Through the Looking Glass and Onto Neverland: Come Away Review

Through the Looking Glass and Onto Neverland: Come Away Review
Written by the Elf on 11/15/2020. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.

Through the Looking Glass and Onto Neverland: Come Away Review

Know Before You Watch Come Away:

Movie: Come Away
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion:  12+
Running Time: 1 hr 40 min.
Release Date: 11/13/2020
*This is one of the releases that is being tested for both at home theatrical rental AND simultaneous theatrical release. This means that you can rent it at home for $20- like on Prime video here.*
Themes: Adulthood, Wonder, Traumatic Death, Toxic Family Relationships, Class Separation, Dreaming, Grief, Fairy Tales
Warnings: This movie deals with the traumatic loss of a child, grief and despair, toxic family relationships, and there is a mild amount of violence and blood. Even though the PG rating is fair- the storyline is so serious that I don’t believe many under 12 would stay engaged and really process the movie.

Quick Come Away Summary:

Fairy dust enchants us so much that sometimes we forget that fairy tales aren’t entirely sparkly dreams, but daring and brave adventures. In this reimagining of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pans origin stories, Alice and Peter are siblings navigating a terrible loss. It’s a beautifully told story with unique twists but great nods back to the original texts. It’s an incredibly sad and moving story but there are handfuls of hopeful fairy dust sprinkled throughout the film and the ending. If you’ve enjoyed remakes, like the newer Alice movies, Hook and Finding Neverland– this is one you will want to check out!

Come Away Discussion Questions

1) Would you prefer to fall down the rabbit hole or through the looking glass for a spell with Alice? Or fly away for a longer time with Peter?
2) How did each person handle their creativity?
3) When is the last time you imagined something amazing happening?
4) Which Alice or Peter reference was your favorite?
5) What stories from your younger years shaped you the most? Which ones really stuck with you?
6) Can your imagination help you with grieving?

Come Away Review

**SPOILER WARNING**

-Characters & Acting:

There are a lot of big names in this movie. But the child actresses and actors were just as convincing as the adults. In fact, all of the characters were very well acted and cast. Such big joy and deep grief can be hard to portray but it was done well. I empathized with the parents, as a parent, but I especially felt for Peter and Alice. This was so different than your typical Peter or Alice story and I really enjoyed how they interwove the stories and characters.

-Script & Story:

I feel like I need to watch it again to catch all the Easter eggs and fairy tale references. The way they wove together Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland was truly remarkable. My favorites were the looking glass, the rabbit’s pocket watch and tinker bell. What about you? The storyline was very unique while also tying in really well with the original source material.

Although Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are beloved childhood classics, neither is an entirely happy story. And while, arguably, there is a good deal more sadness in this movie, I do feel like it holds true to the heart of both of the original stories. A brilliant imagination helps us to cope with the realities of life, we should never stop dreaming, fairy tales are most impactful when their impacts are blurred between fantasy and reality as they stick with us. And perhaps most importantly, healthy and loving friendships are the ones that help you to take the best life adventures.

-Film Quality:

There have been several movies recently that use some visual techniques that make your view a little hazy when they switch to fanciful scenes or a child’s perspective. I really appreciated how clearly this film jumped in between the children’s perspective and an adult’s perspective without making anything cloudy, or too sparkly with their beautifully animated fairy dust.

The cinematography is really breathtaking in places and it really adds to the story. The music was amazing, often times reminding me of a big adventure tale- like Pirates of the Caribbean– and then in the next- Mary Poppins. It’s such a deep and sad movie, but also moving and beautiful.

-Other:

*Because this movie prominently features a multi-racial family and Black children in roles that are traditionally filled by white children, it has been the target of some particularly nasty bot attacks and ridiculously negative and racist reviews from people who have not actually seen the movie. And I disagreed with the conclusions of a lot of the legitimate reviews I did read. It is a sad, sad movie- but also incredibly beautiful.

*I’m excited that they decided to release this both in the theater and for at home rental and hopeful to see that continue for the time being.

What childhood fairy tale is your favorite?!
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What to check out next:

-The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe book and movie review.

-Our review of the A Wrinkle in Time movie.

-Our review of the new Enola Holmes movie.

-The One and Only Ivan book and movie review.

Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this Come Away review post use affiliate links, we only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.