This is a movie my eleven-year-old daughter begged to see. Like me, she’s an avid fantasy reader and loves stories filled with magic and creatures, and she immediately fell in love with the movie trailer. The weekend I took her to see the movie happened to be a rare night that everyone else in the family had somewhere to be, and I got a chance to give her my full attention.

I’ll admit that I did not want to see this movie at the theater, as I imagined it to be another version of the same plot with Peter Pan, Hook, and Tinker Bell. I tried to talk her into seeing Goose Bumps, but she would not budge on her choice.

I give PAN a B+ rating. Not only is it filled with mermaids, fairies, and flying pirate ships, but the plot is nothing like I expected. It’s not the same story I’ve seen over and over again. We meet Peter before he became Pan, and we meet Hook before he lost his hand. They’re actually shown as friends! We learn why Peter can fly, and we get only a glimpse at Tinker Bell. It’s a new take on an old story. It’s the origins.

My daughter giggled with excitement often throughout the movie, and she left the theater begging me to buy the video when it came out. It’s now her favorite movie (even beats Pirates of the Caribbean for her).

I left the theater anticipating the next movie, but I now fear there won’t be another one. Although most people are giving the movie a B+ rating, the critics gave it a low score, and it did not fare well against the competition at the theaters.

If it’s still playing at a theater near you, I highly recommend it for all ages. They handled the fighting and death scenes delicately for younger children in a very unique way, and the story is strong enough for adults to enjoy as well.