 2007 (among others). Both films took a classic tale and spun it on its head, resulting in a mixed bag – a story with two very different identities, and a sea of confused motives. The same can be said for Neverland, an ambitious, and lavishly produced miniseries that's sometimes a lot of fun, but also a bit muddied and dull.

The film tells the sordid, and untold, back story of Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell, along with a few other characters from the books. And much like The Wizard of Oz, the film starts in a realistic setting, then moves to Neverland for the full story. Unfortunately, the miniseries is perhaps a bit too interested in finding new avenues to tell the story of Peter Pan. On one hand, the added pirate back story for Hook is interesting, even if Anna Friel, who plays a ship captain and love interest of Hook, is oddly inconsistent with her performance. It adds an obvious Pirates of the Caribbean flare to the story and helps punctuate a great many action beats.

Peter Pan's Dickens-esque back story is a little more confused. It starts out well, blending cues from both Avatar (person in a strange world) and Harry Potter (person using strange magic). Visual effects, costumes and set design mostly manage to keep up, adding realism to the fantasy. Alas, some of his back story is tedious, focusing on a more Lord of the Rings-like journey, filled with not much of anything.

It would seem Neverland is a movie attempting to blend a few other popular films into one package, and while it does often succeed, it's far from perfect. There are plot holes galore, especially during the film's clunky first part where the plot is thrust forward simply by chance and contrivance. There are too many characters to focus on. And the three-hour running time doesn't help much, either. There simply isn't three hours worth of excitement here. But there definitely is enough for two hours.

The biggest strength lies with the film's dazzling visual effects, which represents some of the best ever presented on a lower TV budget. Sets are sometimes a little cheap, but design is thorough in detail, helping smooth some of the production's rough edges.

Neverland is certainly not a bad movie on any level. A few performances are shaky or flat, and sometimes the narrative goes astray, but the film does manage to hold interest while exploring some new ways to enjoy the Peter Pan mythology. But it's hard not to wonder what the film might have been like if a good 40-60 minutes were lost. Sometimes a miniseries can be a great thing for characters with a long story to tell. But with material like this, unless there's something tremendous in store for audiences, the movie isn't always going to work.


The two-part miniseries soars to Blu, spread across one BD50 disc. The film is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, encoded in 1080p/VC-1. Audio is mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Shot in HD, Neverland looks incredibly crisp, with intense detail, depth, and textures popping off the screen. Virtually no noise sneaks into the image, though some motion blur was noted during darker indoor scenes. The encode is mostly spotless, with only a faint hint of compression every now and then, most notable during the icy locales from the first part. On the negative side many of the show's budgetary problems are brought to the surface because the transfer is so detailed and clean. But, don't let that distract you from an otherwise gorgeous presentation.

Audio, quite sadly, is not as pretty. Dialogue is often hollow, filled with faint echoes, minor mic distortion and even some volume inconsistencies in a few scenes. Surrounds also a bit flat and uninspired, especially when stacked against the Game of Thrones Blu-ray set, another fantasy-centric series. The film's score is really the only major standout to be heard in the surrounds, but, unfortunately it's also one of the weaker aspects of the production. Bass is surprisingly lively, though the impressive power exuded in action beats doesn't quite match the rest of the flat sound design. It's a shame this track isn't as aggressive as it should be. Neverland seems the perfect environment for a lively and inventive sound design.

Moving on to extras, the disc comes packed with three featurettes, totaling about 42 minutes (presented in HD). There's a quick look at the visual effects, a few interviews with the cast, and a making-of featurette that gives a general overview of the whole production. The set also includes a rather engaging commentary track from writer/director Nick Willing. He walks his audience through the film's production, story, design and mythology. While sometimes a little dry, he offers just enough anecdotes to keep fans listening. Rounding out the disc, there's an art gallery and a trailer. Physical supplements include a trio of postcards. Nifty!


Neverland is a rather ambitious miniseries that overcomes its flaws to become a rather enjoyable piece of fantasy entertainment. The disc itself looks solid, and extras are pretty great, but audio comes up a little short. If you enjoyed this film, don't fret – this Blu-ray is still well worth owning. Newcomers should consider checking this film out, too. If you dig the Peter Pan legend, there's a lot to enjoy about this series.


R.L. Shaffer is a writer for IGN Blu-ray and IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter @rlshafferIGN or subscribe to his Facebook updates.

• More Blu-ray Reviews
• Latest Blu-ray News, Reviews, and Videos