Disney’s 1953 Peter Pan Has A Piracy Detail That “Is Pretty Accurate,” Says Expert

Peter Pan features one details that’s actually quite accurate, a pirate expert reveals. Released in 1953, Peter Pan remains one of the most beloved animated Disney films to this day. The film, which was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske, follows the titular character as he brings Wendy and her brothers to Neverland where they face off against the formidable Captain Hook.

During a recent video for Insider, pirate historian Rebecca Simon breaks down select scenes from Peter Pan and judges them for their historical accuracy.

Simon looks at scenes involving Captain Hook taking the Lost Boys as captives, which is surprisingly accurate, but she does take issue with Wendy walking the plank. Check out her full analysis and score for the film out of 10 below:

“Peter Pan has a lot of fun elements about pirates in this movie, Captain Hook being the ultimate antagonist of the film. It was very common for pirates to actually capture victims in battle and then take them onto the ship, and they would sometimes capture entire groups of people. And they were usually in order to try to force them into their crew, so that way the pirates could have a larger crew.

“So to see the Lost Boys rounded up on the ship like this, taken as hostages, until they ideally would agree to become a pirate, that itself is pretty accurate.

“What’s interesting is we see that Wendy is being punished and so they’re having her walk the plank. This is something we see quite commonly in novels, TV shows, or movies about pirates. This is pretty fiction. I’ve never come across any source that mentions walking the plank. They’re not going to throw anyone overboard because that could be someone who could potentially work for them.

“I would give this probably a seven out of 10.”

Is Captain Hook The Best Disney Villain?

How He Compares To Other Antagonists From Beloved Disney Classics

A hero, as the old storytelling adage goes, is only as compelling as the antagonist against whom he or she faces off against, and Disney has introduced a number of truly memorable villains in its animated classics. Captain Hook is visually arresting, featuring a bright red coat and a hook for a hand, and he also has a fun backstory. His hand, for example, had been chopped off and fed to a crocodile, and his rivalry with this crocodile comes into play later in the film.

There are other Disney villains, however, who are arguably just as memorable. Jafar in Aladdin, for example, is a compelling antagonist for the titular character, though most characters in that film are arguably overshadowed by Robin Williams’ iconic performance as the Genie. Ursula from The Little Mermaid is similarly memorable, as are Hades from Hercules, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, and Scar from The Lion King.

Cruella de Vil is arguably the most unhinged and truly treacherous Disney villain, with her determination to kill and skin adorable puppies in One Hundred and One Dalmatians making her shockingly despicable. The best animated Disney villain will, of course, be a matter of personal preference, but Captain Hook is certainly high on the list. What’s more, it also seems that his pirate ways as depicted in Peter Pan aren’t actually that far from real life, which only adds to his effectiveness as a villain.