'Neverland's' New Take On Peter Pan Flies High

Neverland, SyFy, Sunday, Dec. 4 and Monday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m./8 p.m. CT

There's a certain irony to the Peter Pan story that I've always found entertaining. Here we have the timeless tale of a boy who never grew up, someone who will forever retain his youthful innocence and exuberance. The character is meant to be a reminder that no matter how old we get, we still need to stay in touch with our inner kid-let. And yet, as we become mature and responsible adults, Peter's story becomes appropriate viewing for children rather than grown-ups.

At the very point when most adults could use the reminder to recapture their youth, we're less likely to listen to the flying guy in a green tunic and tights who can clue us in. Which I think is the same point the creators of this new mini-series, Neverland, had in mind when they took on the project. While it definitely works as a good film for (older) kids, it's really trying to draw adults into this familiar story in a way no other version has really done before.

Think of Neverland as essentially a prequel to Peter Pan, a chance to go back to the pre-Wendy days and tweak the tale that everyone grew up with, adding a little darkness and science fiction in the mix this time. Now, Hook is really Jimmy Hook (Rhys Ifans), a petty London thief who watches over a crew of orphan pickpockets that includes a waif named Peter (Charlie Rowe). This band of little brothers is hired to steal a magical orb, which accidentally ends up transporting them to another world called – shockingly – Neverland. Once there, they encounter all sorts of heroes and villains whose appearance might ring a (Tinker) Bell. That little pixie, by the way, is a renegade member of a clan of tree fairies trying to protect their land from outsiders. That group naturally includes bloodthirsty pirates, a clan of Indians and, yes, even some extremely nasty-looking crocodiles.

Pan-ing Out

The advantage to this approach is that the story gets to work on two levels. If you're not familiar with all the versions of Peter Pan that have come before, this is a quirky, effects-filled fantasy drama you can get a few thrills from watching. And, if you're in with the 97 percent of us who have seen multiple takes on the original story, you're watching closely to see exactly how the familiar characters are weaved into this mini-series. (Trust me, they're allin there somewhere.)

I have to be honest here and say I was not looking forward to watching all this unfold. There's something vaguely sacrilegious about the SyFy Network's ongoing need to "re-imagine" classic tales. They've already done questionable versions of The Wizard of Oz and Alice In Wonderland, where the scripts seemed to be so concerned with being different from the original source material that you wonder why they even bothered referencing them at all. Neverlandis much better than those previous efforts, though, and despite my readiness to fast-forward through scenes that tried to out-hip other Peter Pans, I never sped past any of it.

That's because the mini-series knows how to balance action scenes with emotional ones, grand special effects with intriguing personal dramas, airy-fairy fantasy with harsh reality. There are certainly some elements that seem lifted from other well-known archetypes –some twists and turns are straight out of Star Wars and Avatar– but you excuse that because the story moves along so quickly, there's no time to nitpick its sources. You just go with the flow.

I assume that I'm like most parents, whose last encounter with Peter Pan was either putting the Disney video on to entertain the kids so I could finish up some work in another room or buying my daughter a Tinkerbell costume for Halloween. Neverland is the chance to rethink that attitude because it's a lot like Peter himself. At first, both seem like kid stuff, all simple and innocent. The more you get to know both, however, the more complex and grown-up they become. And if you really believe in both, it's highly likely they'll be back for a return engagement.

For more shows you should be watching, check out:

Ringer, Whitney, Harry's Law

Hell On Wheels, Pan Am, Two And A Half Men

Bones, Chuck, Once Upon A Time

Grimm, The Simpsons, The Walking Dead

Parenthood, Psych, The X Factor

Enlightened, Last Man Standing, American Horror Story

Homeland

Terra Nova, Suburgatory, A Gifted Man

Dexter

Unforgettable, Person Of Interest, Prime Suspect

Boardwalk Empire

2 Broke Girls, New Girl, Up All Night

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia