Stereotypes mar otherwise jaunty Disney adventure classic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
The Chief passes a ceremonial pipe to the kids, who smoke it. Hook uses a holder to smoke two cigars at once. Smee drinks from a liquor jug a couple of times, hiccups, and falls over.
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Language and insults include "wench," "stupid," "imbecile," "coward," "codfish," "idiot," "old bilge rat," "fiend," "flying devil," "blundering blockhead," and "poppycock." Racist terms "Red Man," "savages," and "Injuns" are used. Sexist remarks include "Girls talk too much!" and "A jealous female can be tricked into anything."
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Violence/peril is cartoonish but frequent. Captain Hook often points his hook and shoots his gun toward people, including a pirate who falls overboard. There's sword fighting, physical fighting, and the use of slingshots, rocks, and other weapons. The children are kidnapped and tied up by both the Native characters and the pirates. Hook orders the kids to walk the plank and tries to blow up Peter with a bomb. Characters bully others. Repeated mentions of slitting people's throats, boiling them in oil, and cutting them to pieces. Hook falls into the mouth of the alligator and repeatedly ends up in its jaws (some scenes played for humor). Children are left alone in the house while their parents go out.
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Kiss on the cheek between mother and father and between Tiger Lily and Peter. Both Tinker Bell and the mermaids are given voluptuous figures and very little clothing, with one mermaid appearing to cover her breasts only with her hair. Tinker Bell walks in a sexy way to a snippet of burlesque-style music. Tinker Bell, Wendy, and the mermaids all covet Peter's affection and become jealous of each other.
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Part of a Disney franchise; no products mentioned in the movie, but plenty of tie-in merchandise.
Positive Messages
a little
While freedom can be fun, maturity and responsibility are also important. Growing up doesn't need to mean losing a sense of magic if you keep imagination and hope alive. That said, there's also racist stereotyping and sexist takes on relationships between female characters.
Positive Role Models
a little
Wendy is a responsible big sister, protective of her siblings and brave in the face of danger. Despite his motto to never grow up, Peter is brave and ultimately helps others. Tinker Bell realizes the error of her misguided jealousy and protects Peter, though for most of the movie she's incredibly mean to Wendy. Hook uses sneaky, cruel tactics against Peter, though is given a vulnerable side in his fear of crocodiles. That Peter similarly toys with Hook blurs the line between hero and villain. The mermaids are depicted as manipulative, and the movie portrays Native Americans in racist ways.
Diverse Representations
Flagged for concern
Native characters are referred to as "Injuns," "redskins," "the Red Man," and "savages." They're drawn as racist stereotypes (red-toned skin, headdress, war paint) with speech expressed in grunts and stilted English. At one point the Native characters tie up the Lost Boys around a big soup pot, as if implying cannibalism. Main characters offensively mimic Native Americans, saying "how," dressing in feathers, tapping their hands to their mouths and dancing. Sexist portrayals of women include admiring their own reflections and getting jealous of Peter's attention toward others. At one point, Tinker Bell gestures in the mirror that her thighs are too wide. Characters make sexist remarks like "Girls talk too much!" and "A jealous female can be tricked into anything."
Parents need to know that Peter Pan is Disney's classic take on J.M. Barrie's story of TheBoy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. It's a tale of courage, magic, and imagination -- and a reminder that growing up means taking responsibility -- but it's also occasionally a disturbing, violent story of what happens when kids must fend for themselves. Characters drink and smoke, and at one point kids smoke from a ceremonial pipe. Offensive stereotypes and themes range from the "What Makes the Red Man Red" song and the depiction of Chief (voiced by Candy Candido) and his tribe to the way all the girls are jealous of both one another and of Peter's (Bobby Driscoll) affections. Peter even says "Girls talk too much," and Captain Hook (Hans Conried) alludes to how "jealous girls" are easy to trick. These cultural relics have aged poorly; make sure to talk about why they're problematic with your kids. A song about how kids need a mother and the concept of "real" mothers could also be upsetting for kids who have a different family structure. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
It's full of racism, sexism, and bullying. The depictions of Native Americans are extremely offensive. I really wish I had read the reviews here before watching it with my kids.
We read my 5 yr old the book and he loved it. It’s a wonderful story. The Disney movie is terrible. Besides all of the racist and sexist undertones, there is a current of violence and bullying throughout the movie. I actually don’t mind the idea of “good guys” and “bad guys” — They understand it’s not real life and use this theme constantly during imaginative play. In Peter Pan, however, even the good guys are assholes. If you’re trying to teach your kid about kindness, this is a shock to the system. My kids were physically uncomfortable and we had to fast-forward through several parts. When I turned it off after 30 minutes, they didn’t mind. The Dad bullies his kids, wife, and dog; the pirates bully Smee; the lost boys are plain mean to each other; the mermaids gang up on Wendy and taunt her and try to hurt her (and Peter Pan laughs, which sends the signal to kids it’s ok). It’s pretty nonstop stress. My kids don’t need that; we’ll stick to books.
What's the Story?
In PETER PAN, three London siblings, Wendy (Kathryn Beaumont), Michael (Tommy Luske), and John Darling (Paul Collins) meet Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll), a hero from their bedtime stories who flies in through their nursery window. He sprinkles them with fairy dust and they set off to a magical place called Neverland. There, they meet his friends, the Lost Boys, and go off on adventures where they must escape the clutches of the cruel Captain Hook (Hans Conried) and his pirate crew before returning safely back home to their world.
The animation in this film is as lively as its energetic hero. Peter Pan's scenes set in Victorian London are beautiful, and the shift in perspective as the children round Big Ben and fly off to Neverland is a magical moment. Most kids see Peter as that wonderful ideal, a child with the power to do whatever he pleases for as long as he pleases, which still offers a wonderful sense of escapism many decades on.
The story has moments that are whimsical but odd: The Darlings' nanny is a dog, Peter loses his shadow, and the Lost Boys have no parents (and, unlike Peter, no special powers or fairy guardian). Some kids may find this engaging, but some may find it troublesome or worry about what happened to Peter's parents -- or be upset by the parting that comes at the end. There are also lots of racial and sexist stereotypes that haven't aged well and mar this classic adventure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of never growing up in Peter Pan. Have you ever thought that you didn't want to grow up, or that you'd like to be a grown-up right now? What do you think are some of the differences between kids and grown-ups?
What kinds of stereotypes do you recognize in the movie? How do they make you feel? Why are accurate depictions in the media important?
Do you notice a difference in the way male and female characters are portrayed in the film? Does this seem realistic? Can you think of other movies that lean into similar stereotypes?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
