Metacritic reviews

Cleverly structured, fast-paced, funny, even moving.

It's refreshing to see a cartoon that looks like a cartoon -- and a lovingly drawn one -- rather than a conglomeration of computer-generated bits and bytes.

It's certainly a lot more charming than the last attempt at a Peter Pan sequel, Steven Spielberg's star-laden, ham-fisted "Hook."

This follow-up seems so similar to the 1953 Disney classic that it makes one long for a geriatric Peter.

This is pleasant, safe entertainment that ought to appeal to kids younger than 10, especially to girls, with its female-empowerment fantasy.

It's no use expecting Return to Never Land to match, much less exceed, Disney's 1953 version of "Peter Pan," which by itself isn't quite in the uppermost tier of the studio's full-length cartoons.

Not only did it not engage the adults, its lackluster story line didn't spread much illusion or magic over the kids in the audience either.

It's neither the fulfillment of our worst fears nor the surprise of the week.

Represents a passable follow-up to the venerable Peter Pan story and mercifully, at 72 minutes, is exactly half the length of the last attempt at same, Steven Spielberg's lamentable "Hook."

You may want to wait and watch "Never Land" the way it was meant to be seen -- as a straight-to-video baby-sitter.