Empire UK

T IS A WELL-

known part of Joe

Wright’s biog that as

a child he worked at

his parents’ puppet

theatre in Islington.

This sense of play is

all over Pan his prequel to J. M. Barrie’s

Peter Pan that reimagines young Peter

and Hook (he has no hook yet it’s a

fantastic coincidence) taking on

Blackbeard for the future of Neverland.

Like another Pan remix Hook it hits

and misses making you wonder if the

better option would be to employ all

this expertise flair and sense of fun to

a retelling of the tale that works.

Pretty much from frame one —

Peter’s mother (yes it’s Amanda

Seyfried) abandons him on the doorstep

of an orphanage — Pan teems with vision

and creativity: kids cherry-picked from

beds by bungee jumping pirates flying

galleons versus spitfires bioluminescent

forests clouds of fish a battle played out

Pan

★★★

OUT OCTOBER 16 / CERT. TBC / TBC MINS.

DIRECTOR Joe Wright

CAST Hugh Jackman Levi Miller

Garrett Hedlund Rooney Mara

PLOT Orphan Peter (Miller) is kidnapped

and whisked away to Neverland where

he teams up with James Hook (Hedlund)

and warrior Tiger Lily (Mara) to save

Neverland from Blackbeard (Jackman).

with colour-bombs (Rufio would be

at home here) beautifully animated

backstories ( bravo Andrew Huang) and

unfeasibly otherworldly mermaids (all

Cara Delevingne) rescuing our heroes

from leaping crocs. If you love cinematic

craft and daring this has it in spades.

But for all the razzle-dazzle it’s in

the dramatic meat where the film falters.

The bones of Jason Fuchs’ story — a boy’s

search for his mother — are touching

but the film never really catches the

heart. Early scenes in an orphanage all

cockernee scamps and Kathy Burke as

a matron with a fuck-off wimple feel too

‘Kids movie 101’. Miller gets better as he

goes along Hedlund channels Han Solo’s

reluctant heroism but adds little else and

Mara (sporting Toyah eye make-up circa

1981) makes for a feisty feminist Tiger

Lily. Jackman leading the Lost Boys

in Nirvana and Ramones singalongs

swaggers as Blackbeard without ever

making him a truly memorable villain.

Perhaps the most compelling scene

in the picture is the first meeting of

Peter and Blackbeard an odd encounter

charged with menace and melancholy.

“Childhood ain’t so jolly” Blackbeard

tells him “it’s frightening.” Wright’s

film isn’t afraid to hint at the blackness

in Barrie — Blackbeard’s rejuvenation

malarkey is plain weird — but could have

gone further. Visually Pan might be an

awfully big adventure; just a shame it’s

not emotionally. IAN FREER

VERDICT In many ways Pan feels like

a kids’ film made by a big kid. It has

fantastic flights of fun and imagination

but doesn’t deliver on the soul-stirring

oomph and finesse to let it soar.

Hugh Jackman’s

Blackbeard

aboard his

impressive

flying ship/

ego extension.

Listen To Me Marlon
★★★★
OUT OCTOBER 23 / CERT. TBC / 95 MINS.
DIRECTOR Stevan Riley
CAST Marlon Brando

➞ This singular documentary is
narrated by its own subject a real
coup for Stevan Riley (Fire In Babylon)
who obtained exclusive access to the
private tapes Marlon Brando recorded
for decades. It’s a must for anyone
interested in acting for the ‘notes to
self’ Brando made about specific roles
and films (“Everybody feels they could
have been a contender”). Abundant
clips (and an unnerving digitally
duplicated Brando) accompany his
memories insights on fame and
rambling self-analysis. There is delight
and distress in equal measure: for his
talent mischief waywardness for
the disillusionment and tragedy of
his later years. Unique. AE

The Intern
★★★
OUT OCTOBER 2 / CERT. 12A / 121 MINS.
DIRECTOR Nancy Meyers
CAST Robert De Niro Anne Hathaway
Adam DeVine

➞ Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta
Give) returns to the acting legend/young
star formula that served her so well in
2003’s Diane Keaton/Keanu Reeves
flirtation teaming up Robert De Niro
(aged intern) and Anne Hathaway (boss)
but shifting the relationship to something
more familial. Meyers’ insights into
ageing are wry and moving and there
are fun twists as De Niro’s widowed
workie instantly charms the hipsters at
Hathaway’s internet start-up. Yet while
the performances engage as more
hackneyed crises hit (extra-marital
affairs motherhood versus career etc.)
sentiment overpowers any tantalising
hint of Nora Ephron-style salt. LB