Return to Never Land
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: February 15, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
14
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
50
USA TodayClaudia Puig
This follow-up seems so similar to the 1953 Disney classic that it makes one long for a geriatric Peter. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
It's neither the fulfillment of our worst fears nor the surprise of the week. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
It's refreshing to see a cartoon that looks like a cartoon -- and a lovingly drawn one -- rather than a conglomeration of computer-generated bits and bytes. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
It's certainly a lot more charming than the last attempt at a Peter Pan sequel, Steven Spielberg's star-laden, ham-fisted "Hook." Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
Takes us to familiar lands but without any of the original's magic. Read full review
42
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Not only did it not engage the adults, its lackluster story line didn't spread much illusion or magic over the kids in the audience either. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
This is pleasant, safe entertainment that ought to appeal to kids younger than 10, especially to girls, with its female-empowerment fantasy. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesGene Seymour
It's no use expecting Return to Never Land to match, much less exceed, Disney's 1953 version of "Peter Pan," which by itself isn't quite in the uppermost tier of the studio's full-length cartoons. Read full review
38
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
You may want to wait and watch "Never Land" the way it was meant to be seen -- as a straight-to-video baby-sitter.
40
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Represents a passable follow-up to the venerable Peter Pan story and mercifully, at 72 minutes, is exactly half the length of the last attempt at same, Steven Spielberg's lamentable "Hook." Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyF. X. Feeney
Cleverly structured, fast-paced, funny, even moving. Read full review
70
Washington PostSarah Kaufman
A soon-to-be-5-year-old who accompanied me hated the scary parts but loved the mischievous Lost Boys and the big orange octopus that takes over from the ticking crocodile in menacing Hook. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Even if you tap only a little of the magic of "Peter Pan," you'll come away with some pixie dust. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldChristine Dolen
As handsome and playful as the movie often is, it's another example of the let's-further-exploit-a-hit genre. Read full review
30
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
The film crawls to a halt, its pace further marred by anemic, time-wasting pop songs. Even at 72 minutes, Never Land feels padded, while the animators make Never Land so unmagical that war-torn London seems preferable by comparison. Read full review
40
New Times (L.A.)Robert Wilonsky
Little more than direct-to-vid nonsense offered by Disney at dollars on the penny to parents looking to waste time and money keeping kids occupied away from the TV screen. Read full review
60
Village VoiceEd Park
The low-key animation, featuring little that could not have appeared in its '50s predecessor, is all the more affecting for being so pristinely preserved. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
There's always something to look at (an octopus holding his eyeballs aloft, the petulant Jane assaulted by pixie dust), but the story is weak tea. Read full review
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jason Anderson
All would be forgiven if Peter were worth believing in. Instead, the boy who wouldn't grow up comes off like a shrill, obnoxious little drip. Shrek should give him a right pounding. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The story itself is uninteresting, and the songs are painfully undistinguished. Read full review
50
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Ragged and frenetic.
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A Saturday afternoon stop for the kiddies -- harmless, skillful and aimed at grade schoolers. Read full review
20
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Grossly unimaginative. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeLoren King
Reliable, standard Disney animated fare, with enough creative energy and wit to entertain all ages.
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
If Return to Never Land -- doesn't have a story to match the original's in breadth and imagination, it does a smooth job of recycling its characters and themes. Read full review
10
Film ThreatMichael Dequina
More criminal than the lack of inspiration in Return to Never Land is the absence of a sense of magic. Read full review
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