Return to Neverland takes place a few years after the original; Wendy is all grown up and now has two kids of her own. Before leaving to fight in WWII, Wendy's husband tells his oldest daughter, Jane, to protect her mother and younger brother, Danny. Jane takes the request a little too literally and stops believing in her mother's tales of flying boys, fairies and pirates. She also encourages her mother and brother to stop believing in that nonsense and focus on the real world.
The war gets worse in London and Wendy is forced to send her two children to the countryside. To help calm Danny down, Wendy asks Jane to tell him some of the Peter Pan stories. Jane refuses only to come face-to-face with the real Captain Hook, who kidnaps Jane after mistaking her for Wendy.
Hook takes Jane back to Neverland where she is used as bait for Peter Pan. Even though she's rescued by Peter, Tinker Bell and the rest of the Lost Boys, Jane still refuses to believe that the stories are real. She even says that she doesn't believe in fairies, which is an odd thing to say considering that she just met one. Jane eventually joins up with Hook while Peter and the Lost Boys try to find a way to restore Tink's dimming light. At this point, logic also begins to dim.
Jane's assertion that none of this is real is believable enough, but her teaming up with Captain Hook, the guy who kidnapped her, makes little sense. Granted, this also happened in Hook, but at least there, Jack's (Peter's son) reasons for joining Hook made sense. Here, they really don't. The irony of my questioning the movie's logic is that, in its own strange way, it is a perfect illustration of one of the movie's main messages - sometimes you just have to believe, even if it doesn't seem believable.
Coming at the movie from the view of a kid (as opposed to a 28-year old with an English Lit. degree), Return to Neverland is a fun adventure. It doesn't quite compare to the original, though getting the chance to watch Peter foil Hook's plans is always enjoyable. There are, however, a few moments where the movie does get a bit intense - at least for younger kids. The time spent in London might require some explanation and the plot involving Tink's fading light (basically, she's dying) does get a little overwhelming. Neither of these elements are so intense that you'd want to keep a kid from watching since the film is still fun and enjoyable. At the same time, it is something worth at least mentioning. Ultimately, this is a parental call, but I can't see many objecting to it. In fact, some kids probably won't pick up on the "questionable" stuff. Chalk this up to the whole 28-year old watching a kid's movie thing.
Still, even with the gaps in logic and stronger moments, Return to Neverland still conveys a great message for kids who, whether by circumstance or personal choice, seem to want to grow up way too fast.
Return to Neverland comes with a few notable extras that should keep kids occupied for a while. The more noteworthy addition is the "Quest for Light" game where kids help to try and restore Tink's light. There are also a number of deleted scenes as well as "Magical Fairies Moments," which is sort of a preview of Disney's Fairies franchise. For those not familiar with it, it is a series of books and comics that follows the adventures Tinkerbell and other fairies in Neverland.
Although Return to Neverland isn't the best of the Peter Pan sequels, it is still an adventure that can be enjoyed by both the young and young at heart.
