---
title: "Pan: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/pan/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/pan"
critics_score: 36
critics_reviews: 24
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Pan (2015): what the critics said

Critics' score 36 from 24 reviews: 2 positive, 3 mixed, 19 negative.

Most critics reject Pan, and firmly: nineteen of the twenty-four reviews are negative, and the complaints repeat from one to the next. The prequel, they say, drains the whimsy from the Peter Pan story and puts nothing in its place but noise. Where praise exists it clusters around Hugh Jackman, whose Blackbeard is singled out again and again as the one thing on screen with any energy, and around Levi Miller, whom several find assured even when the film around him is not. The production design and a few staged set pieces earn grudging credit.

The reservations are broad: an overstuffed origin story, cluttered and garish CGI, bland characters, long action sequences and heavy hints at sequels. A couple of British reviews also object to Rooney Mara’s casting as Tiger Lily. The spread is wide only because of two outliers: The New Yorker calls it Joe Wright’s best film, and the Radio Times finds it an irreverent delight. Nobody else gets near them.

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2015. 

Lane calls Pan a cheering surprise and Joe Wright’s best film so far, praising its lively, tightly packed adventures. He singles out Hugh Jackman’s performance as the film’s true highlight.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/10/19/wonder-boys)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 4/5. 

Jones calls the prequel an irreverent delight, giving it a positive verdict. He singles out Hugh Jackman’s charismatic Blackbeard and the film’s playful mix of movie influences.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-r4sjnt/pan/)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 59/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page is identified as a review of Pan (2015), but its text is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/movies/review-pan-proposes-peter-and-captain-hooks-origin-stories.html)

## Screen Daily — Sarah Ward

Fi1m's normalised score 48/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2015. 

The page identifies this as a review, but the paywall prevents access to the critic’s verdict. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/pan-review/5094325.article)

## Little White Lies — Clarisse Loughrey

Rating 2/2/2. 6 October 2015. 

Loughrey finds the prequel heartless and antithetical to the spirit of Peter Pan. She praises its imaginative vibrancy but criticizes Rooney Mara’s casting as Tiger Lily and the film’s cultural appropriation.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/pan)

## Total Film — Matt Maytum

Rating 2/5. 23 September 2015. 

The critic finds Pan a middling, uninvolving adventure that strips away the source material’s magic without replacing it. The visual design and costumes stand out, but weak drama, irritating performances, and poor CGI undermine the film.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/pan-review/)

## IndieWire — Nick Schager

Rating [D]. 5 October 2015. 

Schager dismisses the film as an extravagant misfire, arguing that it drains the magic from Peter Pan’s story. He particularly criticizes its cacophonous spectacle and derivative, visually garish world.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-joe-wrights-pan-starring-hugh-jackman-and-rooney-mara-is-a-cacophonous-assault-on-the-senses-113510/)

## RogerEbert.com — Christy Lemire

Rating 1.5/4. 8 October 2015. 

Lemire finds the film an overstuffed, exhausting failure rather than an enchanting origin story. She faults its noisy spectacle and cluttered style for overwhelming the characters.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pan-2015)

## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson

Rating 1.5/4. 6 October 2015. 

The critic finds the film emotionally artificial and its story weighed down by contrivances. He singles out Garrett Hedlund’s performance and some inventive staging as rare bright spots.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/pan/)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2015. 

Freer finds Pan visually inventive but emotionally underpowered. He praises its cinematic craft and imaginative set pieces, while lamenting that its story never captures the heart.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pan-review/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2015. 

O'Sullivan finds the film’s backstory and lavish set-pieces largely unsuccessful, with good ideas overwhelmed by bad ones. She singles out Hugh Jackman’s Bluebeard for praise, while criticizing the treatment of Tiger Lily.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/pan-film-review-poor-peter-s-lost-his-magic-a3092266.html)

## The Guardian — Jordan Hoffman

Rating 1/5. 12 October 2015. 

Hoffman finds the prequel dull, dreadful and overburdened with backstory, with uninspired action and bland characters. He singles out one brightly lit action sequence’s striking production design as a rare visual highlight.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/12/pan-review-joe-wright-hugh-jackman-rooney-mara)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2015. 

Ebiri finds the film a garish, generic failure whose franchise-minded premise never develops into an engaging story. He notes that its busy visuals keep things momentarily curious, but faults the underwritten characters and performances for leaving the spectacle hollow.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/movie-review-theres-no-magic-in-pan.html)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2015. 

The critic finds the origin story unnecessary, overlong, and lacking both suspense and fun. He singles out Hugh Jackman’s lively, contradictory performance as Blackbeard as the film’s main saving grace.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pan-film-review-824864/)

## Variety — Andrew Barker

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2015. 

Barker judges the prequel a joyless, bungled failure that strips the Peter Pan story of its whimsy. He praises Levi Miller’s assured performance and the striking painterly visuals, but says neither can overcome the film’s dourness.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/film-review-pan-1201596436/)

## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2015. 

Reynolds finds Pan a frustrating but intermittently exhilarating adventure, ultimately less than the sum of its parts. He praises Joe Wright’s visual flair and the inspired opening, especially the Lost Boys’ Nirvana sing-along.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a669501/pan-review-jm-barries-classic-tale-gets-harry-potter-ised-with-nirvana/)

## Paste — Andy Crump

Rating 4.2/10. 14 October 2015. 

Crump judges the film a conventional, soulless pastiche that drains the wonder from its source material. He singles out Hugh Jackman’s outsized performance as a rare source of energy amid the weak writing and ugly CGI.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/pan)

## Den of Geek — Matthew Schuchman

Rating 2/5. 8 October 2015. 

Schuchman judges the film a gaudy, disappointing prequel that strains to set up sequels. He gives some credit to Levi Miller’s performance, but faults the glossy visuals and heavy-handed audience winks.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/pan-review/)

## Consequence — Dominick Suzanne-Mayer

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2015. 

The critic finds the film an uneven, overstuffed origin story that sacrifices resonance for constant spectacle. They single out the child miners’ performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Blitzkrieg Bop” as one of its few inspired moments.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2015/10/film-review-pan/)

## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film disappointing, despite its imaginative approach, and says it grows tedious. They praise some remarkable visuals but fault the protagonist’s lack of charisma and the lengthy action sequences.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/pan-review/)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds Pan an expensive, remarkably boring flop. The kaleidoscopic visuals earn praise, but the clunky script and pirate singalong draw complaints.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-16293-309881)

## The Playlist

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2015. 

The review’s headline signals a strongly negative verdict. It singles out the film’s sensory overload as its chief complaint.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-joe-wrights-pan-starring-hugh-jackman-and-rooney-mara-is-a-cacophonous-assault-on-the-senses-20151005/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2015. 

The review strongly condemns the film as confusing and visually overblown. It singles out the weak control of the CGI-heavy spectacle and Levi Miller’s underpowered performance.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/pan-2015-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2015. 

The critic finds the prequel unpleasant, uninteresting and burdened by derivative ideas. He praises Levi Miller’s engaging performance but faults the film’s garish visuals and overdone adult performances.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/pan-review-hugh-jackman-rooney-mara-garrett-hedlund/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/pan.md