ifyougnufilms

Hearing again that cheerful Cadet March that introduced this series reminded me of a time when as kids my friends and I saw this as a realistic depiction of life at The Point with all its cool military tradition. These brief episodes were a showcase for such up-and-comers as Leonard Nimoy, Chuck Connors, Barbara, Eden, Larry Hageman and Steve McQueen, so the acting was generally quite solid. Despite Gene Roddenberry's efforts, some the plots were pretty thin, but it had an authentic look since, with full cooperation by the U.S. Army, it was filmed on location at the Academy, including firing range and bivouac sites. For a young generation raised on W W II movies and with a respect for the nation's military, it was quite satisfying. I don't think any of our group went on to the Academy, but several of us, not unexpectedly, later served in the military during wartime. Some of our commanders were definitely Academy grads, or "ring-knockers" as we called them -- somewhat enviously, I must say.

It's worth watching this sequel just to enjoy the old-style Disney nostalgia of the final scene when Peter says a last, sweet farewell to the grown-up Wendy. Since 1966 the Disney machine has demonstrated repeatedly that when Walt("No sequels!")Disney himself quit quality-monitoring the productions, a large part of the heart of the movies was lost. Return to Neverland, though it has some notable virtues, once again illustrates this essential loss. Some of the sequel's characters are less endearing, especially Jane, who, darkened by wartime responsibilities, is used in the contemporary you-go-girl fashion to demonstrate that girls can be as selfish, crude, and violent as boys. (She demonstrates this in part by spitting mucus on her hand for a ritual handshake!) The music as written and performed is boring and even for its time seems strangely old fashioned: cheesy, forgettable nineties pop. "Do You Believe in Magic.." is thrown in as an afterthought for nostalgia's sake. The obligatory sight-gag scenes with the Lost Boys are tedious filler(they were also a problem in the original). However, there are several things to admire in this film: It was daring to set the real-world-time as W W II London, and the art in this section works well. The Canadian and Australian Disney studios in general do a good job with art styles throughout and the blend of CGI and cel is smooth. Several critics were bothered by the loss of the crocodile, but thanks to comic animation styling, the octopus filled the part of the Hook's nemesis successfully. Some critics complained about the voice casting, but for the most part it works quite well for the main characters. Most of the classic characters, Tink, Hook, Smee are back and nicely delineated. Jane, poor girl, is less intriguing -- just used to deliver a contemporary message, while it is really Wendy and Peter who carry the old enchantment.